Having a good social media strategy is crucial for any business. Even if you aren’t using social media well, it’s important to have a presence, but if you are ready to level up it might be time to start looking to live streaming video to build your audience online.

Adding live streaming video content to your social media strategy is not for the faint of heart and it does take some planning ahead. Oftentimes people don’t know where to start with video content, and that’s ok. Start with some ideas and some trial runs and just don’t publish anything until you feel more comfortable with it.

By 2022, 82% of all internet traffic will be video. People are watching breaking news, concerts, and sporting events on live streams as opposed to more traditional outlets like television. Facebook and YouTube have the most watched platforms for live streaming. Red Bull holds the record for the most watched live stream with 8 million simultaneous streams of Felix Baumgartner’s space parachute jump, but even live sporting events and news items can garner large audiences.

Most consumers don’t finish reading your text posts and your blog posts, and 69% of consumers prefer video to text when learning about a new brand. Live streaming video is the most highly engaged content online, drawing six times the engagement of video on demand. What’s more, 97% of consumers are willing to share live video streams on their own social media profiles, which expands reach even more.

Getting started creating engaging live video content for your business doesn’t have to be complicated. Q&A sessions are a great way to showcase your clients or suppliers while educating your customers and growing your audience. Webinars can be a great way to showcase your talents and also find new customers for your business. Sneak peeks and live events can showcase what your business is all about while also making people feel like they are having access to exclusive content. Unboxing or crowdsourcing videos can help you get feedback and makes your customers feel like their voices and preferences are being heard.

Live streaming capabilities are a native part of Facebook, Twitter, and more, and LinkedIn is rolling it out in beta now. You don’t need any special equipment to get started – it’s something that can be done with your regular cell phone through your regular preferred social media app. Just point the camera the right way, click the button, and start talking.

Facebook and LinkedIn have the ability to get feedback from your audience, which is another way to deepen that relationship with your customers by acknowledging you see them and want to address them personally.

Live streaming video is a wide open space right now because not many businesses are using it and there is so much value to be had. Learn more about leveraging live video for your business from the infographic below. Are you ready to start building your audience and, by extension, your customer base using live streaming video?