In this day and age, video is by far the most preferred type of online content.
This is important to keep in mind for brokers wanting to develop an effective social media strategy to stay connected with their clients.
According to Sandvine, 70% of North American Internet traffic during peak evening hours is attributed to “real-time” entertainment. More specifically, according to Cisco, 13% of Internet video traffic will be live Internet videos by 2021.
More than this, videos re-humanize communication. Persuasion is much more effective when clients can see, hear and experience you in person as opposed to an email thread or a text-heavy social media post.
Up to four times as many consumers prefer to learn about a product via video than to read about it, according to Hubspot. To top it off, one in four customers lose interest in a company if they aren’t using video.
After implementing videos featuring your smiling face, you are bound to see improvements, whether it is through an increase in replies, more clicks in emails or a boost in sales.
Today a buyer is already 57% through the purchase process before someone in sales even speaks to them. Evidently, sales must alter its tactics and collaborate with marketing to reach a business’s customers. Why not stand out from the crowd by not only using video in a marketing strategy, but also solidifying sales with that human element?
However, what we need to remember is everyone can create a video. So how do we really differentiate ourselves? This is where live videos come in. What if you could connect live via video and have a real, personal conversation while making eye contact and reading body language and facial expressions?
Here are seven things you need to know before dabbling into this personalized social phenomenon:
1. Live video is more engaging, authentic and transparent
Live videos are a great way to encourage people to openly communicate with you. According to Dr. Albert Mehrabian, author of Silent Messages, 93% of communication is nonverbal, which consists of body language and tone of voice. You won’t see raw, unrehearsed body language in an audio recording, let alone a recorded video. Your audience can see your facial expressions, creating an authentic and transparent emotional connection between you.
2. Live video is quick and easy to learn
You don’t need a technical team to create engaging videos. At the very basic level, all you really need is your smartphone! As long as you have a microphone, camera and good lighting (most manufacturers have all-in-one devices), you can’t use the excuse that you don’t have the resources. There are so many options for making live video so much easier, without even having to be in the same room as someone else — take Skype, Lifesize and Zoom as examples. The main thing to remember is to focus on launching video first, then worry about advancing your technology later.
3. Live video is more personal
Live video encourages communication in real-time, making it completely unscripted and wholeheartedly genuine. It builds trust and establishes a more human connection. Your audience can see the real you — mistakes and all.
4. Live video needs to be consistently scheduled
For live videos to be effective, you need to be consistent and timely when it comes to recording them. You won’t stay relevant if you do a live video whenever you seem to have some extra time on your hands. Create a schedule and stick to it. Your audience will look forward to your videos and you will see the results pay off—big time!
5. Live video is exclusive
When your audience tunes in to your live videos, they are receiving “behind the scenes” information accessible only if they make the effort to tune in. They get exclusive access to unrehearsed conversations they wouldn’t otherwise see in a scripted video. This exclusivity is an immersive and interactive experience for audience members who will undoubtedly come back for more.
6. Live video requires you to listen to your audience
When hosting live videos, you want to make sure audience members are interested in what you are talking about. Listen to what they want to hear about and see more of. Create content that will make you stand out in the crowd. Be relatable and talk to your audience as human beings first — and as customers after.
7. Live video is not just about the content
An important factor to remember is it’s not just about the content you provide. In fact, some key factors to pay attention to are metrics: how much traffic did the live video get? Did audience members take the incorporated survey? Were they actively engaged? Are your main messages getting across? Review the analytics after going live to improve your reach and impact for next time.
In an era of enhancing and simpler technology, don’t let yourself fall behind! We will be seeing more trends with live video in the rest of 2018 and beyond. Smartphones are only getting smarter and mobile networks are only getting stronger. Remember to keep these 7 things in mind when experimenting with live video!
marketing social media social media mortgage
Last modified: June 12, 2018
