Video is one of my favorite ways to connect with people. But I know doing video, and going live in particular, can seem scary. So this week on the blog I’m here to convince you the time has come to make live video part of getting your message across.
I used to hate getting in front of a camera without a solid script or lots of talking points. But after a while, it stopped being such a big issue. Partly this was because I got used to it, but mainly it was because I realized how powerful video, and live video, in particular, is when it comes to getting my message across and talking with my community.
When we were getting ready to launch the Youpreneur Community, I did a pre-launch on Periscope. I was talking on there about Youpreneur for about a month or so before it launched. I did a series of live broadcasts. I went on there 4 or 5 times a week, and I gave out an exclusive URL for people to get in the door early.
We got up to 530 or so people interested within a month. We then launched with a live tour on Periscope. We had 300 of those people come in and within an hour we had 83 people sign up live. That’s the power of live video.
Now I go live all over the place. I’m on Periscope, I use Facebook Live and I use Instagram stories. Why so many platforms? Because not everyone is in the same place. I really enjoy Instagram but I know not everyone else does. Facebook is not my favorite social media platform but practically everyone has an account.
What is it about live video that makes me want to keep hitting that broadcast button? I’m going to give you three great reasons to go for it!
Connect with people in real time
When something is recorded, no matter how good the content is, the person watching doesn’t feel so much connection with the person on screen. With live video, you are talking with people directly.
It’s a great way to get feedback and really get to know individuals in your audience. If someone is happy to invest up to an hour sitting on a live broadcast with you, they have decided to give up whatever else they would have done with that time.
In a busy world, that’s a true sign they are genuinely interested in what you have to say. Make the most of the opportunity and ask them questions. Find out what they are struggling with. Get to know what they want from you. And take the time to find out more about who they are.
People love that they can ask you anything live on screen and get an answer from you.
If someone is happy to sit on a live broadcast with you, that’s a true sign they are genuinely interested in what you have to say. Make the most of it. Ask them questions and take the time to find out more about who they are. #Youpreneur Click To TweetHone your message
I showed at the start of this article how powerful live is for launches. I go live in the three or four weeks leading up to launching anything and one of the useful things about it is that you can test out which messages resonate with people. I try out one-liners. I see what messages get the most hearts or thumbs up or the most comments. It’s a great way to validate ideas.
I can then take that feedback and use it on my sales pages. If a line didn’t resonate well with my audience, it’s gone. I won’t use it on the landing page or in my emails. The ones which get the biggest positive reaction are the words I put at the top of my sales pages. You’ve got live A/B testing on your website and email copy right there.
Get in front of hundreds of people
How many people read your blogs or see your social media posts at any one time? I’m betting you don’t have 200 at the same time. But you can get hundreds of people watching you on a live video. I’ve had 400, 500 people watching me on Periscope.
How do I do that? I ask people to hit the share button. It’s a very simple call to action which allows people to tell others on Periscope, on Twitter and even on Facebook, that they are watching a great video and they want them to join in too.
So now you’re getting people watching you who might not know you. That word of mouth from people who already know the value you give, is bringing their friends and followers into your audience. It’s a great way for new people to discover you.
Have I convinced you to give live video a go? I hope so! Let me know how you get on. And remember, it doesn’t have to be polished. You just have to be you.
Chris founded Youpreneur® in 2015. He is a serial entrepreneur, keynote speaker and author of the bestselling books “Virtual Freedom” and “Rise of the Youpreneur”. He hosts our podcast, live events and coaches our clients inside the Youpreneur Incubator. Chris is based in Cambridge, UK.
