Currently there are easy to implement applications that allow you to innovate in the way you deliver content, make the public fall in love, totally oriented to the user experience to the engagement and loyalty of your audience.
Juan Pablo Morales Sarmiento
The challenge of discovering and learning how to measure the rates of return on investment of communication activities and strategies based on live streaming techniques and technologies still remains.
It is not an easy task either, because there is no mathematical formula that allows it to be done, nor, even if there were, would it be applied equally to each strategy and use case.
Recent studies show that the expected growth of video Live Straming will grow 15-fold over the next four years. According to the GlobalWebIndex for June 2017, 28% of internet users watched live streaming through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, while a year earlier, this figure reached just 20%.
In this order of ideas, anyone who has within their activities the design, creation, production or publication of audiovisual content, should take advantage of the capabilities and the potential of live streaming to strengthen their results, because every day it takes on greater relevance among consumers and becomes, in addition, a fundamental part of the strategies of social networks to publish and monetize content.
To strengthen the results, as publishers we need to focus on the top 2 reasons why audiences consume live straming. The first is the fear of missing out on something important.
As a sports game, there is a huge difference between watching it live, or deferred knowing the final result. The sensations and adrenaline of the spectators does not compare between these two options.
The second reason is the basis of true communication, integrating the possibility of printing the magic of the interaction between the user and the sender.
Livestream claimed last year that 87% of users prefer live streaming over linear TV shows, when these include behind-the-scenes content, showing the mystery that television brings.
These two reasons are enough to ask us if we are really doing well when we deploy a series of human, technical and financial resources to publish live either the academic days of a meeting, a concert, a match or an activation of a brand, with the sole objective of seeking the greatest impact, but forgetting that behind any strategy, there must be a plan and minimum activities to follow.
In no case can even a good bill, perfect audio, an experienced switcherman or exceptional production guarantee that your live conference, your concert, or whatever your event is, exceeds demanding expectations.
Be sure to develop a digital strategy that sparks the fear of missing out on content and raises awareness with digital assets that support and accompany interaction with audiences.
Innovation in this case becomes a critical success factor that guarantees the greatest effectiveness of your plan, in the face of the overwhelming competition that currently exists to capture among millions of publishers, the attention of your audience.
How to innovate in Live Streaming?
1. Be sure to hire qualified staff for strategy and production.
Although I am sure that in his family or that of someone very close, a nephew under 9 years old is already uploading live videos to YouTube or Facebook Live, in the corporate world delegating the live video to companies experienced exclusively in the technical, would be equivalent to delegating it to that minor.
Qualified personnel will always advise you to design a strategy focused on achieving your audience objectives, with digital marketing techniques, neurocontents and production design and development. Go beyond the camera and microphones.
2. Focus on your niche with relevant and entertaining content for them.
If you are looking for your employees to follow the company president's conference live, whether it's for a product launch, to receive information about the organization's results, or to report on your bonuses for the end of the month, if you don't make it entertaining, you have only three options: force them to see you (probably with a supervisor behind it), not to do it or make it entertaining.
Recently I had the opportunity to be at the head of the webcast of one of the events with the greatest impact in the region on digital content. In this event we corroborate that the proposal we designed to engage the public, more than doubled the engagement, interactivity and results of the event, compared to what was traditionally done and that was oriented exclusively to academic content.
3. Also worry about the audio camera.
The technical aspects are decisive, and neglecting them can result in something very expensive. The quality of connection, video and audio, the generation of characters, the mixing of VTRs, curtains, the management of cameras, planimetry, travelings, music and effects, among others, are all key elements to be able to guarantee that they are seeing it and that these users are enjoying what you offer.
Ensure a sufficient budget, do not lose your investment. Consider hiring, in another case, a recording for the memories of your event and edit it at the end. Poor live video quality is going to cost you your image and reputation. In addition, the cost per viewer of a bad production can be up to ten times higher than that of a good experience.
4. Interact with your audience. Innovate.
Let your audience talk to you, integrating interactive elements like chats, calls, apps, voting, contests, prizes, and even live animated characters. Exploit the magic and mystery of live streaming.
Social networks and Google are their best allies, but the best allies must be kept close and happy and that also requires a budget.
Currently there are easy to implement applications that allow you to innovate in the way you deliver content, make the public fall in love, totally oriented to the user experience to the engagement and loyalty of your audience. Technologies that are migrating from digital to broadcast because they do not find in the new ecosystem people who understand their importance in a commercial environment, while they are doing it on television. Advice.
5. Do it regularly.
As in any advertising campaign or in a community generation plan, you have to work with persistence.
Prepare a consistent, regular plan to last at least six months. There is no business model in communication that can return the investment in such a time. Have them follow you continuously and thus increase your user community.
6. Think and act like a storyteller.
Reach your audience with human stories, not flat lectures. Design content that invites the audience to feel identified with you. Consider doing a content curation, prepare your keynote with a communication expert.
Technology is advancing very fast and Live Streaming is not far behind. But don't worry that this is not about technology but about culture and innovation in communication.
Juan Pablo Morales Sarmiento is the CEO of NuevosMedios, you can contact him through his Twitter account @JuanPMoralesS or by emailing [email protected]
