It is baffling to see the pace at which live streaming is becoming so popular and common. Thanks to the power of social media platforms, the availability of high-speed internet, and the ubiquity of smartphones, anybody can become a celebrity overnight.
Live streaming is especially a blessing for brands, who are now taking full advantage of the phenomenon to engage with their target audience. And it only makes sense considering that by the end of 2020, live streaming would account for 82% of the internet traffic, according to Go Globe.
Live streaming is a true gold mine for marketers as research by Vimeo Livestreamshowsthat 87% of consumers prefer to watch a live stream from a brand over standard social media posts, and 67% of the audience surveyed will purchase a ticket for a similar event they have watched a live stream of.
So whether you have an event to promote, a product to launch, or you just want to become a gaming blogger, Live streaming is your answer.
However, before you just jump on to the live streaming bandwagon, you should understand its dynamics. Given that everybody and anybody who has a camera is now making a Livestream, you have to make sure that yours doesn’t drown in the sea of mediocrity.
Some brands just know how to nail live streaming because not only do they understand the technical aspects, but they know how to connect with their audience. If you are new to live streaming, then here are some common FAQs that will answer any queries you might have.
1. What sort of content should you broadcast on live stream?
Before you figure out the ‘How’ of live streaming you need to answer the ‘What.’ No wonder live streaming is as easy as shooting random videos, but that doesn’t mean you can just start streaming anything and everything; you need to have a proper plan and strategy for that.
You need to put in as much as effort as you would put in a live show or event. The stepping stone of live streaming is knowing your audience. You should be aware of their interests and develop your content accordingly. If you have a brand, decide if you are going to do a tutorial or you are going to invite a guest or if your organization is conducting a conference or a seminar, and you may want to live stream that.
Where you choose to shoot your live streaming is a crucial decision. Make sure to choose a place where there is adequate lighting with an interesting backdrop to captivate your audience.
2. What platforms are best for livestreaming?
Every other social media platform has the live streaming option. From Twitch to YouTube, you have a plethora of options to choose from. Moreover, apart from these free live streaming services, you can choose from paid optionssuch as Brightcove, Kalsutra, and Wowza. The platforms offer more features than free platforms.
With so many choices, it is easy to get confused, but you have to keep your end goal in mind. Every platform comes with its own pros and cons, and you have to choose the one that best fulfills your purpose.
Free platforms such as YouTube and Facebook have high discoverability and are hence best for getting social shares and engagement. However, with these platforms, you don’t have much control over advertisements, plus there are restrictions with stream durations. Facebook doesn’t automatically convert live videos that are more than 90 minutes to Video On Demand, and YouTube restricts to 12 hours.
Apart from that, if your goal is not only to engage the audience but also earn some revenue with your live streams, then Facebook and YouTube can turn out to be the best options. However, you need to have at least 1000 subscribers before you can become a YouTube partner.
With paid platforms, you get complete control over your content and monetization options as well. Paid platforms usually offer pay-per-view option so viewers can pay right there within the platform. It is just like buying a ticket for a concert.
3. Should you hire professionals or your smartphone is enough?
Whether you go about live streaming yourself or hire professionals to do it for you can be a make or break decision. Just think would you ever watch a live stream where you can’t clearly hear or a video is just dark; you would hit the end button within seconds. So keep yourself in your audience’s shoes and think about how they are going to respond if the quality of your live stream is not good enough, especially if you are streaming an event.
There are various professional Event Streaming Services that do entire audio and video set up so you don’t have to struggle with equipment and arrangement and can focus on the important aspects such as the content of the video.
4. What metrics should you track during live stream?
You put a lot of hard work in coming up with a live stream. You hire professionals to handle the equipment, and you think your content is top-notch, but to know that your live stream was a success, you need to keep track of some metrics. These metrics will also help you gain better insights so you can improvise your next live streams.
What metrics you decide to measure totally depends on your objectives and goals. However, some common live streaming metrics include device viewership, which tells you how many people are watching from their phones, desktops, tablets, etc. Other than that, you can keep an eye on viewership duration, repeat traffic, unique visitors to your site, etc. Another useful insight that you can get from metrics is geographical hotspots, which can help you tailor your content accordingly and get advertisers as well.
When in doubt opt for live stream
Live streaming trend is here to stay, so if you still haven’t given it shot, now is the time to do so, especially if you are a brand. Video content is the future, and the audience is always on the lookout for something unique and engaging. If you truly want to connect with your audience, live streaming is your answer.
