Livestreaming videos are a huge hit these days. With YouTube being the second largest search engine behind Google, and with Facebook and Instagram both promoting their livestream capabilities, millions of people are watching videos every single day. Even the duration of videos watched is increasing, which should excite you as a business owner.
As with anything in life, you’ll find naysayers who think video or livestreaming is a waste of time or who don’t think it’s a good ROI. Those beliefs, however, could be rooted in myths. Let’s explore some of these myths about livestreaming and put them to rest.
1. You need a crew and studio to make an impact. False. In its simplest form, all you need is a camera, some natural light, an internet connection, and a Facebook account. If you have those components, you have the capabilities of filming a livestream video. Of course, you’ll need more planning to be sure you’re making an INTERESTING livestream video; you don’t want to turn people away with a boring video. But you don’t need a crew or big budget to start creating your livestream videos.
2. Livestreaming is only for the younger generations. False. Experts say 77% of adult Americans own smartphones and 78% of adults ages 30-49 are regular Facebook users. Not only are adults using Facebook more frequently and seeing videos in their feeds but you have older, more established solopreneurs embracing the use of video to expand their message.
3. Livestreaming is only for big-name brands. False. Absolutely anyone with a camera and a message can do livestream video; the difference is who can make their video more engaging so as to attract more viewers. Big-name brands may have some advantages in this arena since they likely have a bigger social media budget and staff hired specifically to grow their viewership but that doesn’t mean you can’t do the same for your business. It just might take a bit longer for you.
4. There’s no value in an old livestream video. False. Old videos are not meant to gather dust on your social sites. Repurpose those videos into new content for your audience. For instance, take a Facebook Live video and upload it to your YouTube channel. Optimize with keywords and you’ll get plenty of organic traffic. Or have that video transcribed and break it up into an autoresponder email course. Or gather multiple livestream videos that have a recurring theme and bundle them together into a paid course. The possibilities are endless.
5. You can become an overnight success. Absolutely false. Building an audience takes time, patience, and work on your behalf. You can’t just post one video and then hope to get millions of views. You need to keep producing interesting videos and interacting with your viewers. Establish those relationships and answer every question or comment people leave. When your viewers feel appreciated, they will tune in more frequently because they’ll see you as a cool friend.
You won’t regret adding live streaming to your plans. You’ll reach so many more people at once than simply using your email list or publishing posts on social media! Just remember to be yourself, check this blog where I will teach you 3 Ways to Show Off Your Personality on Social Media.
Tracey Lee Davis, founder of ZingPop Social Media, turns busy small business owners into online marketing rockstars! A social media expert and Certified Solution Provider for Constant Contact, she coaches entrepreneurs in how to grow their business using social media and provides total management for their email marketing campaigns. Tracey Lee is also a featured speaker for associations and business groups. She is Alignable's 2021 Local Business Person of the Year for San Jose, a Certified Content Marketing Strategist, and the Co-Owner and Vice President of the Women’s Networking Alliance. She also really, really loves cheese.