The fragmentation of the media market notched up one more level as “broadcast” now embraces anyone with any number of Facebook Live, Youtube Live or other streaming apps on their phone. From the bite-sized providers of up-to-the-minute headlines from NowThisNews or Snapchat Discover to Ustream, Livestream and the HBO-VICE deal, which will bring a daily news cast to HBO’s channel, the media landscape continues to morph. And along with changing media channels, the boundaries between the advertising (promotion) and publishing (content/editorial) world continue to blur with the new “everyone’s a producer” trend as new mainstream technologies add fuel to that fire.

So how can businesses take advantage of these new live streaming technologies to increase their relevance to potential and current customers, investors, partners and other key audiences?

Here are 5 marketing “best practices” for businesses to leverage live streaming:

Stream Product Launch Events. There’s no question that the ability to aggregate your audience is easier when they just need to tune in to participate in your product launch event. From interviews with the company CEO, product demos, beta/prototype customer testimonials, tips and feature highlights, you can create an engaging and interactive product launch like none other.

Host Expert Panels. In addition to “announcement” types of events, hosting a roundtable of experts on a specific mainstream current and relevant topic (“2019 trends in….”) is a great way to increase the size of your audience. Think of the difference between the excitement of a Google Hangout…

google hangout

Versus, a live streamed event:

live streaming

 

Broadcast the Annual Year End “Wrap”. Presenting your year end results with commentary is a total “tune in” event for investors, shareholders and customers. By selecting a program flow which incorporates the key agenda items to live stream together, you can grab company performance highlights which help syndicate your story and deliver all your key messages. 

Psst…Private VIP-Only Corporate Tune-Ins. Whether you need to keep key investors up to speed before that all important earnings call or company restructuring or refinancing, using streaming technologies to host private insider events allows your inner circle to stay connected and hear your latest news, first.

“Let’s Celebrate” Global Company Milestone Events. There’s nothing more contagious in a global company than live streaming an annual celebration as it happens in all your offices, all over the world. By scheduling your streams to coincide with the event as it unrolls across the globe, you will maximize employee engagement and strengthen your company culture and sense of community.