And How to Get Started Doing Live Videos!
Many social platforms offer the option to do live video broadcast. Whether you are using Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube, live videos are a great way to engage with your audience in real time. It allows you to showcase your expertise, give a behind the scenes look, show off a new product or idea and even answer some FAQs.
However, you don’t want your lives to fall flat in front of your audience, so we’ve listed five tips to help set you up for live video success. And if you aren’t doing live videos yet, we’ve also included a quick crash course in how to get started.
How To Get Started
Here is a breakdown of how to get started with a live video feed on some of the major social platforms:
Start by going to create a post and choosing the “Live Video” option. (If you don’t see this option, click on the button with the three dots to show all your posting options.) Write something about your live video that will give viewers an idea of what your live video will be about. When you are ready, click the “Go Live” button. You’ll be able to see comments during the live to interact with viewers. When you are done, click on “Finish” to end the broadcast.
You can go live on your own personal feed, your page feed, a group feed or in an event. To go live on a page, navigate to your page and follow the same instructions. To go live in a group, go to your group and follow the above instructions. To go live in an event, navigate to the event, tap on “Say Something” and then “Live Video.”
Begin by tapping on the camera icon in the upper left, or you can swipe right from anywhere in your feed. At the bottom of the screen, scroll through the options to “Live” then tap the large circle icon just above it to start your live feed. To add a comment, tap on “Comment” at the bottom of the screen. You can also pin your comment (tap “Pin Comment”) so that everyone who joins can see it more easily. You’ll also be able to see comments to interact with viewers during the stream. When you are done, tap “End” in the top right then tap on “confirm.” From there, you can tap the download icon in the top left to save it to your camera roll or even share it to your story.
YouTube
Before you can live stream on this platform, you will need to verify your channel first and then enable live streaming (enabling a live stream may take up to 24 hours, but once enabled, you can go live instantly). There are a couple of ways you can stream live on YouTube: with an encoder, via a webcam or on a mobile. To learn more about each of these ways, check out Google’s support article on Live Streaming.
TikTok
In order to live stream on TikTok, your account will need to meet the necessary requirements for the feature to become available (you need at least 1,000 followers). Start by tapping on the plus icon located at the bottom centre of your screen. Tap on “Live” then enter a title for your live stream. When you are ready, tap “Go Live.”
5 Tips to Improve Your Live Videos
If you are going to do a live video, you want to ensure that you set yourself up for success. These tips will help you improve your live streams, no matter the platform.
1 | Promote Before You Broadcast
No one spends every waking moment on social media. So if you go live without letting people know ahead of time, you won’t get nearly as many viewers. To get the maximum number of viewers possible, it’s important to let everyone know when you plan to go live. On Facebook, share a regular post with the date and time you plan to go live. You can also do this on Instagram in a feed or Stories post. If you have a YouTube channel, you may want to consider having a set schedule, such as going live on the first Friday of every month at 2:00 p.m. And on many of the platforms, you can also encourage your followers to set their notifications so they get notified when you go live. You can even cross-promote on your other platforms to let your audience know when you are going live and to follow you and catch you live on whichever platform you are doing that from.
2 | Timing is everything
Not only do you want to broadcast ahead of time when you will be doing a live, but you should also try to pick a time when your audience is more active on the platform. This way, you’ll know that more people will be able to catch it live, rather than just watching a replay. Use your analytics to see what day and time during the week your audience is most active—this is the peak time to go live.
3 | Preparation
Before going live, make sure you prepare (and even practice if necessary). Set up your location by minimizing background/ambient noise. Make sure lighting is good and set up a tripod if you are using one. Also make sure that you have a strong Internet connection at your live stream location. You can even do a test live. Just set your privacy settings to “Only Me” and you’ll be able to see the live and how it will appear without anyone else being able to see it. And don’t forget to decide on whether landscape or portrait mode is best for what you are showing and the platform you are using.
4 | Offer Context and Be Personable
Relax and don’t forget to smile! It’s important to be comfortable so your audience will follow suit. Don’t forget to start by introducing yourself, your company and giving a little info on what you will be talking about. Encourage comments and other feedback so you can interact with viewers in real time. If you see that lots of new viewers have joined you later in the stream, don’t forget to say some of this information again with a “Hey, if you have just joined us, welcome! We are currently talking about…” And of course, be responsive to questions you may get in the comments. You don’t want to ignore your viewers—one of the main points of going live is to interact in real time with your audience!
5 | Optimize It
Facebook automatically archives your live videos so you can share it to your feed. For a platform like YouTube, if your live stream is less than 12 hours long, your live stream will automatically be archived. Share these “replays” with your audience with a comment to watch the replay if you missed the live. Or you can share and thank those who did join you for the live or even ask for new questions and comments to generate additional engagement.
Conclusion
Live videos should be fun and a little informal. Though you are talking to a camera lens, you really are creating a personal connection with your audience no matter where everyone is located. Don’t forget to use analytics to see how your live video performed. You can use your observations from this data to improve your next live!