The question over ‘why video?’ has been won. As Youtube, Vimeo and other platforms groan with content, the new question being asked is ‘Why live?’ Most legacy broadcasters moved away from live, except for news and sports a very long time ago. The reason being is simple. It’s hard and things can easily go wrong which won’t get the benefit of post-production correcting.
So let’s look at the state of play. What are teenagers and young adults currently into? They’re fearless and technologically savvy. Young vloggers (video bloggers) have become stars, some at a very young age. Here’s some of the most successful (currently, this moves fast):
Zoe Sugg, otherwise known as Zoella 6.4 million subscribers http://www.zoella.co.uk//
Tanya Burr 2.4 million subscribers http://www.tanyaburr.co.uk/
Caspar Lee 3 million subscribers https://www.youtube.com/user/dicasp
Lilly “Superwoman” Singh 4 million subscribers https://www.youtube.com/user/IISuperwomanII
Louis Cole 1 million subscribers https://www.youtube.com/user/FunForLouis
We all like to be heard
If these guys are so successful at posting their videos, then what’s the advantage of going Live? This is where psychology kicks in. In real life we’re used to a two-way interaction. We want to ask questions and make comments. We want to be present and acknowledged. You only need to read the subscriber posts below any article or video on almost any platform to see this. We all like to be heard. We want our questions answered and to contribute to the debate. And, we usually want to do it in the moment.
LIVE has the Edge
People travel huge distances and pay large amounts of money to see their stars perform
Live or go to events and conferences with great speakers and experts. Investors still show up at company AGMs to quiz the people leading their companies. Theatre is booming despite the growth of television, films and the internet. That’s because Live is powerful and immediate. It’s also edgy and risky. The Fringe at the Edinburgh Festival is full of aspiring comics wanting to connect with their audiences and make them laugh. Politicians still need to get out and meet their constituents. This is the past and the future.
A Live broadcast is the closest we can get to ‘being there’. Pubs are full of fans watching matches on Sky. It’s why ‘live chat’ – a facility on most live streams that allows you to ask questions – is so popular. Live chat has the highest satisfaction levels for any customer service channel, with 73%, compared with 61% for email and 44% for phone.
Live Stream & On-Demand Video vs Webinar
“Only 16% of B2B consumers prefer live webinars” (i)
Webinars do have their place in a comms strategy. However, research shows that people generally dislike the format. Webinars are often presented with a large numbers of Powerpoint slides and a voice talking behind them. There’s a disconnect between what you are seeing on the screen and what the voice is saying and your brain struggles to decide which is more important at any particular moment. It’s a cheat ‘Live’ because you’re not really able to engage with your viewers. Not everyone wants to be tied down to a set time, which is why on-demand video is so popular. It puts control back into the hands of the learner. But what’s really important is cutting the content up into manageable and interesting segments – almost like chapters of a book. That way, people can delve into whatever topic area they like. This caters very well for those with short attention spans.
The future
Live streaming is proliferating at lighting speed. It is all about today and tomorrow and it’s fast finding a name for itself in a constantly evolving world. If you have any questions on this topic or want to air your thoughts, then please tweet us at @learnshedlive or for direct answers email us at hello@learnshedlive.com
(i) See more on this statistic here.