Case Study: Bunker Labs

On social media alone, videos are shared 1,200% more often than posts containing text and images combined.

And in an era of never-ending notifications and constant content overload, live-streaming has emerged as a new frontier for capturing viewer attention.

Live-streamed video offers even stronger opportunities for engaging viewers: Users today watch Facebook Live videos for three times longer than they do regular videos, and engage with comments more than 10 times more often.

The Breakdown generated a ton of unique marketing value for Bunker Labs, so we’re offering an exclusive “behind-the-camera” look into producing an effective multicamera live show.

Why Facebook Live?

The Breakdown is a 30-minute weekly live show created for veterans by veterans. It offers viewers a firsthand peek into the world of entrepreneurs who have successfully launched their own businesses.

We recommended Bunker Labs host The Breakdown on Facebook Live for a couple of reasons.

1. Their audience is on Facebook

Bunker Labs wanted to maximize their reach, and Facebook is still the most popular social media platform out there today. Facebook Live is also well-optimized for audience participation, thanks to its defining features of real-time commenting and live reactions.

The video is also available on Bunker’s Facebook page for viewers to watch on their own time after the livestream — a benefit to those working on different schedules or in other time zones.

2. The interface is user-friendly

Facebook Live is intuitive and affordable. Going live can be as straightforward as opening the app and pressing a button. And afterwards, you can easily track your video’s metrics via Page Insights.

To sweeten the deal, Facebook Live is available free of charge to all Facebook users. Because you don’t have to pay for bandwidth usage, you can focus your marketing dollars on the things that really count: producing stronger content, learning better production techniques, and investing in professional-grade recording equipment.

Progress in producing The breakdown

Bunker’s first stab at the format, in August 2017, involved a single-cam setup attracting about 2,000 views per episode…

You may notice that the video framing is even tilted. (I mean, everyone has to start somewhere, right?!)

But by the 28th week of the show, they’d invested in a multicamera setup, complete with customized elements to convey critical information at a glance. (Look familiar? We were inspired by ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption!)

Each episode of The Breakdown now gets between 10,000 and 15,000 views — a viewership increase of more than 400 percent.

The Sprk’d touch: Planning and follow-through

The on-screen talent was all Bunker — CTO Will Crane and a rotating cast of characters brought The Breakdown to life — but the energy behind the scenes was all Sprk’d.

We took care of the planning and project management for each episode, from potential-guest outreach to thank-you emails after the fact.

Pre-production calls facilitated by Sprk’d helped prepare entrepreneurs with varying degrees of on-camera comfort for their time in the spotlight, and ensure that I’s were dotted and T’s crossed.

We created themes for each episode, many that coincided with Bunker’s ongoing marketing efforts, and ensured Bunker’s internal marketing staff had all the information they needed to promote the featured guests and other details before and after the episode.

Bunker Labs’ investment in live-streaming

Using the same equipment as Bunker Labs is going to cost you about $23,000 per year (they had a grant dedicated to producing the show). But don’t let that number scare you off!

If you’re strapped for cash, using your phone or laptop camera can be a great way to get your foot in the door. On the other end of the spectrum, some businesses — especially high-profile organizations where public image is key — will invest in an even fancier setup.

Producing an effective multicamera live show can be achieved over a range of budgets — and if your target audience is spending a lot of time on Facebook or using video extensively in their day-to-day work, it may be worth the investment.

What Bunker learned from producing The breakdown

When brainstorming your livestream campaign, first identify a compelling idea — then start getting down to the nitty-gritty, like the gear you want to use.

Step 1: Find the right idea

At the heart of every successful live show is a great idea that’s well-suited to the format. The live element should add value to your video by creating authentic connections among participants.

Effective examples include shows that require live participation (like Q&As), or events with unknown outcomes (like sports games or award shows)

Step 2 (and beyond): Make your idea happen

When Bunker first decided to do The Breakdown, they had to bite the bullet and commit to doing something, even though they knew it wouldn’t be perfect at first.

Don’t let your budget (or lack of it) stop you from including livestreaming in your marketing strategy. At the end of the day, the core of your livestream’s appeal will depend on the quality of the content itself.