Social media live streaming can be powerful if you know how to harness it. Learn the best practices for live streaming and how it can benefit your brand.

I’ll tell you a secret. People love brands that have a human touch to them. Look at some of the most successful advertisements. All of them have a human touch, invoking some sort of emotions with the customers. 

Why? Because this lets people know that there are humans behind the brand. After all, people don’t buy from companies; they buy from people. 

So if there’s anything that is going to work wonders for your brand, it is adding a human touch to it. And one of the best ways to do this is by going live on social media. 

What is Social Media Live Streaming? 

Social media live streaming refers to going live on social media and talking to your audience in real time. Think of it as a one way video call. You will be able to see your audience’s comments and they get a unique glimpse into their favorite brand’s world!

But what benefits does live streaming offer?

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7 Benefits of Social Media Live Streaming 

Social media live streaming has several benefits for your brand.

#1 Connect with a wider audience 

Did you know that more than 80% of people prefer watching a live video as opposed to reading a blog post? And more people will tune in to your live if there’s a chance to see some behind-the-scenes content. 

This shows that live streaming is a great way to connect with a wider audience who wouldn’t engage with your brand otherwise. 

#2 It helps you show your brand’s human side 

Interacting with your audience and showing them glimpses of what goes on behind the scenes brings out your brand’s human side. They also get to see the real, unfiltered voices behind the brand. This helps you build better connections with your customers and fosters trust and loyalty. 

#3 It increases your engagement 

If you do it right, a live video becomes more of a friendly conversation with your audience as opposed to other types of content. You can also make it more interactive by having your audience ask you questions, conducting polls, or even playing games. Doing this also helps you get real-time feedback directly from your customers.

People are more likely to check out your live videos, especially if they are fun, so live streaming will increase your engagement. Moreover, Instagram automatically sends a notification to your followers whenever you go live, so this is bound to make more people tune in. 

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#4 It is a cost-effective way of increasing your conversion rate 

Live streaming costs nothing other than your time and it is a great way of increasing your conversion rate. How? By nurturing your existing customers while having the potential to convert new people. So, it is an effective marketing strategy that actually works and is completely free!

#5 Generate additional revenue 

You can conduct exclusive events via live streaming – such as a special sale or a giveaway – and charge your audience a small entry free for joining. An entry fee is also a good idea if you plan to share valuable information when you go live. 

If you don’t want to charge an entry fee, you can simply give our discount coupon codes that will only be valid till the live ends. This is a great way to generate additional revenue for yourself. 

#6 It helps your events reach global 

You can live-stream company events such as webinars and conferences and extend their reach globally. This takes away geographical restraints and you get to reach customers worldwide without having to leave your office! 

#7 You can repurpose the video content 

An effective way of getting your message across is by repeating it periodically without overdoing it. This is where repurposing your content comes in. 

You can use clips from your live video in sales presentations, newsletters, and so on. Or you can use content from your posts in your live video. This way, you get to spread the same message without posting the exact same content. 

Now that we have talked about how social media live streaming can benefit your brand, let’s look at some tips and tricks so that you can make the most of it!

6 Live Streaming Tips and Tricks 

#1 Optimize your streaming setup 

Blurry videos with a lot of background noise where people can’t see anything is a turn off. So optimize your streaming setup before you go live. Go to a room or area where there is minimal noise. Conduct sound checks and make sure the video quality is good. 

Investing in a tripod and a microphone is also a good idea as it prevents the camera from shaking and ensures that your sound quality is high.

#2 Have a roadmap 

Write down what you want to achieve from the live stream. Do you want to just meet your customers or do you want to increase conversions? Maybe you want to promote a new product. 

Once you have your goals ready, prepare yourself for the live streaming. Practicing a bit before you go is good, too! I mean, sure, a live video is more of a casual and interactive session, but that doesn’t mean you go there and absolutely wing everything. So, have a brief outline of your important talking points and improvise based on it. 

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#3 Notify your audience before you go live 

Announce it on your social media accounts and ask people to set up a reminder. Give them a brief overview of the agenda as well. This will help people decide if they want to join and also allow them to set aside some time to join you, which means.. you guessed it! More viewers!

#4 Choose the right time to go live 

If you want more people to join you, you need to pick the right time. People have responsibilities such as work and college, so you need to choose a time when more people would be able to join. 

You can also ask your audience to vote on when they would like you to come live. Give them a couple of options and then choose the time with the most number of votes. This also makes your live streaming session more inclusive. 

#5 Be responsive to your audience 

The whole point of live streaming is to build better connections with your audience. So, reply to their messages, ask them for opinions, and just generally converse with them. Make them feel as if they are in a conversation with you. 

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Even if you didn’t plan the live streaming session to be an interactive one, set aside some time to engage with your audience – either towards the beginning or the end. 

#6 Be yourself 

One of the reasons people tune in to live sessions is because they want to see the people behind the brand, flaws and all. So, be yourself, forget about trying to be perfect, and have fun. 

If your session is too artificial, viewers will be able to tell right away. Let your personality shine through. Add that human touch.

And that’s all on social media live streaming. Whether this is your first time going live or your tenth time, use these tips and tricks to increase your conversions! Don’t forget to share this article before you go, though.