Live Formats
Live formats are an important new form of video marketing. Numerous studies have demonstrated that they deliver significantly better marketing results than on-demand video. This is mainly because live formats have longer viewing times and create higher engagement. That’s not so strange. When viewers watch a soccer match live, they’ll often watch the full 90 minutes of the match and experience a wide range of emotions while doing so. But when it’s over, they’ll rarely watch more than the highlights and won’t experience the same emotional response. A live format offers a lot of interactive possibilities; allowing viewers to interact and engage with the program. Two things form the foundation of the successful live format: One, it’s an important event and we don’t yet know the results, or two, we can interact directly with the content as it happens. At least one of these features should be present; though naturally both is better. There are many different live formats. Examples include talk shows, world record attempts and Q&As with fans. But really the sky’s the limit. It’s part of the producer’s task to think up with creative ideas which meet the goals of the advertiser/client
That said, it is important that a few conditions are met for a live format to be successful. It has to be:
Live Formats are an important new form of video marketing. Numerous studies have demonstrated that they deliver significantly better marketing results than on-demand video. This is mainly because live formats have longer viewing times and create higher engagement. That’s not so strange. When viewers watch a soccer match live, they’ll often watch the full 90 minutes of the match and experience a wide range of emotions while doing so. But when it’s over, they’ll rarely watch more than the highlights and won’t experience the same emotional response. A live format offers a lot of interactive possibilities; allowing viewers to interact and engage with the program. Two things form the foundation of the successful live format: One, it’s an important event and we don’t yet know the results, or two, we can interact directly with the content as it happens. At least one of these features should be present; though naturally both is better. There are many different live formats. Examples include talk shows, world record attempts and Q&As with fans. But really the sky’s the limit. It’s part of the producer’s task to think up with creative ideas which meet the goals of the advertiser/client
That said, it is important that a few conditions are met for a live format to be successful. It has to be:
- Unpredictable. What’s so great about livestream is that it’s exciting to watch something as it happens. But if the outcome is predictable, then that excitement will be lost. For that reason, it’s important that there is a good ‘story’. Note, this story doesn’t always have to be scripted, as the initial premise can already contain it.
- Something unique. If it hasn’t been seen before it’s more exciting to watch live. The program’s promise has to evoke urgency. Viewers watch because they expect to see something special.
- The suggestion of exclusivity. Viewer have the feeling they’re on the first row and are watching something that nobody has seen before.
- Creative and focused on the target audience. It might be obvious, but a live format needs to home in on the target audience’s wants and needs. This doesn’t just decide how successful the program will be, but also how effectiveness it communicates your messages.
- Preceded by a good marketing campaign. If you don’t have a good campaign your audience either won’t know or won’t care about your content. Therefore, to get the most out of a piece of content it’s important to create an (online) campaign that makes the target audience aware of the livestream and its specifics.
- The timing of the live format needs to coordinate with the target audience’s lifestyle. For the best results, you must pick the right timeslot. To find the best moment to stream an event, it’s best to look at existing user data. As the client, it is possible to use an existing format, but of course we can also develop a new format with you that better fits your brand or purpose.
Live Access
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