Lori Wright, CMO of BlueJeans Network talks about unearthing the potential of live video to effectively attract and retain audiences

From the printing press, to broadcast radio and tv, through the Internet, technology has enabled platform advances that redefine and extend how brands are cultivated. And today, we are in the midst of another sea change where technology is elevating the brand experience. That shift is happening through live video.

The raw nature of live video bridges all demographics, and it makes tools like social media far more engaging and useful for brands. With live video, it becomes possible to wrap people, products or services within a unique moment in time. Whether it’s helping millions of people fall further in love with Flo from Progressive, watching the cover come off of the newest Tesla, or basking in the fierceness that is Beyonce, live video is unlike anything else when it comes to stirring emotions– and this is what instills loyalty, the loyalty social marketers have been seeking for years.

Live video also offers up the chance to conduct global rollouts or sneak peeks of products or designs to huge audiences for a fraction of the cost of typical launch events. Companies can receive immediate feedback from the people most interested and likely to buy their products, not just those invited to a 20 person focus group. Sounds pretty great, right?

So, how do you put video to work for you? Well there is no time like the present to dive into a live video campaign, especially with the holidays just around the corner. People are feeling festive, they’re looking for entertaining or gift ideas, or ways to spend any leftover budget before year-end. They also love video diversions, particularly if they demonstrate a little holiday humor. And, because live video is just beginning to take off, people are a bit more forgiving if the quality or delivery (um, uh, and and and…) isn’t perfect. It is an amazing time to dip your toes into the live video revolution, cultivating a brand that people love. Here’s how:

Ask Essential Questions

While it only requires the click of a button to broadcast live, you should give your video presence some thought. Take a minute to consider what you want to accomplish and why. How will you ensure that your public persona matches the brand your company has so carefully constructed? Harken back to the five essential questions– who, what, when, where, and why– to prevent your live video foray from becoming completely overwhelming.

To get at the heart of these questions, form a team, and bring together some creative minds who can help determine the best live manifestation of the brand. Think of it similarly to coming up with a new ad or marketing campaign– only one that doesn’t cost nearly as much! And let the essential questions be your guide to establish and maintain some degree of focus.

Understand Your Platform

Where does your audience live and breathe? We ask our customers this question all of the time so that we can help them integrate video into all aspects of their business. Despite all of the ebbs and flows that take place in the tech arena, what we consistently hear is that Facebook is still the gold standard of social media. It has kept up with its audience, comprised of all generations, through changes like mobile and messaging without losing the vitality of its community. Now it is leading the live video charge.

Facebook currently has about 1.1 billion daily active users, and videos on Facebook are viewed more than 4 billion times a day, with priority being placed on Live videos. Facebook Live is also generating 1200% more shares than images + text combined, and people comment 10x more on Facebook Live videos than regular videos. That is a lot of engagement!

If you’re company that wants to dive into video for marketing purposes, we recommend starting with Facebook first. Use the power of a live, interactive broadcast to draw people to the brand with an authentic experience. Then, if you want to extend it or tease it across other social channels, it becomes very simple to amplify your reach with snippets of the Live broadcast.

Plan Ahead

Live video broadcasts are a bit like reality shows– they often benefit from a bit of scripting so they don’t go completely off-the-rails. You’ve done the work to determine what you want to convey, how you want to convey it, and the platform you’re going to use. Now, test it out.

Chose the “Only Me” setting to prevent widespread embarrassment with your first effort, as something inevitably comes across differently in a live broadcast than it did in your mind’s eye. You’ll also get a sense of pacing– what’s dragging, what’s working well, where the natural breaking points are, and how much ground you can or should reasonably cover.

The next step is to define a custom group that can help prepare you for a public broadcast. That is a whole different animal as people can pose questions and interact in ways that you might not anticipate. With a custom group test broadcast, you practice fielding questions from relevant to the bizarre. You will also gain a better sense in this type of dry run on when to re-state who you are and what you’re doing for people who just tuned in (remember, in a live broadcast, people can join at any point, just as they can leave anytime if they are not engaged).

So, you’ve aced your custom group practice. You’re as prepped and primed as possible. It’s go time. Switch your setting to “Public” and click “Live”. Don’t be stiff and don’t be scared. People are there to see what your brand is really about– and you KNOW your brand. You got the audience there, they are engaged, so share why your product or service is so great. But listen to what they’re asking as well. It will tell you a great deal about where your brand’s strengths and weaknesses lie, and the answers may surprise you.

Iterate

You make it through your first video. And your second. You’re growing your audience. You can sense the potential. Don’t be afraid to iterate as you gain some comfort and confidence with live video. Add guests, come up with a recurring character or kick-off a weekly show, take some chances, find your voice. The beauty of live video is that it is always changing. You will have success and maybe some broadcasts that don’t go as smoothly as planned, but just with any product, you keep iterating to make it better, playing to your strengths.

* Note: As soon as you find your footing (and maybe even before), don’t forget to promote your broadcast! You can share it through the company Facebook feed, blog, Twitter, texts and emails to your friends, partners and customers, whatever works for you to get the word out! And if you’re happy with a video once it’s done, let it live on in the feed. Repost it frequently. Cite it. Don’t be afraid to refer back to it to drive traffic to your next broadcast.

While there is still a ways to go before live video broadcasts become mainstream for big brands, expect to see a lot of experimentation in the coming months. As companies get out there, there will be more polish, more commitment, more creative uses of video, and in general more fun as consumers get to know what brands value and why.

For all you marketers out there, live video represents a rare chance to show what you’re made of, a chance to attract and retain an unprecedented number of customers for extremely low cost, and a chance to make the brand. Will you take it?