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Great B2B marketing isn’t just about big budget commercials, thought leadership articles, and carefully curated LinkedIn posts. B2B live streaming is an incredibly valuable way to enhance brand visibility, attract potential customers, build trust with existing clients, and establish your authority as a leader in the industry.
Live streaming is the broadcasting of video online so that audiences can watch content as it’s happening live. Often, streaming platforms offer companies the chance to respond to messages from viewers in comments or in a live chat, encouraging real time engagement from both sides.
We’ve talked about how B2C live video marketing can drive conversion and earn additional revenue, including through ecommerce streaming. The same live streaming benefits for business translate to B2B marketing. Instantaneous, spontaneous interactions with viewers ensure that they feel seen and heard, and strengthens customer loyalty. People also consider live content more authentic and transparent, which goes a long way in building trust.
Another benefit is that live streaming is far more cost-effective than hiring a marketing agency to create a high-production video. And, once you build your streaming setup, you can keep live streaming multiple times without having repeating costs.
Get your client base excited about product and software releases by taking them live, avoiding dull and lengthy presentations or pitches. A live streamed beta test is an invaluable opportunity to get insights from clients on what they actually want.
Collaborate with business partners, industry experts, and clients to broadcast engaging, informative webinars. You can also live stream Q&A sessions, workshops, and other live streamed learning opportunities. This establishes your legitimacy as well-connected experts in your field, while opening up your events to even more attendees.
Offer viewers a behind-the-scenes look at how your business works. Sometimes the day-to-day operations of B2B companies can go unnoticed, so why not showcase to your clients how the magic happens?
Live stream from exclusive industry events that your clients might be interested in, including conferences held abroad or that are extremely exclusive. It lets your audience see how active you are and the extent of your network, which bolsters your reputability.
When starting out, it is worth investing in a good camera and high-quality microphones. The expectations of professionalism of B2B industries can sometimes lead to higher expectations from viewers. A strong, reliable internet connection (via ethernet if possible) will also limit interruptions or lags to your live stream.
You should also consider which streaming platforms you would like to stream to. LinkedIn remains one of the most ideal platforms for B2B marketing, however companies often use Facebook Live, YouTube, and even Instagram for greater reach.
Live streaming can be nervewracking – there’s no second takes, and you’re likely going to be talking to a camera. Find someone knowledgeable, articulate, passionate, and comfortable talking to a camera. Try and keep things interesting – don’t feel the need to keep too formal or technical. Remember, mistakes are going to happen! Roll with them and demonstrate your ability to remain calm under pressure.
Repurposing and saving your live stream captures a broader audience. Make your live streams available to view later for people who were unable to tune in. Snippets from your live stream make for great social media content, and you can even transform transcripts into blog articles. Audio recordings from your live stream can also be uploaded via podcast RSS feeds.
Prepare all your equipment – cameras, microphones, ethernet cables, lighting – a few days before your planned live stream. Always do a dry run the day of to check if your internet connection is still working and if any equipment isn’t functioning.
The visual elements of your B2B live stream go beyond just having a good camera and making sure whoever on camera looks good. Streaming graphics like overlays strengthen your branding and increase production value.
Here’s a few ways you can use overlays to take your B2B live stream even further:
If you’re looking for professionally-designed overlays, look no further. Uno has a wide range of stream graphics that are free to use just by signing up, and can be edited in real time online. If you want something that aligns strictly with your branding, our parent company, Singular.Live has a professional graphics builder for creating fully custom live graphics
Still not sure how to start B2B live streaming? Looking for more advice on how best to set up your first scenes on your streaming software? Join our Discord to get top tips and support from our fantastic community of pro streamers.
