The Power of Using Live Video for Local Businesses
Only one time, in the decades I have been on this planet, has someone told me, “No, I don’t want to grow my business, I have enough customers”.
This is for the rest of us.
The ones who have a local business and want to know how to grow their customers and sales, this message is for you.
Disclaimer:
What I am sharing in this message is relevant at the time it was presented, July 1, 2021. I suspect as things change, some of the items might change…so please keep this in mind and know that updates will happen as needed.
The Power of Using Live Video for Business
- Live video streaming grew by 93% in 2019, with an average viewing time of 26.4 minutes per session. (Streaming Media, 2019) Imagine the growth impact since the pandemic!
- Live videos hold viewers attention 10-20x longer than pre-recorded on-demand content. (Forrester, 2017)
- Access to exclusive coverage/content is the reason why 26% of viewers tune into live streams. (GWI Consumer Trends Report 2019)
- About 80% of marketing professionals say video content is becoming more important in the business world. (4CInsights, 2019)
- Live video boosts engagement by twice as much for influencer marketing. (RhythmOne, 2018)
But wait there is more.
Live Video on Influencing People to Buy
- Nearly ¾ of millennials report that videos are helpful when they are comparing products while online shopping. (Tech Jury, 2020)
- 60% of marketers say a benefit of live video is getting real-time audience feedback. (Go-Globe, 2017)
- 82% of viewers say they prefer seeing a live video stream rather than a branded social post. (Tech Jury 2020)
- And…80% of people would rather watch a live video from a brand than read their blog. (Tech Jury 202)
- 67% of live video viewers are more likely to buy a ticket to a concert or event after watching a live video of that event or a similar one. (Amp.Live, 2017
But did it impact the bottom line?
Companies that use video features grow revenues 49% faster than non-video users. (Wordstream, 2020)
So, my goal was to share data without bias about livestreaming. It is here to stay and quite frankly we have become more likely to watch a live event on our phone, like a conference or concert, than to actually get on a plane and be there.
I want to now step away from brands and how they use and leverage live video streaming and bring it down to a local business level. And as I do, give you ideas of how you can begin leveraging this powerful
tool, that you could literally begin today, using only your phone and a descent internet connection and experience growth.
The growth comes in many forms.
It can come in clarity. Meaning you can begin doing livestreaming, and be pretty sure about your brand and product, and in a short period of time, your brand and the same message become more focused and refined.
This is important because even offline, some businesses truly struggle with the question, “Tell me what you do, or offer?”
It can create growth in awareness.
Because at a local level so few businesses utilize the power of live video, you, your company and what it does, can begin to become known quickly and with little or no capital investment.
You company begins to have a brand in your local market. This is important so that when someone asks, “Hey do you know a good…” (fill in the blank), and you are present on live streaming events on a regular basis, your name and business goes into this blank. (Is that the phone ringing?)
The next is audience growth.
This is one that so many people fail to appreciate. The people who watch your live stream, while its live or after you are done, are now able to be marketed or advertised to.
A simple strategy we use for our clients, is after the live stream is over, we will then run an ad using the same live video. And again, anyone who watched the video, we can market to them up to 365 days from the day they watched it.
Why is this important?
Imagine you did a live video, and you are a landscaping company. And in your live video you are demonstrating how to install a new digital controller for your watering system. This new controller allows you to control it from your smartphone.
During the live video, you are showing your viewers, step by step, how to install it and hook it up, how it works and all the bells and whistles.
For fun let’s say 100 people are viewing you doing this.
Do you think someone who watches you do this live, might be a potential customer to have you install one of these new devices for them at their residence?
After the live is done, you could send an offer only to those folks who saw the demo video you did live. You can send them a special offer to buy. Do you think you might make some sales from this?
And then, what if you took the video, after you are done, and ran a paid ad using the same process? Meaning, now after all the new viewers are done watching, an offer to purchase is presented to them?
It’s not uncommon to get 1,000 or more viewers from the paid ad. Often we see this number even higher, and it varies from industry to industry.
Just by sheer “at-bats” or opportunities alone, the odds of growing sales from your live and post live videos can be extremely high…presenting to many, live, but only doing it once, and making many sales.
Will it work for other businesses?
You could literally take this same process, and replace landscaper with pool service, HVAC company, Auto Mechanic…it’s endless.
So, will it work for other businesses? It absolutely will.
Live Video Recap
I call it YouTube University. Anytime I am stumped or want to learn more about something, where do I go? YouTube. And like Google Search, I type in the problem I need solved and boom, several video answers are returned.
Your “post live” videos could live on this same platform, YouTube U. And they could keep building your brand and your revenues indefinitely, while being the answer for someone searching.
We have videos that we made years ago, and because the answer is still relevant today, they keep getting viewed and keep sending us potential new traffic and customers.
Should you do live video? This is no longer the real question. The question now, is when should I begin?
The answer is simple, 5-4-3-2-1…LIVE (hint: now would be a good time)
Bonus: Where to begin
The biggest turn off to your audience is going live and telling them how great you are…don’t do that!
Instead, answer this question:
What problems do your ideal customers face that your product or services solve?
These are the live videos you should be doing. Potential customers don’t really care about how many trucks or locations you have…its simpler than that, we want to know “What’s in it for me?” and “Can you solve my problem?”
If you can create videos that add value to an ideal customers’ search, then you are well on your way to growing your audience and your sales, using live videos.
What are the Best Ways to Build an Audience with Content?
SwingPointMedia is a marketing company focused on using content marketing, such as written articles, video and podcasts, to attract their customers ideal audiences. This approach has proven to attract higher quality customers while simultaneously reducing the sales cycle by as much as 70%.
SwingPointMedia serves local businesses in Southern California and can be reached by calling 760-422-5176.
You are invited to also attend a free weekly presentation, providing you the tools and strategy to roll out your own content marketing program for your company, or see exactly what SwingPointMedia does for its clients to achieve success. It can be viewed live on SwingPointMedia’s YouTube channel, at 11 am pst.