As of 2017, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram all allow users to live stream video content. It’s simple: Open the app, click stream and you’re connected with your followers. Each are notified that you’re live and will see and hear whatever you point your phone at. If you’re an airport or airline with hundreds, thousands or even hundreds of thousands of followers, there’s no better way to put your brand in front of customers (and fans) in such a raw and personal way.
Take LAX for example. They are a frequent streamer on Instagram. Their ops team live streams from the airfield and hundreds of followers tap to watch and interact with the airport. It’s not a planned and edited video either. It’s simply the team, out on the airfield, doing what they do and giving followers a glimpse at how a large international airport runs. The footage is often shaky and it’ll occasionally drop out, but the fans don’t care. They watch to get a different perspective on the airport. Sure, you can achieve that partly with a recorded and edited video, but it’s the live factor that adds an element of truth.
Or Vancouver Airport. Last week they turned to Facebook to livestream to launch their ‘Flight Plan 2037’ roadmap for the airport’s future. They then took questions for the CEO through social media.
So what should you do if you want to trial live streaming?
- Stream something that you do everyday. What you think is boring might be interesting to your customers. Think about who your current followers are. Is it the community? Travellers? Aviation fans? The media? What might interest them.
- Make sure you’ve got a reliable phone or WiFi connection in the location you’ll stream.
- Everything is proportionate to the follower base you already have so don’t be dissuaded if just a few followers tune in to begin with.
- Don’t make your first live stream an announcement where a stage or audience is involved. For that’ll you want to interface with professional AV gear. Instead, do a one to one video in a quiet room with the CEO or person responsible. It’ll be cleaner and viewers will appreciate the one-to-one nature.
- Be aware of any privacy laws that apply if you’re showing people.
- Check out the streaming guides for each of the networks: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.