In the immortal and meme-worthy words of Bill O'Reilly, “F*** it, we’ll do it live!!”

For years, live TV was the only way to watch anything on the tube. Recording technology either didn’t exist or hadn’t been perfected, so much of what was shown on the alphabet networks was happening live in-studio while you watched at home.

Over the years, various recording technologies came and went, including VCRs (which have made a strange comeback in recent years), but even with advances in digital storage mediums, live video has remained king.

Why is LiveStreaming So Powerful for Content Marketing?

Part of what makes live video so powerful is the personal connection it offers. When you realize that what you’re watching is happening in real-time, there’s a sense of belonging that puts you in the moment right alongside those on-screen.

Like with all things related to media and content, people want to relate to other people. This is one of the reasons why so many brands are turning away from AI-generated content these days. It’s just not the same when a machine tries to emulate human interaction, and your customers crave authenticity.

LiveStreams Are Spontaneous

There’s also a spontaneity factor with live video, where you never know what might happen next. These factors combined are what intrigue viewers and make live videos so popular.

These days, livestreaming via platforms like YouTube, Twitch and X (formerly Twitter) has become immensely popular, but is livestreaming a good idea for your content marketing strategy? In this post, we’re going to examine what livestreaming is and why it can add value to a content marketing strategy.

We’re also going to take a look at the power of video content and engagement as well as help you take a closer look at some of the pros and cons of livestreaming.

Our goal is to help you decide whether livestreaming should even be a part of your content marketing strategy, and if so, how to best pursue livestreaming to get the most out of your time and investment.

Wait - What is LiveStreaming?

To back up just a bit, livestreaming is a form of video content where you broadcast content live to the Internet. As mentioned, platforms like YouTube and Twitch are known for livestreaming, but there are plenty of other ways to stream live video content.

Livestreams have grown in popularity alongside the networking technologies that make them possible, and many people prefer livestreams to pre-recorded video content.

In fact, media personalities like Tim Pool have made a name for themselves by holding daily livestreams, and we couldn’t even begin to count the number of successful gamers out there who stream every day (and make a healthy living at it).

In the first quarter of 2023, over 35% of all video content consumers on the web consisted of livestreams. Considering people watched billions of hours of online video already this year, and some estimates suggest online video has finally reached the tipping point where it surpasses cable, you’ve got an entire audience out there just waiting to connect with you – live!

Getting Social With LiveStreams

Aside from streaming platforms and online video sites, social media has gotten in on the action. Facebook Live and X (formerly Twitter) are both fantastic options to livestream content.

These platforms may even be better options since they integrate a variety of social tools, and you’re also able to connect with audiences based on friends, shares, and interests.

Planning Your LiveStream Content for the Best Results

So, we see that livestreaming is popular and there are a number of FREE and effective outlets where you can host livestreams, but this brings us to perhaps the most important part of the discussion:

• What should you livestream?

• Should you just turn on a camera and talk?

• Is there a way to plan your content in an intelligent and targeted way?

The key to adding livestreaming to your content marketing strategy is to plan ahead. We always take a look at each client’s current initiatives to find new stories to tell through livestreaming. Perhaps your company is going to take part in a charity event or awards ceremony in the Charlotte area and you want to highlight this in your content.

Talk Yourself Up to Viewers to Give Them a Reason to Tune Back In Later

For something like this, we want to highlight the event, but more importantly, we want to highlight why your company is involved with the event.

This improves engagement for viewers because it offers something they can’t get anywhere else – an up-close look at your company from the inside out. You can talk about the event all day long, but telling stories and discussing issues related to the event is what will really form a connection with viewers.

During the planning stage, we also want to think about how we’re going to promote each livestream. If this will be a regular thing, we need to set a schedule and stick with it consistently.

We also want to put notices on the client’s website and create some fun graphics for social media. If you already have an account on YouTube, Twitch, or another video-sharing site, we would make a short promotional video talking about the live stream. Short-form videos are immensely popular due to the rise of mobile, so it makes sense to capitalize on this trend.

Connecting LiveStreaming With Your Content Marketing Goals

Now that we’ve covered the importance and benefit of live streaming, let’s take a look at how you can incorporate a livestreaming schedule into your content marketing strategy. Just like any other form of digital content, we always need to remember to demonstrate:

• Value to the viewer

• Expertise in the information we provide

• Relatable tone in how we present our content

• Thought-provoking content that keeps viewers interested and coming back for more

In other words, we need to do the same things with livestreaming that we do for other forms of content used in our content marketing strategy.

The Share Factor

Something else to consider when integrating livestreaming into your content marketing strategy is the share factor. People like tuning into livestreams because it makes them feel like they’re part of the action. To enhance this, many people like to share livestreams with friends so they can get in on the action as well.

This means that your livestreams should have some element that encourages viewers to share. For example, you can incorporate a live text chat in your streams where viewers can communicate with you while you’re on camera.

You can also conduct real-time polls or shout out viewers on stream. Some brands even monetize livestreams by allowing donations. Larger donations get turned into on-screen rewards like special shout-outs and messages displayed for everyone to see.

Post-Livestream Content Utilization is Crucial

After a livestream, you can still make use of the footage you captured. Consider repurposing pieces of your livestream by turning clips into a montage and then writing a blog post about the streamed event.

Include your montage and write about the key topics that were covered. This encourages people to tune in if they missed a livestream, and as long as you keep to a consistent schedule, you should be able to pull in more viewers in the future.

This can also be beneficial for creating shorts of highlight moments to post on social media. Remember to give just enough value to get people interested, but don’t post the whole livestream. Remember that you want people to tune in, subscribe, and receive notifications about any future live-stream events.

Measuring the Success of a LiveStream

You’ll also need to measure the success of your livestreams. This can be done in several different ways, including by simply counting how many people tuned in and adding up the average view time.

You can also see if your web properties and social media channels experienced an uptick in engagement, visitors, and subscribers. Of course, you can also take a look at sales data and lead generation to see if you experience a bump following a livestream.

Rewatch Your Content to Look for Key Moments

It’s also a good idea to rewatch your livestream with comments turned on. See where key moments came in your livestream that caused viewers to interact. Make a list of those moments and determine what it was about them that caused engagement. Try to replicate these moments in future livestreams.

You also want to think about the return on investment for livestreaming. How much money are you spending to produce each livestream, and how much revenue does each generate?

ROI May Take a While, But…

If you’re new to livestreaming, you may not generate any sales at first but think about the leads you gain as well as new subscribers. These people offer potential revenue in the future, and you can use lifetime customer value and customer acquisition formulas to get a sense of the ROI for your live-streaming efforts in these cases.

Watch Out for Trolls and Pitfalls

While every livestream would go off without a hitch in a perfect world, we all know the Internet. In fact, we came of age during the early days of the Internet where it was more like the Wild Wild West. We’re well-versed in trolling and general Internet shenanigans.

Trolling and people just having a laugh are going to be potential obstacles you’ll need to be ready to face if you open your livestream up to the public.

Always respond with professionalism, but be ready to take on trolls like a stand-up comedian takes on hecklers. Always keep in mind that someone could be recording your livestream, so anything you say or do can come back to haunt you.

Livestreaming can Make a Great Addition to Your Content Marketing Strategy

Given the reach and engagement potential for brands and companies of all sizes, livestreaming can be a fantastic complement to your content marketing strategy.

The key is to produce consistent, valuable content that is engaging, relevant, authentic, and relatable. With some practice, you’ll get down a routine and be ready to roll once the camera turns on.

Do You Have a LiveStreaming Strategy? We’d Love to Hear From You!

If you have a live-streaming strategy you’d like us to highlight in an upcoming post, get in touch with Charlotte Content Marketing. We always enjoy hearing from business owners who are doing great things, and we want to spotlight your success.

If you’re looking for more information about content marketing and how you can make livestreaming a part of your content marketing strategy, call Charlotte Content Marketing to have a no-obligation discussion. Dial (704) 323-6762, or use our contact form to set up a chat online. We’d love to hear from you!