If you were to search for trending cum most effective marketing strategies, then I bet video marketing would top the list. For all intents and purposes, the year 2018 is going to see most of the businesses opting for video marketing to reach out to their customers. What started as an alternative strategy to the then prevailing marketing solutions in 2017, has now become the most sought-after solution vouched by all kinds of businesses- small, medium and large. Furthermore, statistics suggest that B2B video marketing has reaped great results when compared to other practices.
As we talk about the concept of video marketing, we shall move to the latest trend in video marketing which is ‘live streaming’. Live streaming allows any business to do one most important and effective thing- interact directly with customers. How about receiving instant responses to a product you have just released? Or what is it like to make your brand known across all the continents? Well, live streaming makes these things possible in the easiest way.
Live streaming is a powerful marketing tool in 2018 and can be used in several ways. Here are a few of the effective ways in which you can make use of live streaming as a powerful B2B video marketing strategy:
Live Interaction:
Live streaming provides you with the option of interacting with your customers, thus strengthening your brand value. If you are launching a new product or a service, what better way can you resort to so as to receive immediate responses from the live audience. Many live video streaming apps and websites have this feature of allowing the viewers to give their reactions to the videos. Also, if you feel that a new product needs a walkthrough of how and when to use, you can set up a schedule and demonstrate it. Doing this will not only increase the customers’ trust in your business but also encourages them to stay loyal to your products. Instead of making your customers rely on statistics and mathematical figures to decide on buying your product, it is always a better choice to give them an opportunity to interact with.
Behind The Scenes Coverage:
Let us consider the example of a news network. It is an obvious fact that many people who watch the news have their favorite reporters or news readers, about whom they would want to know something other than their professional lives. Live streaming helps you do this too. Make your customers happy by showing some behind the scenes footage, either your factory or your personnel making giving some finishing touches to products etc. Many customers are keen on acquainting themselves with best quality practices. Live footage of quality tests in a bottling plant or a production plant will work wonders.
Beta Testing:
People might have many doubts about your products. This is quite reasonable. They might want to see a demo of the product before they actually invest on it. Live streaming while you send your products through testing can be of great help to educate your customers; simultaneously you can receive feedback from them. Suggestions from live viewers can help you customize your products or services according to the user requirements.
Provide Useful Content:
Think about helping your customers win customers for the products or services they offer. Wouldn’t it be a great opportunity to strengthen your bond with your customers by adding a personal touch and help their businesses grow? It can be related to anything, like a live explanation of how to manage customer service or how to improve their sales. Providing content that can help them with their growth will certainly forge new relationships and enhance your camaraderie.
Expert Interviews:
B2B video marketing strategies can even include interviews with experts belonging to your business. You can actually take insights from industry experts and stream the interviews live so that your audience gets an assurance about your product from a person who is not promotionally associated with your business. It also improves your brand credibility as you can show that a person with a high-profile is willing to invest his / her time in your company’s business.
Customer Service:
Providing reliable customer service is a very important aspect if you want your customers to stick to your brand. Live streaming videos dedicated purely towards customer service will help you understand the users’ concerns about your products and also will help you resolve issues easily. One advantage of making such videos is that many people who might face a similar problem will get an instant solution, without you not having to address each one of them individually. Also, you can show that your business is transparent enough to know its flaws rather than trying to cover up the weaknesses/shortcomings. Being honest and professional while you solve customer issues can fetch you good results.
So far, B2B marketers have been making use of resources like social media posts, pre-produced videos and infographics to improve their brand awareness. But now, video marketing is an effective strategy, not only in terms of quality but also in terms of cost. Live streaming can be done with equipment as simple as your smartphone. You can initially start off with this and be depending upon the requirement you might resort to other high-level devices to set up your B2B live.