Why you need a live video strategy for your social media

Standing out in a sea of social media posts is getting harder and harder, especially with the introduction of new algorithms and features like ‘vanishing’ videos.

However, there are still loads of opportunities around – you just need to be savvy.

Analytics indicates that users will watch live video three times more than pre-recorded videos on Facebook, which means there’s a lot of interest waiting to be harnessed.

Facebook has also adjusted their algorithm so that live videos are more likely to appear higher up in news feeds than those that are not.

So you want to jump into pumping out Live Videos right? Well I want you to take a step back.

Before you kick things off, you need to pull some data and check out whether your demographic are even interested in your live content. Then, weigh up whether you have enough resources to dedicate to live videos and then evaluate if the return is worth it.

Now that you’re armed and ready to take the plunge with live video, here are a few pointers to ponder over:

Test out your connection

Don’t take any chances with simply relying on a nearby Wi-Fi connection. Ensure you have a dedicated 4G internet dongle at the bare minimum, so that you have plenty of bandwidth. Test before you broadcast!

Broadcast title is very important

Ask yourself “why would our audience want to tune into this?” when you are crafting a live video headline. Your followers will join based on how strong your liner is.

Promo posts on your socials for Live Video

Don’t waste Live Video opportunities – you need to push the broadcast day and time.

Try creating a teaser video or even images promoting the stream and boosting your reach by using the promotion as a paid ad. Ensure it’s fresh in your audience’s minds just before you go live.

Remember there’s also nothing wrong with cross-promoting across your other social media accounts, via email mailouts or on your website.

Make sure you can be heard

Radio folks understand the importance of sound, especially when you are live. Don’t let background noise or muffled voices ruin your live video stream. It’s worth investing in good equipment if you find that this is a problem – you don’t want to annoy your audience only to have them stop watching your broadcast.

Get ready for live engagement

You’ve gotten your audience all excited only to focus on shooting the stream? What were you thinking! The purpose of Live Video is to boost your engagement so make sure you allocate some time during the stream to ask/answer questions and to encourage audience contribution.

I’d suggest that the video stream is a two person job – get a colleague to keep an eye on the stream and to answer any questions or interactions immediately.

Repost and repurpose  

Make the most of your live stream by reusing them. Generate GIFs, teaser clips and stills then reuse them on Instagram/Facebook Stories.

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Social Scorecard is compiled exclusively for Radio Today by Jess Frangelli and is brought to you by Social News Desk.