Live video is definitely a hot topic these days and something I have really fallen in love with using. I’m a big believer in having a content strategy in place and creating consistent content. I’ve been doing so for many years on my blog and through other social platforms but when Periscope came out, at the risk of sounding corny, it was a whole new world for me.
Live video is really different than any other medium out there. Rather than just delivering content in an edited/scripted way – it’s creating a two-way conversation between yourself and your audience. It’s this unique and awesome opportunity to build and strengthen community that makes live streaming such an incredible social media tool.
In today’s post I want to cover a few live video platforms: Periscope, Facebook Live and Blab. Now, it’s important to remember, just because live streaming exists on several different platforms doesn’t mean you have to be on all of them – it also doesn’t mean that they’re all the same. As you create your live video strategy, you’ll want to first decide which platform makes the most sense for you. Which one are you most comfortable using? Which one could most help build your community?
Whichever live video platform you decide to include in your strategy, you’ll want to keep these tips in mind:
Consistency counts. I can say this from being on Periscope for almost a year now and gotten a lot of business from it. It’s not because I’m always on there pitching with the hard sales. It’s because I show up on the platform every day and deliver really good content. It’s this consistency that has helped me “win” on Periscope. It’s been a powerful tool to grow my email list, generate leads and build a wonderful audience.
Use a Google Calendar to schedule your live video broadcasts.
To help stay consistent, I would recommend getting on a schedule for your broadcasts, this has made a huge difference for me. I simply use a Google calendar to schedule my scopes, but this has helped me to hold myself accountable and create the habit of consistency.
Content and context are king. With each of the different platforms, it’s important to keep both content and context top of mind when you are putting together your strategy.
First there’s Periscope. The Periscope audience truly is a live streaming community. So when you go on Periscope to broadcast or to watch a broadcast, you know what to expect. Unlike Facebook, which is a social media platform used for many different purposes, Periscope is strictly about live streaming.
Facebook Live. One of the main ways I plan on utilizing Facebook Live is to repurpose some of the content from my Periscope broadcasts. How do I plan on doing this? Well currently I am repurposing my weekly #GetSocialSmart Periscope Show into a blog post (just like this one) and then I promote the post in my email newsletter and on all of my social channels. I can see streaming on Facebook Live as an additional level of promotion – another way to slice and dice my content to make it stretch as far as possible.
Facebook offers some great tips for getting started with Facebook Live.
How I use Facebook Live may change as the platform evolves. I do believe that Facebook is really going to push Facebook Live so if you have a business page, utilizing the live streaming feature may really help with getting your content seen and increasing your engagement. Click here for tips on getting started with Facebook Live.
Finally, there’s Blab. Blab is a platform where you can host a show with up to four people on live video. There’s a live chat feature and an opportunity to let others jump into your conversation via video. I personally have used Blab in a very minimal way, although I do think it’s a very cool platform. It’s similar in many ways to Google Hangouts, although I think much easier to use.
Where I think there’s opportunity for Blab is to create an interview style show that can really help boost your expertise in your field. One of my very favorite Blab broadcasters isJenny Q – be sure to check out her shows!
Be sure to check out Jenny Q on Blab!
One of the cool features of Blab is the opportunity to schedule your events in advance. People can then subscribe to your events, you are also given a link that you can use to promote your event.
Repurposing content. Before you create live video content (whether it’s on Periscope, Facebook Live or Blab) it’s important to think about how you are going to repurpose that content. For me, I wanted to think about what the easiest way possible would be for me to repurpose my content. That currently looks like saving my best broadcast from the week using Katch.me, embedding that saved broadcast into a blog post and sharing that out over the next few days and weeks.
Katch.me is a great tool for saving and repurposing your Periscope broadcasts.
When it comes to repurposing content, you want to think in terms of how can you take one really great piece of content and slice and dice it to make it stretch.
Keeping your end goal in mind. When you are live streaming you want to think about your end goal or call to action, whether that’s driving people to your website, your Facebook group or getting them to sign-up for your email newsletter. So often I see someone do a really great live broadcast and leave the audience with no call to action. Remember, if people really like and follow you, they want to know “what’s next” from you. Don’t leave them hanging!
It’s a marathon not a sprint. It’s key when putting together your live video strategy that you keep in mind that what you do today will effect your business 6, 12, 18 months from now. I also believe that if you want to have success in social media over the long haul, you’ve got to be real. Unlike any other social platforms, live video platforms provide a unique opportunity for true authenticity and realness. I believe it’s what people are craving from social media and why these platforms will only continue to grow in popularity.
One final thought, when it comes to using live video as part of your social media strategy be sure to keep an open mind. You never know what might be right around the corner! Live video has opened up my own business in unexpected but amazing ways – and I’m sure that will continue to twist and turn as the platforms evolve. So don’t be afraid to give it a try, you may just be surprised at what it can do for you and your business!
A lot more tips in my Periscope:
How are you using live video in your social media strategy? I’d love to hear! Leave a comment below or head on over to our #GetSocialSmart Facebook group and join in the conversation!
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