Video is already one of the most engaging ways to interact with your social media audience. It’s good for SEO, grabbing attention, and keeping it. However, there’s an even better way of using video, and that’s live video. As a whole, live video has taken social media by storm, with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat all offering ways to deliver live content. While it might not be right for every business, these 5 reasons will show you just how powerful of a tool live video can be when it is a part of your social strategy.

1. Audiences want to watch it

One of live video’s key benefits is that audiences love to watch it. In fact, over 80%of social media users would rather watch a live video than see a social or blog post from a brand. While live video shouldn’t be a replacement for the rest of you content, the views it drives can be a great piece of anchor content that your audience can look forward to popping up in their feeds.

2. It’s fresh and unique

The key creative benefit of live video is that it’s unedited and beautifully in the moment. No two streams are the same, as a result, it’s harder for your content to feel stale. Plus, when nobody knows for sure what’s going to happen, it’s easy to build suspense and keep your audience engaged. Buzzfeed is the king of this and their famous watermelon-rubber band live stream is proof that even something mundane can be extremely captivating when taken live.

3. There’s no better way to instantly connect with your audience

This is perhaps the most important advantage Facebook Live has over other platforms. Comments are an integral part of Facebook Live, and allow your audience to instantly respond to your content. By asking your audience questions and replying on the stream, you build a rapport with your audience and give them you a unique opportunity to actually help you create content. Going live is by far the most intimate way to experience something with your audience. In fact, viewers comment 10 times more on Facebook Live content than regular videos.

365 Day Media Group live streaming the Victoria Beer Week media launch

4. It’s a cheap way to create hype

Live events are also a great way to make any event you host more special. By creating lots of announcements and promotional posts in the lead up to your event, you’ll get a lot of people looking forward to your stream. Your lead up posts could highlight the exclusive, behind the scenes aspects of you event stream. The stream itself just requires a smartphone and an internet connection, making it a great way to create value for your following, without cutting into your monthly budget.

The GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon did exactly this to great effect, as they had the 365 Day Media team live streaming on marathon day, giving people a taste of the race, no matter where they were.

5. Your audience won’t miss it

Most social platforms do a great job of notifying your following as soon as you go live. Instagram will send out a notification as soon as you start streaming. Facebook and YouTube even let you schedule your stream and send notifications to your following in advance. So even if your audience forgets about your event, they’ll easily be able to tune into your stream right away. Plus, after your stream is done, it will stick around on the platforms and be available to view on-demand, making live content even more valuable.

It’s never too late to go live

Live stream viewership is growing everyday, with 81% of viewers watching more live video each year, but most companies still haven’t capitalized on this new medium. While it can be challenging to adapt your content into this new format, once you get it right, you will have some of the most unique, engaging, and popular content available on social media. By making sure your next Q&A, event, or company activity is available live, you will be at the bleeding edge of social media.

This week’s blog is written by our Marketing Assistant Greg Goulanian, who is currently pursuing an Economics degree at the University of Victoria.

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5 Reasons Why You Should Be Using Live Content On Social Media