People love interactive content. Media like Netflix's Bandersnatch, Reddit's celebrity-hosted “Ask Me Anything” forums, and even interactive class lectures are all successful, in large part because they give their audiences something to do while they're consuming content.

This craving for interaction is arguably the driving force behind the popularity of the live stream, which has reached incredible heights. Indeed, the global market for live streams is expected to hit $4.9 Billion by 2028 for good reason. Through this versatile video creation concept, people now share everything from original music to gaming sessions and live commentary on events. What's more, all of this can be done through a variety of social media platforms –– at no cost to the streamer.

With social media, in fact, you can reap even more benefits from your live streams. We’ll speak to some of the specific advantages below.

#1: Boosted Reach and Engagement

When live streaming on social media, you don't have to wait for viewers to find your session organically. You'll have an instant audience made up of your friends or followers — and your network can tap into theirs. You can thus reach more people with minimal effort. Features like built-in chats and additional guest-hosting capabilities can then help you instantly connect with your viewers on a personal level. Leveraging these features will help you engage your viewers for longer.

This engagement can be boosted even further with the help of professionals. Hosting your live stream on social media means that you can take advantage of the expertise of social media specialists who are well equipped to navigate these spaces. These specialists are highly sought after by enterprising individuals and organizations alike — largely because they are able to suggest innovative content creation strategies that take into account the interests of your target audience, but are based on a better understanding of social media trends.

#2: Better audience management and analysis

It's often difficult to manage and gauge audiences at in-person events. On social media though, you can easily moderate host-viewer interactions through things like Q&A sessions. Crucially, you can also use a social media platform's built-in analytics tools to get to know your audience better. For example, you can track a given stream’s number of viewers, their reactions, and how many times they've shared the video with others. You can also find out which viewer demographics your live streams appeal to most.

Since all this information can be gathered in real time, you can start working on improving your future content as soon as possible. This can mean anything from adjusting your mic volume if viewers say they can't hear you, to catering content length based on viewers’ attention spans.

#3: Value for your money

Social media live streams don’t require spending hundreds thousands of dollars on things like rent and marketing, which are required for live, in-person events. What’s more, live streams can drive consumer spending for nearly anything. For example, you can promote a future in-person event and see a boost in ticket sales. And since this sort of thing makes streaming profitable yet cost-effective, you’ll have room to invest in various tools that can put you a cut above the streamer crowd.

For example, you can invest in high-speed internet or procure professional cameras and equipment. You should also consider using live stream broadcasting software, which can help you with things like mixing multiple camera sources, creating professional-quality live streams through video encoding, and even integrating Zoom recordings into your live streams. If you want to make your livestreams more inclusive, we here at Videolinq can help you add closed captions to recorded files and real-time livestreams. All of this can help you produce higher-quality content.

Ultimately, it’s clear that social media can enhance your live streams due to its reach, data-gathering capabilities, and flexibility. By understanding these advantages and actively making the most out of them with additional software and equipment, you’ll be set for success in the world of live streaming.

Specially written for Videolinq.com

By: Royce Julian

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