Three Tips for Live Video Events

Marketers in every industry are working to integrate video into their communication arsenal. Rightfully so, with video on deck to drive an estimated 80 percent of internet traffic by next year (Cisco). As more consumers flock to video on the web, one area gaining traction is live video. Live content isn’t new, per se, but its widespread adoption is clear as more platforms and channels support this delivery method. And while on the surface it can seem expensive to produce, live video is one of the most cost-effective ways to extend event visibility, especially for B2B companies.

Cisco estimates that video content will dominate more than 80 percent of all web traffic -- by next year! Click To Tweet

One pioneer in video streaming, Brightcove, recently hosted several sessions on live video at their 2018 user conference. The biggest takeaway? Live video has three distinct phases: before, during and after an event.

Before: Promote your live event on multiple communication channels and target the right audience to tune in.

Hosting a live event for an employee town hall, product launch or executive presentation? If you build it, they WON’T come! That is, unless you rely on the other tools in your marketing playbook to target the right audience to join your event wherever they are. Live streaming platforms, including giants like Facebook, allow companies to set up staging lobbies, so events can be scheduled and promoted well in advance.

During: Don’t just hit the “broadcast” button and walk away – keep driving traffic to your live video content.

The main event is here and you have people attending in person and via your live stream. Don’t leave it at that – keep the promotions running and find soundbites for social media while your event broadcasts. Some live player platforms even allow for real-time clipping, so your production and marketing teams can easily take the best soundbites from your event and post them as separate videos on social media – instantly. Plus, each new post can drive even more viewers to your main event.

After: Where you house your content is just as important as the content itself.

Your live broadcast was a success, but the biggest value is in what happens to the content following the event. In addition to the event archive video, consider producing a short teaser segment – the “greatest hits” so to speak. Plus, this new premium video content can be extended to support other content initiatives. For example, if the goal of your event was to announce a new product, consider including it in your next blog post, customer email or social media campaign. Recent research from Forrester found that including video content in an email can increase click through rates up to 300 percent! (Inc.)

Need proof? Our live video series, Padilla POV, gets more viewers on YouTube after an event than during the broadcast when following these three phases.

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