COVID-19 transformed the events landscape in 2020. Virtual events like live stream concerts, online conferences, and summits came into the limelight. Global corporations were also moving all their activities to the digital spectrum. These live stream events helped keep up the morale and maintain social ties essential to businesses and the general public.
Making the most of live video takes preparation and follow-up. Here are some live streaming tips and best practices from broadcasters we’ve seen succeed with events:
LIVE STREAMING TIPS FOR EVENTS BEFORE GOING LIVE
Spread the word
Your audience won’t know you’re going live if you don’t announce it! Spread the news of your live stream event through social media, advertisements or newsletters. If your event is private, contact your audience to let them know how to access your live stream.
Are your visuals ready?
Of all the live streaming tips, this is one of the most overlooked one! Did you know it’s possible to have professional-standard live streams at low cost? The secret is in graphic cards. You can find out how to easily add in your own visual overlays in this blog post.
Plan your time
This component is critical even without a live stream, of course. However, when the cameras are rolling, all the stakes are higher.
You want a clear plan before you live stream events. You want to know when the different segments will start when certain technical events have to take place, and so on.
Important: Test your internet connection!
Use a service such as fast.com to ensure you’ve got at least 10 Mbps upload speed. It’s important to test your internet as close to the time to go live as possible.
DURING THE LIVE STREAM
Let your audience in
It might take some time for your audience to tune in to the live stream. Instead of starting your content right off the bat, give your audience about 5 to 10 minutes to come in. This also helps to build anticipation!
Engage, engage, engage
The major selling point of live streams versus prerecorded video is that your organization can have a real-time conversation with viewers. To encourage viewer participation, make sure your host or moderator asks questions of the audience that can then be responded to either live or in the comments.
Keep promoting
Just because the broadcast has begun doesn’t mean the opportunity to attract more viewers is over. Have your employees and partners reshare the live stream to their networks for wider visibility. Embed the stream on your website or blog.
Have fun!
Part of the beauty of live video is that it’s live and audiences know it. It’s okay if you don’t nail your script perfectly or if something unexpected happens. Embrace the unexpected and inject some humor into your stream.
AFTER THE LIVE STREAM
Repurpose your video
Download your live stream after its conclusion so you can repurpose it in other marketing materials. Consider slicing the content into video clips and video ads, or transcribing the conversation and turning it into a blog post.
Address the remaining questions
If you couldn’t get to everyone’s comments during the stream, be sure to follow up. You might spark ongoing conversation and increase engagement by asking commenters what they thought of the stream.
Check analytics!
There’s always room for improvement. Review and analyse your data to find out more about who your audience are and what they like. Not all live streaming platforms can provide crucial and detailed information, custom but services like BeLive Technology can definitely accommodate to your needs.
