It is said that we are in the era of video. Therefore, it is not surprising that the video is expected to generate up to 79% of online traffic by 2020. Among this percentage, a large share of live streaming takes place. And it is that live content keeps users updated and helps people feel part of the community, even if they cannot be present for the physical event. This was demonstrated with YouTube in 2016 when it generated 8 million views in the first 12 hours of the live broadcast of E3 . Therefore, after knowing the following advantages of live streaming you will have no doubt of its importance as a marketing strategy:
Value: Users value feeling that they are part of a community and that they are actively participating in the event held. Be it a concert, a football match, a webinar or a game, the possibility of feeling that they are virtually in the place of the event is valued. The smartcric live streaming options come with the smartest options now.
- Now that you know how important live broadcasting is as a form of video marketing, you should take advantage of it to promote your services on the Internet, just as Walmart did in 2016. The supermarket chain made a live broadcast to demonstrate an online product (a laptop). The live element unleashed a sense of urgency in the audience that contributed to the increase in sales.
- Microsoft has also been encouraged to broadcast hundreds of dozens of live conferences to its users, as well as Salesforce or Advertising Week broadcasting its meetings globally through webinars. And it is clear that this form of sale will not disappear soon as it provides an unparalleled interactive possibility because it allows comments in real time so that anyone can instantly see what others say.
- On the other hand, it is also possible to ask questions and have the target audience respond immediately. Not forgetting that, after finishing the live broadcast it becomes a conventional video. So not only are you broadcasting live but you’re filming a video.
What could be better?
In this way, we can consider live streaming as a natural extension of video marketing, thus opening a new door to a completely new interactive world. In other words we can consider that video marketing has become interactive through live streaming.
The future of live broadcasts
It is not possible to predict the future but there is no doubt that if consumers demand live streaming now, they will continue to do so in the future. However, by then they may also ask for virtual reality like Facebook Spaces, Blocks or HTC Vive.
For now, we can confirm that services such as Periscope and the live broadcast offered by Facebook Spaces are protagonists in online communication. As are a variety of live streaming applications that are gaining popularity. Among them: Meerkat, YouNow and Blab.