26 Feb Lean Into More Live Video in 2019

The latest platform to jump on the live video train is LinkedIn.  The announcement is news in itself based on the growing usefulness of the professional networking site for innovative marketing ideas.  There are plenty of ways to leverage this as an individual influencer, or as someone building clout on behalf of a brand.  LinkedIn’s foray into live is just the latest in a long line of reasons why you should be paying more attention to your live video strategy.

From Big to Small

One of the best things about live video is that there’s a whole range of quality that the average audience will accept depending on what your streaming.  From a casual Q&A all the way up to a fully-produced conference, you can go as big or as small as you want to.  The LinkedIn Live announcement came with the extra nugget that they’d be working with several third-party streaming services to allow users to send a polished broadcast to the platform.  This is much different than the vertical videos you might find yourself watching on Instagram Live, but each one has its place on its respective platform.

The Audience is Growing

The barriers to accessing live video have decreased significantly in the past few years.  Networks have gotten better, data plans have grown to allow more usage, and smartphone proliferation is at an all-time high.  All of this leads to more people streaming more video.  A 2018 report from eMarketer says that 47% of live streaming video viewers worldwide are streaming more live video compared with a year ago.

Authenticity and Engagement

Two of the main benefits of a live broadcast are that it feels very real, and there can be a back and forth that isn’t possible with pre-recorded content.  You need to take advantage of these things, not be afraid of them, if you want to succeed in live.  Practice your talking points and brand message enough that you can ditch the script and speak genuinely.  Leverage tools like Vimeo Live’s polling features or chat functionality.

You might feel more exposed in the moment, but the pay-off is worth it if you can get your audience there, and bring them into a show enough to make them stick around.  Stop being worried about being perfect and go live already!