B2B Prospecting: How to Reach Your Total Addressable Market (TAM)

Introduction

This article will discuss the best B2B live streaming strategies to maintain visibility and engagement with your Total Addressable Market (TAM). By utilising the right platforms, creating engaging content, and promoting your live streams effectively, you can increase brand awareness, generate leads, and ultimately drive sales.

Table of Contents

Live Streaming to Your Total Addressable Market

1. Select the Right Live Streaming Platforms
2. Develop Engaging and Valuable Content
3. Consistency and Scheduling
4. Promote Your Live Streams to Your TAM
5. Encourage Interaction and Engagement
6. Measure Your Success and Optimise
7. Collaborate with Influencers and Partners
8. Integrate Live Streaming with Other Marketing Efforts
9. Invest in Quality Equipment and Production

B2B Live Streaming Best Practice

10. Develop a Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)
11. Repurpose Your Live Streams
12. Prepare for Technical Issues
13. Maintain a Professional Appearance & Set Design
14. Provide Real-Time Support
15. Learn from Your Competitors

Measure & Optimise Your B2B Live Streaming

16. Track Key Metrics
17. Gather Feedback
18. Test Different Formats and Approaches
19. Leverage social media

FAQs

Conclusion

Getting Started with Live Streaming

1. Select the Right Live Streaming Platforms

Identify the platforms where your TAM spends most of their time, such as Facebook Live, YouTube Live, Twitch, or LinkedIn Live. It's important to choose platforms that align with your audience's preferences and your brand's goals.  But don't worry if you have completely defined them, there not set in stone.

We’re talking B2B, therefore your main platforms are ging to be LinkedIn - Live and Facebook – Live and naturally YouTube Live.  That said, LinkedIn Live requires you to use an intermediary piece of SaaS in order to broadcast and the most effective I have found is www.restream.io  

2. Develop Engaging and Valuable Content

Create content that is relevant, informative, and entertaining for your TAM. This can include interviews, group discussions, product demonstrations, Q&A sessions, interviews, webinars, or behind-the-scenes footage. 

Although the word Live Stream infers everything is going to be live, there is nothing stopping you from broadcasting a pre-recorded video as part of your show.

For more information regarding content, we have a section on Digital Selling which explains the various methods and strategies you can adopt.

3. Consistency and Scheduling

Establish a consistent streaming schedule to build anticipation and develop a loyal following. Regularly streaming at specific times allows your audience to plan their participation and engagement.

Apart from www.retream.io being very easy to use, it also has an API to enable you to schedule your live stream according to the times and dates you have set up in LinkedIn or Facebook.  All you need do is set the dates and map Restream to LinkedIn or Facebook.

4. Promoting Your Live Streams to your TAM

Firstly, use social media, email marketing, and other marketing channels to promote your live streams in advance. Make sure to include a clear call-to-action and encourage your audience to share the event with their networks.  I know it sounds obvious; however, you will need to build up to an audience sharing your broadcast dates.  This is B2B, not B2C, business owners and buyers do binge on social media as many platforms would have you believe.

We recommend the following strategy:

• If you haven’t already got a database, go and buy one. It will cost approximately £350 per thousand names. You want 10,000 names, therefore prepare to invest £3,500.
• Create an email series twelve weeks in advance of your live stream series. Send out one email per week for eleven weeks. In the last week, send out daily emails along the lines of ‘it’s coming, it’s coming’.
• Also, twelve weeks beforehand, upload the entire database you have just acquired, to LinkedIn and begin a banner advert campaign to appear on the Newsfeeds to all the names on the database. The adverts will both encourage your TAM to ‘Follow’ your company and promote the upcoming live stream shows.
• On the day of the show, email your TAM saying you’re on in an hour (or there abouts).

Of your TAM, between 1% and 15% are planning to begin their buying journey every week.  That means, approximately 100 to 1500 businesses are prime!  A percentage of them will watch your live show.  If fifty watched, that would match the equivalent work effort of at least fifty BDRs or telesales operatives cold calling.  The costs and benefits of this strategy are unmatched in anything you have ever done before in the lifetime of your business. Below is our infographic - Cold-Calling vs live streaming.

5. Encourage Interaction and Engagement

Invite your viewers to participate by asking questions, sharing their thoughts, and interacting with other viewers. This fosters a sense of community and keeps your audience engaged.  One thing I want to point out – businesses do not want to broadcast they might be looking at a certain product or service, hence watching and remaining anonymous, therefore, do be giving a shout-out to different people or businesses when they appear on the watching feed and if they ask you a question, refrain from mentioning surnames or business names.

6. Measure Your Success and Optimise

By analysing Restream, you can monitor your live streaming performance through metrics like views, engagement, and conversions. Use these insights to optimise your strategy and improve future live streams. 

Additionally, you can embed a Restream player in your website and give your prospects the option of watching you on a social media channel or they can watch, completely anonymously, if they click through to your own website page Restream Player.

7. Collaborate with Influencers and Partners

It is a seriously good idea to partner with influencers or other businesses within your industry to expand your reach, tap into new audiences, and enhance the credibility of your brand.  They will want to connect with as many businesses as they can too, therefore if you can find some common ground and not compete with them, you have the basis of a good relationship moving forward.  For more ideas about collaboration and syndicate selling, take a look at our sX Syndicates - articles and here for our sX Syndicates - Guide and here for our sX Syndicates - Cost Analysis

8. Integrate Live Streaming with Other Marketing Efforts

Ensure your live streaming strategy complements and supports your overall marketing plan. Cross-promote your live streams with other marketing efforts like social media, article posts, and email campaigns.

Ensure your team change their LinkedIn profiles to reflect your live shows.  This can include changing their photos, if they’re involved in the show to replacing all the profile banners of all members of staff who entered they work for your company – they have said they work for you, haven’t they!

9. Invest in Quality Equipment and Production

Investing in high-quality equipment and production gear to provide your audience with an enjoyable viewing experience is paramount. Good lighting, sound, and video quality can make a significant difference in engagement and viewer retention.

This is another area where we come in.  We use equipment from a company called Blackmagic Design.  They’ve been around for years and are based in Australia and have offices all over the world.  They are pretty much the broadcasting standard.

Take a look at our Blackmagic Design page to get a feel for the kit, but also, take a look at our first live stream efforts when we were using Ecamm and a green screen to the quality of the broadcast and greenscreen work used on the News Broadcasts in March 2023.  Click through to our Resources > Live Streaming page to see our progression from using a Mac-based platform called Ecamm and our 1st Shows through to the News 'skits' and most recent live shows.  

I recently hosted and produced a live stream series about digital selling which is available here:-

• Show 1 - Harness the Power of Digital Selling and Live Streaming to Skyrocket Your B2B Sales 
• Show 2 - Ditch Cold Calling: Embrace Live Streaming and Digital Selling for B2B Success
• Show 3 - Transform Your B2B Sales with Live Streaming and Digital Selling
• Show 4 - Transform B2B Sales: Harness the Power of Live Streaming & Digital Sales
• Show 5 - How to Grow B2B Sales Without Cold Calls: Live Streaming
• Show 6 - The Digital Selling & Live Streaming for B2B Review Show

Additional Live Streaming Best Practices

10. Develop a Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)

Include a clear CTA during or at the end of your live stream to guide viewers towards a specific action. This can be signing up for a newsletter, visiting your website, or purchasing a product. Make sure your CTA is relevant and aligned with your sales goals as no one wants to be sold to so-to-speak.

One of the main points of livestreaming is to kickstart the engagement process at scale of your total addressable market (TAM).  They are only expecting to get to know you, so stick to creating engaging content that educates.  B2B buyers will buy when they’re ready and not before.  They are buying to increase their company’s profits, they not buying for fun or personal reasons.  

As part of the Digital Selling process or strategy, buyers want to learn why they should buy a certain product and from whom.  Your job is to provide them with that information and to do it at scale.

11. Repurpose Your Live Streams

Live streaming does not require editing, because it’s live.  A one-hour live stream will generate approximately 8,000 words.  A typical article is around 1,000 words.  This means you have the raw information to create an abundance of associated content.

Maximising the value of your live streams can be done by repurposing the content for other marketing channels. Turn the recorded sessions into article posts, podcasts, or social media snippets. This will help you reach a wider audience and reinforce your message.  However, it will require editing to do this.  We use Adobe Premiere Pro and Blackmagic Designs’s Resolve (which is free) which also have the added benefit offering enhanced integration with their camera technology, making it easier to edit live streams.  You can use Apple’s Final Cut Pro or indeed many of the AI or less featured non-liner-editors (NLE).

Visit our Blackmagic Design web page.

12. Prepare for Technical Issues

People like live shows because they are authentic and real.  However, there is always the possibility of a technical failure during a live stream, so it's essential to be prepared. Have a backup plan in place, such as pre-recorded content, to keep your audience engaged in case of technical difficulties.

But hey! These things happen right.  And if you’re live team are comfortable with the lit and know what could go wrong, then they are as pre-prepared as they can be.  We’ll help with all of this in advance.

13. Maintain a Professional Appearance & Set Design

Ensure that you and any guests on your live stream maintain a professional appearance, as this reflects your brand image. Dress appropriately, and ensure your streaming space is clean and visually appealing.

When it comes to set design, watch some YouTube videos!  There are important points as follows:

• Backdrop: Choose a clean and uncluttered backdrop that complements your brand and content. Consider using a branded banner, logo, or artwork for a professional look.
• Lighting: Ensure proper lighting to enhance the overall video quality. Use a combination of natural light, soft boxes, and ring lights to eliminate shadows and create an even distribution of light.
• Camera Angle: Position the camera at eye level to create a natural and engaging viewing experience. Experiment with different angles to find the most flattering perspective.
• Framing: Compose the frame to include enough headroom and maintain the rule of thirds. Make sure important elements are within the frame without being too cluttered.
• Props and Accessories: Use relevant props and accessories to add visual interest and support the content. Be mindful of their placement and avoid overcrowding the set.
• Colours: Choose colours that align with your brand and create contrast between the subject and the background. Avoid wearing the same colour as the backdrop to prevent blending in.
• Sound: Minimise background noise and echo by using a high-quality microphone, soundproofing materials, and placing the microphone close to the subject.
• By paying attention to these set design elements, you can create an engaging and visually appealing live streaming environment that resonates with your audience.

14. Provide Real-Time Support

Offer real-time support during your live streams to address any questions or concerns from your audience. This can be done through chat moderation or by having a dedicated team member available to respond to inquiries.

15. Learn from Your Competitors

Analyse your competitors' live streaming strategies to identify areas where you can improve or differentiate your approach. This will help you stay ahead of the competition and deliver a unique experience to your audience.

By incorporating these additional best practices into your live streaming strategy, you can further increase visibility and engagement with your Total Addressable Market. This will ultimately help your business generate more interest and drive sales through the effective use of digital selling.

Measure and Optimise Your Live Streaming Strategy

16. Track Key Metrics

To measure the success of your live streaming strategy, it's crucial to track key performance indicators (KPIs). These may include the number of viewers, engagement rate, watch time, and conversion rate. Monitoring these metrics will help you understand what resonates with your audience and make data-driven decisions to improve future live streams. It is probably a good idea to suggest your team take a look at our page regarding Google Analytics & Google Tag Manager

17. Gather Feedback

Using the description below the player pane on LinkedIn, Facebook, or YouTube, ask your audience for feedback after each live stream to gain insights into what they liked, disliked, or found most valuable. This information can help you fine-tune your content and delivery to better cater to your audience's needs and preferences.

It will also serve you to email them too and ask for feedback as they might be more willing to click reply than to broadcast, they watched you and have a question, that some bight-spark tries to answer before you.

18. Test Different Formats and Approaches

Experiment with various live streaming formats, such as Q&As, interviews, product demos, and educational sessions. This will allow you to identify which formats generate the most engagement and interest from your audience.

19. Leverage social media

Promote your live streams on social media platforms to expand your reach and attract more viewers. Share teasers, behind-the-scenes content, and reminders to create buzz and excitement around your live events. Additionally, consider partnering with influencers to further amplify your message.

Plan your promotion using Social 444.  This provides a framework to auto-schedule social media posts with a call-to-action to encourage sign ups directly on LinkedIn, but a word of advice – don’t contact the registrants, let them get to know you and they will contact you if your product or service fits.

FAQs

What equipment do I need to start live streaming?

To start live streaming, you will need a camera (can be your smartphone camera), a microphone, and a stable internet connection. If you want to improve the quality of your stream, you can invest in additional equipment such as lighting, a tripod, and a capture card.

Do I need to be tech-savvy to start live streaming?

>You don't need to be a tech expert to start live streaming, but it does require some basic technical knowledge. You'll need to understand how to use your camera and microphone, how to set up your streaming software or platform, and how to troubleshoot any technical issues that may arise.

How long should my live streams be?

The length of your live streams will depend on your audience and the type of content you're presenting. Generally, a live stream should be at least 10-15 minutes long to give your audience enough time to engage with your content, but not too long that they lose interest.

How often should I live stream?

The frequency of your live streams will depend on your audience's preferences and your availability. It's important to establish a consistent schedule that works for you and your audience, whether it's once a week or once a month.

How can I measure the success of my live streams?

You can measure the success of your live streams by tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) such as viewership, engagement rate, watch time, and conversion rate. Use these metrics to make data-driven decisions and improve your future live streams. Additionally, gather feedback from your audience to understand what worked and what didn't.

Conclusion

Live streaming has become an essential tool for businesses looking to engage with their Total Addressable Market (TAM) and generate interest in their products or services. By selecting the right platforms, creating engaging content, and establishing a consistent streaming schedule, businesses can build a loyal following and increase visibility among their TAM. To maximize the impact of live streaming, businesses should also integrate it with their overall marketing efforts, collaborate with influencers and partners, and invest in quality equipment and production. Measuring success, gathering feedback, testing different formats, and leveraging social media can help businesses optimize their live streaming strategy and stay ahead of the competition. By following these best practices, businesses can drive sales through the effective use of digital selling and continue to engage and grow their TAM.