Have you been ignoring video, hoping it will just go away? Or thinking you can accomplish the same goals without it?
I’m here to tell you, video is going nowhere. YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world, and thousands of hours of video are uploaded each and every day. Video clips on social platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter enjoy far more engagement than do plain text or even image-based updates. And when it comes to training programs, most people prefer video to text, or at least a combination of the two.
And now with streaming video, this new marketing channel has become even more important.
- Live video lets viewers get to know you better
- Your personality and brand shine through in ways written words or pre-recorded video simply cannot manage
- A built-in sense of urgency makes it easy to connect with your action takers
- Repurposing video for other channels is easy and super productive
- Facebook and other social networks appear to give more weight to video, showing it in more newsfeeds than other post formats
In addition to all of that, video is easy to produce—especially with the new streaming services. Simply prop up your smart phone, log into your preferred app and viola! You’re live.
And because it’s a live, streaming video, your viewers likely have less expectation of perfection. For example, with a scripted webinar, they expect a certain polish. But with streaming video, you can get away with a much more lighthearted, go-with-the-flow style. It’s perfect for Q&A sessions, special announcements, group coaching, or anything else where you simply want to connect with your audience, and there’s no agenda.
Don’t Abandon Your Other Marketing Channels
We see this happen a lot—a hot new marketing tool or strategy comes along, and all of a sudden everyone is on board—much to the detriment of his or her tried-and-true methods.
Remember, you have loyal fans on many platforms: Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, your blog. And these fans won’t always be quick to move to a new site just to stay in touch. You owe it to them to maintain your presence on other social sites as well.
So while Facebook Live (and other streaming video services) definitely matters when it comes to your overall marketing efforts, it’s not the end-all, be-all tool that will outshine all others.
Get More Mileage From Your Live Video With These Quick Tips
The last thing you want to do is create a piece of content that has a limited lifespan. After all, once that 15- or 30-minute event is over, it’s gone, right?
Wrong.
Depending on the platform you’re using, there are plenty of ways you can leverage that video to continue to attract an audience for months or even years to come.
Upload to YouTube
The “big daddy” of video marketing, YouTube enjoys its status as the 2nd most searched website only—behind Google.com by only a slim margin.
Well-optimized videos can attract thousands or even millions of views, and help drive traffic to your website, your blog, your product pages, or even the landing page of your choice. Don’t miss the opportunity to profit again and again from the effort you put into creating video. Be sure to upload it to YouTube and:
- Create a keyword-rich title
- Craft a compelling description
- Add a call to action
That’s it! Add this to your workflow for each of your live videos, and you’ll quickly build up a library of YouTube videos that drive traffic to your offers every day.
Post to Your Blog
Sometimes you want to take the conversation out of Facebook or Google and interact on your website. Adding recordings of your live videos allows you to:
- Carry on a conversation with your audience through the comments section
- Add more commentary and updated information
- Attract Google with pertinent keywords and backlinks
- Encourage opt-ins by offering viewers downloadable checklists, worksheets, or even transcripts that go with the video
Share With Your Partners & Colleagues
Just as video works well for your sales efforts, so too does it work for your affiliates and JV partners. Consider offering replays of your better videos for affiliates to use in their own blog posts, on social media, and anywhere else they’re promoting your offers. It will help their audience get to know you better, and give them a sense of your personality and style before they invest in your products or services.
No piece of content—whether written, pre-recorded, or live—should ever suffer the fate of being used only one time. Put all your content to work in multiple locations, and watch your influence—and your profits—soar.
4 Ways to Get More Eyes on Your Live Videos
If you can’t get eyes on your video, then your video marketing efforts won’t work as well as they could. And let’s face it; traffic is the toughest nut to crack, no matter which technique you’re using.
Here’s how to easily draw a crowd to your next live video event.
Promote Ahead of Time
This is key. You have to build a buzz about your live video. While you can (and sometimes should) go live in an impromptu manner, this should be the exception, not the rule.
A far better choice is to let your fans and followers know ahead of time that you’ll be hosting a live video, and how (and why) they should join you. Use the tools already at your disposal—your blog, your email list, your Facebook and LinkedIn groups, and your Twitter following—to make sure everyone knows when you’ll be on, and why they should be watching. And be sure to remind them as the day gets closer!
Offer a Giveaway
Here’s one sure way to get fans to show up—offer something free.
Checklists and worksheets are ideal if you’re teaching a strategy or technique. Readers can follow along, and refer back to it later as they work through your strategy. By delivering your gift via an automated email campaign, you can take the opportunity to grow your email list as well.
Another great giveaway—especially if you’re launching a large course—is to offer a scholarship. Ask your applicants to write a blog post, record a video, or in some other way share why they want to take your course and how they’ll benefit from it, and then announce the winner via streaming video.
Make a Big Reveal
Jeff Walker pretty much invented the launch sequence we’ve all come to know (and have seen everywhere), but if you don’t have that kind of budget—or time—then you can easily do something similar with a well-planned live video event.
You’ll definitely want to promote this one ahead of time. Send out a few “teaser” emails promising big news; post about it on your other social accounts; create a Facebook event and schedule paid ads to invite interested people.
Then use the live video to answer questions and announce your launch, perhaps with a special introductory or fast-action price.
Cover a Controversial Topic
Look, we all have opinions, and not all of them are popular. That’s part of what sets you apart from your competitors, in fact. If you have strongly held opinions about your industry, or how a specific topic is being taught, video is a great place to make your point.
By taking to the airwaves with a live video and a controversial topic, you’ll instantly draw a crowd—half of which will agree with you, and half of which who will not. Imagine how lively the conversation will be! Just be sure to keep it respectful, and to not get your feelings hurt when someone disagrees with you (because they definitely will).
Live video is definitely a marketing tool that belongs in every coach’s toolbox. But using it without a plan to attract more eyes will be an exercise in frustration. Use these four strategies to get more people interested in your videos, and they’ll work far better for you and your business.
