Popular social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram have revolutionized how we communicate with one another. For one thing, these helped bridge the social gap that we have to endure due to the imposed quarantine. Speaking of which, we all know how this pandemic immensely affected the events industry.
Tent rentals, staging and dance floor rentals, and other event rentals providers have to take a break on their business during the peak of the pandemic. People have no choice but to stay at home or else contract the disease. Sadly, a lot of businesses have to downsize or even close down due to the effect of COVID-19.
Going online
On the other hand, a lot of businesses took the opportunity to reach their target market by going online. These days, it is a must for a business to have a social media account to expand its reach to its target audience. And the pandemic saw the rise of online businesses and even popular brands engaging with their followers during the quarantine period.
Customer engagement is just one thing. The question is how these businesses can maintain that relationship with the audience. This is when Facebook and Instagram Live seem to have come in handy. However, planning a live video may not be that easy as you have to prepare for it if you want it to be successful.
How Facebook and Instagram Live can help your business
Social media live videos got popular in 2018. Most social media users use this live video feature to capture live performances and just anything under the sun.
However, more and more business owners saw the opportunity to promote their business through live videos. In fact, almost 40 percent of marketers use live videos and has become a must in the world of business.
Because, why not? Facebook has more than a billion users, and Instagram has recently reached a billion users around the world. It is also said that there are at least 2 billion people who have seen a Facebook live broadcast.
This means that live videos are not only for fun but can also serve a purpose. But this is only one step, there is more to it that you should consider before starting a live video. Nonetheless, this is a great business tool for those with party rentals and other kinds of businesses.
Launching a live video
Facebook and Instagram Live has paved the way for businesses to show their human side. Meaning, businesses aren’t always that serious and professional. For the past few years since the launch of Facebook and IG live, there were reportedly thrice the engagement of social media video shares around the world.
Given the number of daily watch times and viewership around the world, it only makes sense that business owners take advantage of this. Plus, it’s easy to use – you only need to have a game plan on how you are going to launch your live video. Here are tips to make the most out of your Facebook and Instagram Live for your business.
Offer a sneak peek of your video.
You only not have to plan for the video itself but also how you are going to promote the live video. Whether if you have party rentals or any kind of business, it is important to determine your target audience and what they look for in video content. It is also a must to be creative with promoting your upcoming live video.
Never take practice for granted.
Just because it is live doesn’t mean it should be a spontaneous one. Unfortunately, a lot of people who plan for launching a live video often skip the practice part. But it should not be the case. It won’t hurt to have some practice sessions and even prepare an outline of how you are going to run the live video.
Introduce and re-introduce all over again.
Some of your audience might join you in the middle of the video, missing whatever you have discussed at the beginning. In such cases, it might be better to introduce yourself and your topic every now and then. Have recaps every now and then as well so your guests can still catch up.
Engaging with your audience
More importantly, you should do your best not to bore your audience. No one wants to watch an hour-and-a-half video with PowerPoint presentations. Engage with your audience and talk as if you’re directly in front of them. Open your comments sections and acknowledge any concerns coming from your audience.
Staying in business has become a challenge when the pandemic happened. Fortunately, a lot of them are able to bounce back despite the challenges they have encountered so far.
There are party tent rentals in Northern VA and other businesses that reach out to their audience via live videos. Support these businesses and support each other in times like these.