Today’s culture is one of instant gratification. We want to know, see and do what we want, immediately. Social media is a byproduct of this need for connection in real time, and keeps the world’s social pulse moving ever faster, with everyone who is logged on moving right along with it.
The business and communications industries are always searching for relevance in the world in which they operate, and tapping into the feverish pace with which people share information and ideas in the modern day is one way to do just that.
Knowing what the people you are attempting to sell your goods and services to are interested in, talk about and spend their time and money on helps determine the direction an advertiser should turn in promoting these products. In a recent publication, UK’s The Independent focused on the introduction of integrated streaming services hosted by websites like Facebook, and how they can be used for exactly these purposes.
Riding the Social Media Wave
For many corporate entities, it can be difficult staying in top of trends beyond the marketplace. Understanding the culture in which they operate is crucial, and a great gauge of this culture is the social media presence that holds it together. These websites are typically free to use, and offer a built-in customer base, waiting for product placement and promotion. Viewing these sites like potential market assets is important to the modern business manager. Digital communications companies like BlueJeans offer solutions, not only for equipping businesses with the software and programming necessary to utilize these assets, but also with education, such as lessons on maximizing the impact a company can have on its consumer base with Facebook Livestream video.
A stream is any broadcast of audio and/or video content over an internet or data connection. Websites that use the internet to offer voice and picture chat are immensely popular among consumers ages eighteen to thirty-five, and their usage does not end with the millennial generation. Indeed, older and younger users are signing onto these sites every year with increasing frequency, using their simple, intuitive interfaces to keep in touch across distances great and small.
A live stream is just that – an online broadcast that happens in real time. Not only great for conversation and socialization, these webcasts are also excellent tools for linking potential business contacts, and making promotions and sales remotely. When used properly, the real-time webcast can be a vital tool in keeping a company’s product in front of consumers and their name in customer conversations.
More than Just Keeping in Touch
Networking sites like Facebook are widely regarded as a way to stay connected on both a personal and professional level, but the advent of integrated streaming services takes this to a new level. Word of mouth is all the more powerful a marketing tool when it can be delivered via the internet, face to face despite distance, and with ever-increasing availability. Rather than simply tailoring advertisement based on preferences and other shared information, direct contact like streams enables brands to reach out to their consumers on what feels like a one-on-one basis.
There are myriad reasons why a business owner or manager might choose to utilize streaming media to connect to target audiences. Forbes explored some of these in a recent article, detailing the smart decision of marketing live. Some of the benefits discussed included:
- Fitting in, while standing out. In a world where nearly every entity both public and private has its own representation via social sites, it’s key to the success of any business to do the same. Crafting a creative, innovative ad campaign that uses video content can set a brand apart from competitors, while keeping their marketing on-trend.
- Cost effective marketing. Broadcasting on these sites costs little to nothing, depending on the type of equipment a user wants to incorporate. With no fee for usage, the only cost involved is that which might be incurred by investing in a camera, lighting and sound technology. Compared to other forms of marketing, this is extremely budget friendly for users.
- Direct interaction with both the target audience and customer base. By bringing media straight to potential customers, companies enjoy better returns on their promotional efforts. Not only can content be directed at a more customized consumer base, but interaction directly between the brand representatives or business managers and their customers can occur. This personalized service allows interested parties to pose questions or learn new information, and current customers to have concerns addressed and be the first to know about new products, promotions and sales.
In this way, using a site once relegated only to interpersonal communication for modern advertising and promotion can pay off spectacularly for businesses both large and small.
