Live streaming video has become the hottest new social media trend, with platforms like Instagram Live and Snapchat growing in popularity. In 2016, Snapchat reported 150 million daily active users worldwide compared to Twitter which reported 110 million daily active users. Facebook leads the pack with a whopping 1.23 billion daily active users, making Facebook Live a very powerful tool to connect with your audience in real time and capitalize on the use of video to cut through the crowded social media marketplace to get noticed. Instagram has also gotten in on the action with Instagram Live which reported 100 million daily active viewers in October 2016 just 2 months after launching the new feature. According to Forrester Research, live video receives three times the amount of engagement than prerecorded video!
If you’ve been intimidated by the idea of being on camera, then no doubt the idea of being on LIVE camera is downright terrifying! However, there are many benefits that live social video can provide to your business – even more so than other video formats. Here are three reasons you should start integrating live video into your business NOW!
Authenticity Attracts
According to the NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 97% of respondents cited the top factor for choosing a real estate agent is honesty and integrity.
Consumers today are looking for authenticity and let’s face it – there’s nothing as authentic as genuine live video! In fact, Brandlive reported that 79% of businesses perceive live video as a more authentic way to connect with audiences. This platform gives your audience an opportunity to interact with you in real time and get a sense of the person that you are. Live videos don’t have to be fancy or high in production value, just keep it real!
Time Efficiency
If you create any other content to distribute on social media (which you most likely do) – the time that it takes to create a live video is truly negligible in comparison to anything else. With live video, you no longer have to worry about creating fancy, professional videos or spending hours editing for the perfect look and feel. Live video is about being in the moment.
Think about the hours you’ve spent writing blog posts and creating newsletters and other content. What if you could drastically reduce that time?
Live social video enables you to provide quality content – a quick tip, a home walk through, or peek into your life or day – without having to include lots of bells and whistles, making it not only engaging, but a busy agent’s best friend.
Multipurpose
Different streaming services will have different advantages as well as demographics (check out our Social Media Cheat Sheet to learn more). Live videos on Snapchat, Instagram, or Periscope, for example, will only last for 24 hours where on Facebook they do not disappear. Facebook Live videos are saved to your timeline and you can share them, embed in blog posts, tweet them out or use the Facebook ad platform to distribute them to a wider audience.
Looking for a place to start? There are many options so just start with one, preferably on a platform where you’ve already grown an audience. Check out the instructions below to broadcast your first LIVE video!
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