What are the most effective live streaming practices on social media?

What I found useful when commencing social media activities in the UAE, it's advantageous to initially establish a presence across a variety of platforms. After a few months, assess where your leads are originating and where feedback is most prominent. Subsequently, concentrate on promoting or boosting the events and content on the platforms that prove most fruitful. Simultaneously, maintain a presence on other platforms in accordance with available resources.

One of the main reasons for —and benefits of— live streaming is audience interaction. Therefore, it's pivotal to be where your audience is when they're most active. Consider both who you're trying to reach and the message you want to convey. For instance, LinkedIn is ideal for professional webinars, while Instagram is more suitable for informal chats. When selecting a platform, it's not just about audience presence, but also the nature of your content and the platform's unique atmosphere. It’s best to take these factors into account and select the platformed best aligned to your audience and message to provide an enjoyable streaming experience.

I agree to choose the platform that best suits your goals and content type, but it also doesn’t hurt to stream on multiple channels. This will increase your reach and engagement. Activity across all platforms is important. If you’re aware of Tai Lopez, this was something he did so greatly and how he built such a big social media following over a few years. Consistency is key. Show up everyday, bring value to your followers and in due time you will see an increase in your audience and become a thought leader in your space.

Consider the type of social media livestream that you are hoping to publish - for example, are you looking for live interaction or more of a webinar-style broadcast. This will also dictate the social media platform that you will be able to broadcast on, such as LinkedIn for a more direct-to-user broadcast or Instagram for a more interactive broadcast.

You can also look for platforms that allow you to stream to multiple platforms at once to maximize your reach and engagement across multiple platforms while going live once! Work smarter and not harder!

Promoting your live stream is key, and there are 3 pivotal times to do so: 1. Before, 2. During, and 3. After Before the event, build anticipation with social posts, sign-ups, and cross-platform alerts. Emphasize the live experience's value and play on potential FOMO. During the stream, tap into your audience’s network. Prompt viewers to use real-time shares and tag their peers, suggesting ways they can pull others into the ongoing excitement. Promotion after the event is just as important – if not more so! Share highlights and insights, urging both viewers and non-viewers alike to continue the conversation. Stress the benefits of joining future streams to avoid FOMO.

Absolutely! Post-event promotion especially is where you turn a one-time event into a lasting memory. Share highlights, snippets, and behind-the-scenes moments to keep the excitement going. Nurturing your connections can go such a long way!

Some social media platforms enable you to publish posts that social media users can set reminders via for your broadcast. This can be really helpful for promoting your live stream in advance and build excitement with your audience. Consider enabling your audience to set reminders either through your website or social media communities across all of your marketing avenues - social media, website, email etc. Follow this up with organic, evergreen content at regular intervals to maintain excitement about your live stream.

Absolutely, promoting your live stream in advance is crucial for a successful broadcast. Building that anticipation and providing clear details helps ensure your audience is ready to tune in. A catchy title and engaging description are key, and visuals like graphics or teasers can make a big difference. Timing is everything, so advance promotion, reminders, and a strong call to action are your best allies for a successful live stream. ??????

It may seem obvious but it can be easy to overlook, the live stream is about the people in the video! They are your best promoters for the event. Create custom copy and images to have them share across their networks.

Beyond basic preparations, a standout live stream often incorporates a few extra touches. Make use of engagement tools like sharing audience comments to reinforce the value of attending live. Graphics and branded overlays will serve to reinforce your brand and add a sense of professionalism. And consider having a moderator on hand to manage comments and keep the conversation focused and relevant. These subtle refinements can greatly elevate the experience for your live streaming audience.

Also remember to check the background of your set up to make sure there is nothing or no one in the back. Also make sure that the lighting behind you isn’t too bright or you will look dark, no matter what lighting you use up front.

For example you are a cook, Before your cooking show live stream, confirm your internet speed, camera angle, and microphone for clear instructions. Select a well-lit kitchen setup, free of clutter, and have your recipe outline ready for a seamless broadcast. Keep a backup device handy in case of any technical issues.

Truly Agree! You should also consider following points. 1. Test your equipment (camera, microphone, lighting) and internet connection before going live. 2. Choose a quiet, clutter-free, and well-lit location for your live stream. 3. Prepare a script or outline for your main points and practice your delivery. 4. Have a backup plan ready for technical issues or emergencies. 5. Engage with your audience by responding to comments and questions during the stream.

And practice! Who are the "hosts" of the event and what are the talking points? Have you considered the role that the viewing audience will play? Failing to plan is planning to fail. Preparation is crucial for a successful event. And don't overlook negative things that could happen during an event and make a plan. If joining virtually, what if a host drops off? What if the internet connection drops? How do you plan for trolls who may crash the comments? Define your variables and make plans - and hopefully never use them.

Engaging with viewers isn't just about acknowledging their presence; it's about fostering a two-way conversation – otherwise, why are you broadcasting live? It's essential to keep in mind the stream's primary objective and this audience interaction; good audience interaction can take the conversation in directions you didn’t anticipate. If viewers are particularly engaged with a segment, delve deeper or revisit it. Equally, if there's a new, unexpected question or topic of interest, be agile enough to address it. This adaptability not only showcases your expertise but makes viewers feel genuinely heard, further supporting their choice to attend live.

One thing I have learned is that a live broadcast on social media is not a tv-show. That is maybe not rocket science. But most people who start live casting try to imitate a tv-show format. Maybe without giving some thought to the edge that social media bring: Interactivity. I know some actually come totally unscripted to a live cast - knowing that the viewers, followers and community will come up with great content and topics if given the chance. Be sure to give your format time to mature and it will find its audience. And vice versa.

Engagement with viewers is key - ensure that throughout your livestream you create opportunities to directly engage with your audience through conversation, question & answers or interactive elements such as polls. This can help your brand to build stronger relationships with your audience whilst also creating a more 'exclusive' feel for your overall broadcast.

It's beneficial to have at least one person, a Moderator, to help manage the comment section on your live if you're able to. That person can help answer questions, repost important info in the comments, and welcome people. The person on the live can do this during the live as well, but I believe it's better for the host to focus on the subject of the live and delivering that valuable content their target audience wants. If you want to answer questions live, conduct a Q&A afterwards to address any questions and to engage with thoughtful comments.

If you don't have the appetite to engage with viewers, reconsider live streaming. Additionally, sometimes viewers need to be warmed up. Ask THEM questions. Have them take polls. Then, they will jump in with their own questions and insights.

In addition to one clear call to action repeated throughout the event, consider offering exclusive incentives for live stream viewers, like special discounts or early access. These can act as motivators for the audience to take action immediately, and this can provide you with instant feedback.

Not including a CTA on a live stream is a waste of time, effort, and money. But that doesn't mean it has to be complicated. This can vary based on your overall goals of the live stream. Is there a resource for users to download? Is there a form to complete to express interest? There's really no right or wrong here, so long as you have something. Purely educational? Great - who can they contact, where can they go to get more answers or support?

CTA is not just a button or a landing page when speaking in the context of a live stream. The conversation has to tie back to where you are redirecting this livestream traffic and why anyone should care about it. While streaming, it is imperative for you to bring in your product/service in the conversation and utilise the stream as a platform to embed it in an ideal use case for the audience.

My favorite way to repurpose live streams (or any similar live event/webinar/training) is to create content from all the questions you received. If attendees have questions, others are likely struggling with the same issues. Each content can be a social post, and you can compile everything into a longer blog post or a follow-up live stream.

What was the purpose of your live stream? Repurposing the content provides you with additional opportunities to meet that goal with those who weren’t able to attend live. A 2-minute highlight reel posted on Instagram, a Twitter thread, and a blog providing a detailed breakdown of the event are just 3 ways you can reach a wider audience.

Consistency in live streaming – scheduling, topics, and branding - helps cultivate viewer anticipation and routine. Maintaining a regular schedule is essential! Collaborating with industry experts can introduce fresh perspectives to your content, simultaneously expanding your reach and drawing in a broader audience. As an added bonus, this can provide you with opportunities to appear elsewhere, further extending the reach of your message.

Live streaming is like a play or a TV show. You need to have a script with a message to communicate, but you also need to keep in mind that people don't have long attention spans. In today's world, we are all bombarded with information, so it is important to be able to keep the attention of your viewers throughout the stream.