Like the people of Oz, social media trends come and go so quickly here. As a Newcastle social media agency, we know that the one that seems to be sticking around is going live.

Live social media is scary, but it can work wonders for your business and relationships with customers. Don’t believe us? Here are eight reasons why you should:

1. Who better to tell your story?

You know your business better than anyone. You know why you set it up, the passion behind it, the trials and tribulations; so you should be the one to tell that story. Not a post or photo, you. An honest video to the people who have a real interest – your customers – can make a big difference in their perception of your brand.

2. Teach

Have you ever wanted to help someone understand what you do? Or wanted to pass on your knowledge? Live video is the perfect way to do it – it’s real, unedited and directly from the source.

3. Go behind the scenes

There’s nothing more enticing than having a backstage pass, finding out how things are made or what goes on behind closed doors. This is your opportunity to peak the interest of your customers and followers.

4. Reward customers

Giveaways and prize draws can often seem impersonal and sometimes even too good to be true.

By going live, you can show customers – and potential customers – you are sincere and true to your word.

5. Build a relationship

This is your opportunity to bond. Yes, you may be sat behind screens miles apart, but by regularly going live, you have the opportunity to see who tunes in each time and who always comments, thus giving you the opportunity to speak to them personally.

6. Feedback

It’s easy to ignore a feedback form. Sometimes we don’t want to fill them in, sometimes we feel our feedback is disregarded. If you sit, on camera, live in front of your customers and openly ask for feedback, there’s nowhere to hide.

This is scary, but it also shows a willingness to listen and an opportunity for your customers to be heard. That counts for a lot.

7. Demonstrations

Want to show your loyal followers a new product first? Noticed a lot of people asking how a certain thing works? Demonstrate it live because who else knows your products better than you?

8. Laugh

As Uncle Albert sang, “We love to laugh” so why not inject your live videos with humour or comedy? We’re not saying to do a stand-up routine, but react as normal to a funny comment, a mishap or simply jumbling your words. Laughing makes us human!

Of course, if you’re a funeral director, this may not be appropriate, so tread carefully.

Remember that although you’re live on camera, it doesn’t mean you can’t be prepared. If you need help finding your feet on live social media, or would like some advice on how it could help your business, throw us a bone on 01325 486666 or info@harveyandhugo.com