Does Your Social Strategy Need a Refresh? Include Live Video

There’s a reason that TikTok is the most downloaded social app of all time. With over one billion active users a month, the video streaming platform attracts creators and influencers from around the world who tell their stories one to three minutes at a time. 

The video-on-social format is so successful that Meta, Facebook’s parent company, is scrambling to compete through its Instagram Reels product. CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently hosted a company-wide meeting where he instructed employees to “zero in on video because they're up against an 'unprecedented level of competition' from TikTok.” There is absolutely no denying that video streaming is the future of social media. 

What does this mean for your brand? It means it’s time to double down on video to get your content, brand, and influence in front of prospective customers. Even if people aren’t ready to buy your product, if done correctly, video can still play a huge role in influencing future purchases. Take for example the viral TikTok of the language learning app Duolingo. Their staggering success on the video-sharing platform has skyrocketed them to the #1 education app in the Apple App Store. Their video strategy? Just be memorable and make people laugh. That’s it. Their content is a little brash and edgy at times and their followers eat it up. Their video strategy is paying off in a big way. 

Creating compelling content through video is no easy feat. Here are a few ways to get started. 

1. Host the live video on your own website and stream it to social media at the same time. It’s not that hard to talk about what you know, and if you’re a marketer looking to drive traffic to your website, you already know your product back and forth. Host a live session on your own website where users can learn about your brand and product with other curated content on a landing page, and then stream that video to your social media channels. You’ll get to double-dip in the benefits of video - drive traffic to your website while also increasing your engagement on social media. 
2. Bring in big personalities. Maybe your CEO used to be a standup in college. Maybe your IT guy makes balloon animals. Whatever interesting personalities you have in your company, highlight them even if they aren’t talking about your product or service. Actually, especially if they aren’t directly talking about your product or service. Personality and genuine human connection shouldn’t be discounted when it comes to social media. People want to connect with you and your brand and by showing the human side of your company, you can easily win over prospective customers. Especially if your competition isn’t. 
3. Don’t be afraid to fail. Content competition is fierce. There’s a lot of really good content out there that allows no-name brands to become viral overnight. There’s also a whole lot of noise that doesn’t bring anyone value. Get to know your audience well and then ask them what they want to see more of. It’s ok to test and fail. It’s ok to create a piece of content that doesn’t go viral overnight. Once you hit your stride, create more of the same until it stops performing. Don’t be afraid to test, fail, and try again. Especially when live video is concerned, taking risks is paramount to success. Prove the value of your video strategy before investing in cameras, production software, and headcount. Really great social video content can be shot on an iPhone. 
4. Create valuable content. Whether you’re teaching someone something, making them laugh, or joining in on viral trends, creating content that makes a positive impact on someone’s day is invaluable. If you don’t have anything interesting to say, that’s ok! Don’t feel like you have to create a video just because everyone else is. Wait until you can either create a brand new conversation with your audience or contribute to an existing conversation. 
   

Live video can be daunting. No one wants to look foolish in front of their peers and no one wants to make their company look foolish, either. It can’t be ignored, though. Social media and live video are becoming intertwined and the brands who get it, get it and are already reaping its benefits. If you need a little nudge, try hosting a video on your own website before streaming it to social media for the whole world to see. You can build your content themes on your own domain, increasing your SEO value, and then you can open the floodgates to social so you can build your audience. 

When you embed sequel's live video tool on your website, you’re able to curate a branded experience for your audience that can turn strangers into evangelists. It’s a marketer's dream tool. Just spin up a landing page, copy and paste an embed code, and go live. It’s that easy. 

Want to try it for yourself? Book a demo and get ready to change the video strategy at your organization.

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