Now Streaming: Why Should I Go Live?

September 16th, 2020

By now, many jewelers large and small have begun to embrace social media to expand their digital presence. Successful businesses all across the globe have leveraged platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, YouTube and others to market their products and services, find new customers, and engage with loyal fans. In this article, we’ll dive into a feature that’s growing in popularity but often overlooked, and fairly misunderstood: Live Streaming. We’ll break down the main three Live Streaming platforms, and discuss why each one would favor your business and help you reach your desired audience.

Facebook Live

For businesses already using Facebook, starting a live stream via Facebook Live is an easy way to further leverage the power of the world’s most popular social platform. Facebook Live gives businesses large and small an opportunity to share experiences, announcements, and new product launches in real time. There are several advantages to ‘going live’ on Facebook:

  1. No Editing Required. Going live is about as candid as it gets. Remember to rehearse your message a few times with a colleague before going live. If for some reason you’re not happy with how your broadcast is going, simply cut your feed and start over.
  2. Reach More People. Facebook rewards users who use Live by sending a notification to all the fans of your Facebook Page, or all of your friends when using Live on a personal account. This typically means that folks will tap the notification, and begin watching your Live feed.
  3. A Lasting Impression. Once your Live session has ended, Facebook gives you the option to delete or publish your Live video. This is useful for new product launches, announcements, a live auction for modestly-priced inventory or materials, or just day-to-day business communications. Your video can be shared, liked, and commented on just like any other video you publish.
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Instagram Live

Hailed as the world’s most beautiful social network, the image-driven platform has been a hub for creators from nearly every field. Beauty, Luxury, and Fashion are the dominant categories of content being shared and consumed across the platform, making it a perfect home for all things jewelry, watches, and gemstones.

In addition to the benefits listed above for Facebook Live, Instagram Live (or IG Live, as it’s colloquially known) gives Live Streamers the opportunity to add an additional user to the Live Stream for a split-screen experience. Some use cases for this include:

  1. Interviews. Feature a custom designer, fashion influencer, or other special guest on your stream.
  2. Collaborations. Is there a special project you’re working on, or product line you’re picking up? Collaborate with your counterpart and participate in a joint Live Stream. Both of your audiences will be notified!
  3. Competitions. Bring in a colleague or friendly competitor and ask fans to vote for their favorite in the comments section of your stream. Showcase custom designs, displays, different watches, or just freestyle. The objective here is to make it fun, and keep people watching and engaged.

YouTube Live Streaming

For retail jewelers and online jewelers alike, YouTube is the web’s original social streaming platform that serves an audience of billions each day. While the most entertaining videos on the platform revolve around humor, current events, music videos, and more, jewelers and luxury retailers of all kinds have carved out their niche on YouTube by regularly uploading new videos on a regular basis to serve fans searching for the latest trends and reviews.

If you have an established—and we really mean established—presence on YouTube (think over 100 subscribers, and a total of 10,000 video views), you’ll at least be able to stream via YouTube Mobile. In order to stream via a webcam or computer, YouTube requires streamers to have amassed at least 1,000 subscribers before this option becomes available.

Some of the reasons why streaming on YouTube could benefit your business include:

  1. Visibility and Accessibility. YouTube is a completely open platform where users do not have to log in to consume content you create.
  2. The Big Screen. Since the YouTube app is baked into virtually every Smart TV on the market, your content can be viewed in your fans’ living rooms. As so-called “cable cutting” gains popularity, a higher percentage of U.S. households use YouTube as their primary source of big-screen entertainment.
  3. Shareability. YouTube Any Live Stream saved and published on your store’s YouTube Channel can be shared virtually anywhere on the internet.

Now that we know how useful Live Streaming can be, here are ways to ensure you’re using your Facebook Live, Instagram Live (IG Live) or YouTube Livestream session to its fullest potential:

  1. Check Your Connection. Ensure the highest broadcast quality by using a stable WiFi or 4G/LTE connection. Poor connections can result in blurry video, or loss of feed.
  2. Engage With Your Audience. We all love to be recognized by people we admire. Engage with your followers who tune-into your feed by saying hello to them by name and reply to their comments.
  3. Let Fans Know In Advance. By telling folks you’ll be going Live, you’re both building anticipation for your broadcast and allowing fans to fit viewing it in their plans.
  4. Broadcasts Should Exceed Three Minutes. Every platform prioritizes syndication of broadcasts exceeding 3 minutes to give your followers more time to join the action. You can naturally increase the length of your broadcast by leveraging the chat section, and actively answer questions in a Q and A format.
  5. Be Aware of Your Environment. Quiet on the set! Make sure that you choose a well-lit space with minimal noise interference when selecting where to go Live.

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