Ready to start live streaming? Or perhaps you’ve already started live streaming and you’re looking to improve your viewership? It’s definitely a tool to look into, especially considering that Forbes recently noted that content marketing is making a big move to video. And if what The Guardian predicts is correct, video is quite literally the future of content marketing.
Interested? You should be. Read on for some great tips on how to improve your live broadcasts for better viewership and thus make a greater marketing impact.
Improve your Ethernet connection.
A number of things can interfere with the strength of your WiFi connection, making your WiFi less reliable. Improving your Internet connection is an important step in ensuring that your live stream is up to par. Switch from WiFi to a wired LAN to improve your connection speed as well as the quality and reliability of your live stream. A wired LAN may not make your Internet speed faster, but it will give you a more consistent local connection and more usable bandwidth between you and the router. You won’t want to have technical difficulties or dropped connections in the middle of your broadcast.
Interact with your viewers in a meaningful way.
Interacting with your audience is a great way to increase engagement and gain viewership. Giving your viewers the ability to ask questions, make comments and interact with you and the other viewers will do wonders for your live stream and viewership. Video streaming services like Blue Jeans allow presenters to interact with their attendees by allowing them to go live. The attendee simply virtually raises his or her hand, a moderator invites the attendee to go live and the attendee accepts and becomes an active participant. Such interactions allow for better dialogue and engagement between presenters and their audiences. Blue Jeans streaming service that allows presenters to interact with their attendees in a meaningful way.
Increase your proximity to a WiFi signal.
If it’s not possible for you to connect to an ethernet cable, then it’s important to at least be as close as possible to a WiFi signal in order to strengthen your live stream and cause fewer connection issues. Getting as close to the router as possible is also crucial, as it allows for less opportunity to have your signal blocked.
Back up all of your content.
Backing up your live stream allows you to create Video on Demand files and playlists that your viewers can access anytime, which is a great way to continually build viewership, since viewers can watch any broadcasts they missed before they discovered your live stream.
Plan your live stream ahead of time.
Live stream requires careful planning in order to increase viewership. Get to your filming location early to make sure the conditions, lighting and sound are up to par. Check your Internet connection as well to make sure it doesn’t ruin your live stream. Promote your broadcast before the live stream through social media or your website, so that viewers know when and how to access the stream. Use marketing and social media strategies to keep your viewers up to date and inform them of any last minute changes.
Remain organized during your live stream.
Have a game plan to ensure that you’re on schedule and concise during your live stream. Also, keep your cables from becoming tangled to prevent them from getting accidentally unplugged during the broadcasts. Make sure to keep your work place organized in general. If any issues do arise during the live stream, fixing equipment issues is much easier in an organized work place.
Try a test run of your broadcast.
The best way to ensure that your live stream runs smoothly is by doing a test run first. Run a full test at your live streaming location and check for sound, lighting and encoder issues. Check your cameras, microphones and other equipment before going live. You wouldn’t want to lose viewership due to a faulty headphone or bad lighting.
Be on time for your live stream.
Make sure you’re on time for your regular live stream, so that you don’t lose viewers. If your live stream is scheduled for 5:00 and you don’t show up until 5:05, you may have lost the bulk of your regular viewers in those five minutes. Getting to your live stream 15 minutes early is the best way to ensure you don’t lose any viewers. Early viewers might leave otherwise with nothing to watch or do. Also, make sure to keep the day and time of your live stream consistent in order to make sure that your viewers stay informed of the correct time.
Live streaming can be fun and engaging if done right. As long as you’re organized, you have a good connection and you interact with your audience, you have nothing to lose when it comes to viewers!
