With over 140 million active users, Twitch is the largest live-streaming platform in the world. People use it to watch as well as create content. And the best part is they are making millions out of this!
A recent study shows the top 10 streamers on Twitch will generate an estimated $35 million at the end of 2023. But do you know what’s their key to get Twitch followers and, thus, more money?
They are not just live-streaming content – they are using live-streaming to market their personal brands! There’s a lot of difference between these two statements. And we will help you understand it in detail.
So, in today’s post, we will talk about:
1 What Is Live Streaming?
2 Difference Between Business & Personal Brand
3 How to Use Live Streaming for Marketing Your Brand?
– and so much more. Let’s get started!
The Basics of Live Streaming
Live streaming is just what it sounds like. You have to share video content in real-time. This means there is no editing, pausing, or anything.
It’s a video call – but with your social media audience.
The reason people enjoy and interact with live streaming more is because it is authentic and genuine. People know you aren’t filtering visual content, which helps them trust you.
Now, the way livestream works depends on the platform you’ve chosen. Here’s a quick rundown of the options available:
| Platform | Audience Size | Audience Type | How to Livestream? |
| Twitch | 140+ million | Young, mostly below 35yrs old, 65% male | Tap on the profile image icon, and click Go Live. |
| 2.35+ billion | Young, mostly 25 to 34 yrs old, 50.7% male | Tap on the + button, scroll to find Live, and click Live. | |
| 2.85+ billion | Old, mostly 35 to 44yrs old, 56.6% male | Click on What’s on Your Mind, select Live Video, and tap Go Live. | |
| TikTok | 1+ billion | Young, mostly 10 to 19yrs old, 57% female | Tap on Create icon, swipe to find Live, and press Go Live. |
| YouTube | 2.1+ billion | All, mostly 15 to 35yrs old, 54.4% male | Verify your phone number to enable live streams, click the Camera icon, and tap Go Live. |
Please note all platforms allow you first to configure the settings of the live stream. You can put images, add titles, and even schedule the live stream to start at a specific time.
Do You Have a Business Brand or a Personal Brand?
To make the best out of live streaming, it’s first important to understand whether your brand is a business brand or a personal brand. The reason is simple; it will set the tone and overall direction of your marketing campaigns. So, what’s the difference? A business brand is created around the identity of your business. It is viewed as a separate entity. But a personal brand is based on your personality and life. In the simplest terms – it’s you!
Most social media streamers prefer building personal brands because of the ease. It’s much more simple to create content about yourself. You can select a hobby or a skill or just post about what you do daily. The audience seems to enjoy this human element too. It helps them to connect with the streamer quickly, which leads to an increase in followers and viewers. However, business brands have a much larger revenue potential than personal brands.
It’s simply because you will be selling a service or product – that is not based on you. If you establish a good brand that resonates with the target audience, there will be sales even when you are not there (think about generational family businesses and acquisitions).
5 Ways to Use Live Streaming for Marketing Your Brand
Once you’ve identified the type of brand, you will have a pretty good idea about what you will be marketing in your live streams. If you have a personal brand, the focus will be on you and vice versa.
With that figured out, here are some tried-and-tested ways to use live streaming for marketing your brand:
1. Interviews
Interviewing is an excellent way to build brand credibility. You don’t tell people why your brand is great – instead, you show them by revealing others’ opinions and perspectives.
1 Interview employees on work culture → to improve business reputation and attract talent
2 Interview other industry experts → to spread awareness about your brand and demonstrate your topic authority
3 Interview company professionals → to promote an upcoming product or service
2. Q&A Sessions
Question-and-Answer sessions are a more casual form of interviews. You tone down the professionalism (especially in business branding) and discuss something with others. It’s a two-way communication where you give your input too.
1 FAQ session with customers → to demonstrate the amazing customer service policies of the business
2 AMA session with followers → to connect with them on a deeper level and increase brand loyalty
3 Q&A session with field experts → to increase brand credibility
3. Special Announcements
Both personal and business brands can boost engagement on their social media platforms by live-streaming special announcements. It’s simply because people love excitement and hype around something new.
1 Product introduction → to increase sales
2 Relocation of stores → to inform previous customers and attract new ones
3 Collaboration → to encourage response from the online audience on the release date
4. Behind-the-Scenes
Behind-the-scene (BTS) is a very specific type of live streaming with one marketing goal; to increase the human element of the brand and establish a better relationship with your audience. So, it doesn’t matter whether you’re a car manufacturing or baking business.
This live streaming will work wonders in showing your audience that there are real people behind the professional brand – people who are messy and not-so-perfect. Even if you’ve got a personal brand, sharing some unedited content will help the audience understand you better.
5. Events
Similar to BTS, live-streaming events also have a specific marketing purpose; to spread awareness and encourage people to join the event while it lasts. This is a short-term goal but one that will give great long-term results!