An easy way to boost your engagement and sales. 

What sticks with you better, the information you absorbed from a blog post you read, or what you learned from the last video you watched? Even if you love reading, as many people do, the human brain tends to prefer moving images to static text. When you watch your favorite sporting event, you are viewing action and processing it visually. If you miss a big game and have to read about it later to find out what happened, there is just not the same excitement as there is when you view the action itself.

This is because, like the old saying goes, a picture is worth 1,000 words.

Actually, science has proven that a picture is roughly worth about 60,000 words. This is because your brain processes images about 60,000 times faster than it does text. Video is also processed virtually instantly, as opposed to text. Even if a video clip lasts just 1 second, your brain processes all that is going on immediately. This is not what happens when you read text, because your brain has to string together individual letters to make words, words to make sentences, sentences to make paragraphs, and so on.

As a marketer, the natural ability of the human mind to prefer images and video over text should make you very excited. The incredible speed at which the human mind processes visuals means that even a very short video is more likely to be remembered than the most in-depth blog post. This is because science tells us a full 93% of all human communication is visual in nature. As much as 90% of all the data and information which is sent to your brain is visual.

Concerning live streaming video as opposed to recorded video, the “right now” aspect of this media creates a sense of urgency and scarcity in the minds of your prospects. They feel that if they don’t tune in when you are broadcasting live, they are missing out on something. Even if you let them know a recording will be available later, your prospects, clients and customers prefer to view the live event, because this makes them a part of the process.

There is no denying that live video streaming connects with your audience in a way that text, images and recorded video can’t.

The goal of this report is to drive home the idea that you absolutely must have room in your marketing plan for live video. This short report will give you some statistics and figures which should have you chomping at the bit, ready to start delivering your own live video sessions. You will discover the where and how of live streaming video, so you can spend your time where most of your prospects are spending theirs.

We will take a look at the tools you need to create the best possible streaming video experience. In case you don’t have any idea what you should be streaming live, in this report you will learn some simple sources of topics and ideas you can cover in your videos.

Since you need eyeballs in front of your video content, we will show you how to put virtual butts in your seats, and how to plan your first live stream video session so you focus on the content, and not the butterflies in your stomach. Finally, you will discover best practices for getting the most mileage from your videos, so your live streaming sessions pay off for you and your audience, so much so that your viewers can’t wait for your next video stream.

Let’s get started with your video streaming education by absorbing some convincing facts and figures that point to live video as the preferred web traffic media type currently, and in the future.

 

 

Why Live Video Streaming Should Be Part of Your Marketing Plan

For the past couple of years, video has been the preferred form of Internet access. More people engage in video and text-based web surfing now than ever before. This is true whether or not an individual searches the web on their smart phone or desktop computer, tablet or laptop. If most people online are engaging in video, doesn’t it just make sense that your marketing efforts should include live streaming video?

To explore the sensibility of that decision, let’s take a look at a very colorful American bank robber who spent more than 40 years stealing for a living. William Francis “Willie” Sutton, Jr spent over half of his adult life in prison largely because of his bank robbing escapades. One now famous interview with a reporter regarding his lawbreaking habits went like this.

Reporter: “Willie, why do you rob banks?”

Willie Sutton: “Because that’s where the money is.”

That frank sincerity makes a lot of sense when you think about it. Rather than rob individuals, who may or may not have any money on them, Mr. Sutton decided to go right where he knew the largest amounts of money were being held. He robbed banks because he knew there was a lot of money there. Sutton’s reply during that interview has led to the creation of what is called Sutton’s Law, a diagnosis tool taught in medical school.

Sutton’s Law states that when a medical professional is diagnosing a patient, the most obvious situation should be considered first. The initial step a caregiver should give once applying Sutton’s Law is to carry out any tests which will either confirm or rule out the most probable diagnosis. Let’s apply this to your marketing efforts, using Sutton’s Law.

Why should you start using live streaming as a powerful marketing tool? Because that’s where your prospects and customers are.

If you still aren’t convinced, here are a few more reasons why live video streaming needs to be a part of your marketing plan.

• Regardless the market or niche, people spend an average of 3X more time watching a live video on Facebook than a recorded video.
• A Twitter study showed that you can positively influence how your business or brand is perceived by a whopping 63% with a live video.
• 82 out of every 100 Twitter users watch video while they are on Twitter.
• 8 out of 10 consumers in one study said they felt a how-to video was helpful when they were deciding to make a purchase.
• Over the most recent 30-day period, more video content was uploaded to the Internet than all the video content which has been aired on television over the past 3 decades.
• 2019 (just around the corner) it is estimated that video will account for a minimum of 80% of all worldwide Internet traffic.
• Snapchat users voraciously consume 10 billion videos each and every day.
• Every 60 seconds, more than 72 hours of videos are uploaded to YouTube.
• Facebook users watch 100 million hours of videos on FB every day.
• Over the 90% of all mobile video viewers share their videos with others, and a heavy portion of mobile video is live video.
• On the Facebook Live platform, live videos receive 1,000% more comments than recorded videos.

Live Video Can Become Recorded Video

There is no reason to cast your live video streams aside after you are done with them. The top live streaming video applications and websites, which we will discuss in a moment, allow you to record your video. This means that not only do you reach your users and engage them in a way that only live video can, but you also create a recorded resource for future engagement.

You can then use these recorded videos for training, customer retention, to explain a process or demonstrate a product, or for any number of other uses. These videos are yours, and since video delivers a much higher perceived value than text-based content, if you decide to use these videos to create an information product, you can charge a premium price.

Don’t think of your live video streams as “one and done” processes. These videos can be used indefinitely for you to build your business and provide a positive experience for your prospects and customers. Think about it. If you just recorded a short live video stream every week, at the end of the year you would have 52 pieces of engaging video content to use in all your marketing and content creation efforts moving forward.

Web Surfers Are Viewing Live Content More Than Ever Before

The move to video over other forms of media online has been on for a few years now. This prompted Google to purchase YouTube, the largest and most popular video sharing site. Regarding live video, a full 81% viewed more live streaming videos in 2016 than in the previous year.

If you market to millennials, defined as any person reaching young adulthood in the early part of the 21st century (23 to 39 year sold in 2020), you must be communicating with live video. This is because eMarketer tells us 2 out of 3 millennials have viewed live video content and 42% have created live streaming video.

This dramatic increase in viewing a live video the last two or three years has not gone unnoticed by marketers. The live video streaming marketplace was worth about $30 billion as recently as 2016, and estimates have that number growing to $70 – $80 billion dollars by the year 2021. One of the reasons for this preference of watching live video over other online media types is evidenced by the Livestream statistic which shows 80% of web surfers would rather watch live video created by a business or brand than read a blog post which delivers the same message.

The takeaway here is simple.

People prefer watching video to reading text-based marketing messages, and live video is preferred over recorded video. Using live video in your marketing plan makes sense because you benefit from both the live and recorded advantages of this preferred type of media consumption.

 

 

Where to Go Live

As of February 2018, the following apps and sites were where most web surfers went to feed their live streaming video habits.

• Facebook Live
• Twitter Live (formerly Periscope)
• YouTube Live
• Snapchat Live Stories
• Instagram Live (part of the Stories platform)
• LiveStream
• Kanvas
• YouNow
• Streamago

Vive, Glide, Hang w/ and TeleParty deserve honorable mention, as they are growing in popularity. As live video streaming continues to grow, you will see many more popular applications and websites pop up in the future which cater to this particular type of media delivery. A quick web search for “top live streaming apps” can provide you with some fresh, up-to-the-minute information, but be prepared to sort through a lot of results. If you just stick with the 9 biggies listed above, your live streaming efforts will probably reach the largest audience.

 

 

Tools You Need to Go Live

If you have a smart phone which is less than a couple of years old, you are probably well prepared. The cameras on today’s smart phones provide video quality which could only be found on expensive standalone video cameras just a few years ago. Purchase a phone tripod made for your particular smart phone, get your face in focus, and begin streaming. There are some full-time video bloggers who use nothing more than their iPhones and Android phones to produce quality video.

If you want to go the professional route, here are a few tools necessary to stream live video online.

Microphones

• Quality starter mics
  • ATR2100 (condenser)
  • Samson Q2U (dynamic)
• Mic upgrades
  • Heil PR40 (dynamic)
  • Shure SM58 (dynamic)
  • Blue Yeti (condenser)
• Lavalier mics (clip-on mics)
  • Road SmartLav+
  • BOYA BY-M1 Lavalier Microphone
  • MAONO Lavalier Microphone

Cameras

• Quality starter cameras
  • Samsung WB350F 16.3MP 21X Optical Zoom
  • Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic Instant
  • Nikon Coolpix S7000 16 MP 20x Optical Zoom
  • Sony DSCW800/B
  • Canon EOS Rebel SL1 Digital SLR with 18-55mm STM Lens
• Camera upgrades
  • Nikon D610 24.3 MP CMOS FX-Format Digital SLR Camera Bundle with 24-85mm and 70-300mm Nikkor VR AF-S Lenses
  • Canon EOS 77D EF-S 18-55 IS STM Kit
  • Pentax K-50 16MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with DA L 18-55mm WR f3.5-5.6 and 50-200mm WR Lenses

Video Editing Software

• Free
  • VideoPad Video Editor
  • VSDC Free Video Editor
  • Windows Movie Maker (included with Windows 10 operating system)
  • iMovie HD (included with Mac OS products)
  • Blender (Windows, Linux and Mac compatible)
• Paid
  • Animoto
  • Camtasia
  • Corel VideoStudio Pro (Ultimate) X10
  • Adobe Premiere Elements
  • AVS Video Editor
  • CyberLink PowerDirector 15 Ultra
  • Apple Final Cut Pro (Apple operating system only)

It bears noting that if you are going live with your smart phone, which you should so you can get started immediately, you will have limited video editing capabilities. However, it should be enough to get you rolling. The key is acting immediately, rather than putting off your live video streaming marketing efforts until you have compiled a bunch of costly equipment.

As long as you have a camera, microphone and minimal editing features, you can stream live video.

 

 

Live Streaming Content Ideas

If you are having a tough time developing ideas for content creation, don’t worry. Just about any way you used to interact with your prospects and customers in the past will work with live video. This means whatever type of content ideas you have used previously probably apply where live streaming video is concerned. Here are a few live video content creation ideas to get your mental juices flowing.

• Read your old blog posts. If you have been a blogger or Internet entrepreneur for some time, you no doubt have plenty of blog posts and other text-based content. Take them out, brush them off, make sure they are relevant, and share this content during a live video stream.
• Interview a professional or expert. If you are not an expert in some field, you can interview an expert to deliver quality information.
• Show how to use a product or service. This not only cuts down on customer returns, but it can also improve sales.
• Answer customer emails. This shows your prospects and customers that you actually read the emails they send.
• Record modules that you will use to make a video course. We will talk more about developing a video course later. When you plan accordingly, you can use recorded and edited versions of your live streaming videos to make a video course you can sell or give away.
• Host a question and answer session. A Q&A session is perfectly suited for live video.
• Have a contest or drawing. If you want to guarantee people will show up for your live video stream, give something away.
• Ask for viewer input. Ask your audience what they want from you. People love to share their opinions, and when you ask your prospects how you can help them, the answers they give you tell you exactly what they are willing to pay for.

Planning Your First Live Stream

Planning is a big part of success in any endeavor. When you plan properly, you significantly improve the chance that you will be successful at anything. After you develop a good plan, equip yourself with the appropriate tools and gear, then you need to practice. If you practice enough times to become proficient, then you are ready for your first live stream. Here is a simple and short step-by-step recipe to follow which will guarantee you build the confidence to have a productive live video session, even if things go wrong (and they inevitably will from time to time).

• Plan your content
• Create your content
• Record yourself practicing as if you were before a live audience
• Practice enough times until you know all the ins and outs of the equipment, software or website you are using
• Host a trial run before a friendly audience
• Go live (don’t worry about mistakes)
• Record the video, critique your results, and make notes that will help you improve in the future

It is extremely important that you run through several practice sessions on the website or software you will be using. Facebook Live is different than YouTube Live, and they are both different than using the Twitter Live video streaming application. Although live video audiences are very forgiving because of the nature of the media they are viewing, you want to look as professional as possible. This means planning and creating your content, practicing until you could give the presentation in your sleep, and then giving that presentation for a few friends or loved ones.

Get to intimately know your gear and the software you are using. With each live video stream you host, you will become more adept at the process, and in the future you will not have to spend this much time to turn out a great product.

 

 

How to Get Viewers on Your Live Stream

Live streaming platforms like Facebook Live, YouTube Live and Twitter Live provide a built-in audience. In the days and weeks leading up to your live stream, you announce when you will be going live, and what you will be covering. You are talking to prospects on the social media platform they prefer, the same place where you will be delivering video, and this dramatically boosts attendance rates. Here are a few more ways to fill your virtual theater with live video viewers.

• Email outreach
• In your email signature file
• Paid marketing such as Google AdWords, YouTube Ads and Facebook Ads
• Forums and chat rooms
• Giveaways and contests on social media
• Stream regularly, on a set schedule
• Announce that you are giving something away to every attendee, and hosting a random draw for a major prize
• Call out the names of your attendees, and this will boost attendance in the future
• Take requests for future live stream topics
• Have your interview subjects email their list
• Use quality equipment. The better your video and audio, the more likely people will stay all the way through and come back for more

 

 

Making the Most of Your Live Videos

It was mentioned earlier in this report that live videos don’t have to stop building your business after you are through streaming. This leads to one of the best ways to get the most production out of your live videos, which is to use them as recorded video content in the future. Let’s take a look at several tips and techniques for getting the most out of your live videos for building your business and engaging your audience.

Create a Video Course

This was mentioned earlier as a possibility in the section on ideas for live streaming content. Instead of just firing up your iPhone and spending a few minutes chatting with your audience, plan your next 5 to 7 streaming videos. Your first video could be an introduction about what you will be covering over the next several videos. Then you can tackle one question or one topic in each subsequent video. Wrap up with a summary video and a call to action.

This makes an excellent video course you can sell or giveaway. Video courses don’t need to be sales-oriented only. String together several helpful videos that show how to get the most out of your products or services and you will cut down on returns, while improving your relationship with your customers. If you are going to use several live streams to create a video course, it is probably best not to offer access to the videos you record, as this would diminish the interest in your recorded course

Build a FAQs Library

Live videos engage the part of your prospects’ brains that want instant gratification. A lot of your prospective clients and your current customers have questions they need answers to right now. You could host a live video stream the same time each week or each month, and answer questions in each one that you keep hearing over and over.

Over time, this would allow you to create a substantial library of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) you could post on your site. You can even go one step further and publish recordings of these live question-and-answer videos on video sharing sites like YouTube. In the video description you can drive traffic back your website, letting viewers know you have posted other videos which answer more questions related to the same topic.

This practice lets your customers know you care about them. They realize it takes time and dedication to make these videos, and you are not asking for a sale in any of them. Not only does this create respect for you in the eyes of your current customers, but prospects who view these videos see that you have gone one step beyond what your competitors are offering in the way of answering important questions that are on their minds. This means better customer retention and positive word-of-mouth advertising.

Showcase a Happy Client Story

Testimonials are the lifeblood of many businesses. There are all kinds of statistics which show that one happy customer talking to her friends about her experience can turn into dozens of future customers. If you have a client that would like to join you on your live video stream talking about her purchase or experience with your company, that is powerful social proof that no amount of money can purchase.

You may have a wonderful customer success story, but that individual either doesn’t want to join you in your video or can’t arrange to do so. In this case you can have them call you on Skype or on your cell phone and share their story. Additionally, you may simply read and display an email from a happy client. People tend to believe other people who they view as customers just like themselves rather than a spokesperson of a company, and sharing a positive testimonial of your live video stream cashes in on this mindset.

Publish Recorded Versions of Your Live Videos … Everywhere!

You have put a lot of time and effort into your live video streaming marketing. You have planned, written video scripts, interviewed people, stayed up at night practicing and wondered if you are going to get everything right. You have a lot of mental and physical energy and possibly money invested in your live video marketing efforts.

Don’t let those efforts go to waste.

In February of 2018 Wikipedia listed more than 6 dozen significant video sharing sites where you can upload your content. You could pick and choose those that make the most sense for your blog or entrepreneurial activities, and upload recorded versions of your live video sessions. Almost all the major video sharing sites are free to use, so it doesn’t make sense to miss out on this free video marketing method.

Use Your Videos for Lead Magnets

If video engages better than text and still images, why not use videos rather than text-based lead magnets to build your email list? This is a simple way to turn your live videos into conversion boosting opt-in offers that build a list of people who are giving you permission to market to them in the future. If your current opt-in bribes are text-based PDFs, e-books and reports, and they are not converting like you would like them to, offer recorded live video streaming content and see if you don’t get an appreciable a boost in your conversion rates.

 

 

The Wrap-Up – Taking Action

You now understand that if you do not involve yourself in live video as a marketing tool, you are going to get run over by the competition. The first people to build blogs became market leaders in their niches. For many years, blogging was seen as a professional skill and bloggers received instant notoriety and respect for all the hard work they did, and they still do.

It takes a lot of time and effort to run a blog these days. Truth be told, blogging is still a very good way to make a living online. However, as a smart entrepreneur, you need to learn to move with the times. This doesn’t mean you should ditch your blog altogether! What you can do is begin incorporating live video into your blog, website or on your other web properties.

You can create a video blog (vlog) that hosts and records a live video stream weekly or monthly on a set schedule. Pay to have someone transcribe your audio and you have an automatic text-based piece of content to add to your vlog post. This turns your text-based website or blog into a destination for live video streaming, and recorded video content. You also keep the text option for those people who prefer to consume information by reading it, rather than by watching a video.

This report reveals specific methods, tools, tactics and best practices for building your blog, Internet business or kitchen table entrepreneurial enterprise into a profitable and rewarding concern. It is up to you to act. The earlier you outline a plan which adds live video streaming to your overall business marketing plan, the sooner you cash in on the power of video to engage and communicate like images and text simply can’t.