How do you choose the best platform for your live stream?

Choose a live streaming platform based on audience demographics, reach, engagement features, monetization options, content policies, analytics, integration, technical requirements, community support, and long-term strategy. Facebook Live and YouTube Live offer broad reach and engagement tools, while Twitch and LinkedIn Live cater to niche audiences. Dreamcast emerges as a robust live-streaming platform with its focus on professional events, corporate webinars, and virtual conferences. Offering high-quality streaming, interactive engagement tools, and customization options, it caters to businesses seeking polished presentations.

One aspect I find helpful is to ask yourself, “what do I really want to achieve through my social media presence?” You should be able to answer three questions: 1. What are your goals? Be specific. 2. Who is your target audience? 3. What is your brand about? What are you promoting? Reflect on these points, then compare each social platform. Some platforms are conversational while others are fit for businesses with e-commerce needs. This should help you to define which platform is best fit for you and your existing social media strategy.

Rather than being limited to a single platform for your live stream, you have the option to simultaneously host your stream across multiple platforms using software and/or multiple cameras. This approach can provide access to all the benefits that each platform offers, as well as allow you to reach your audience regardless of their preferred platform for watching live content.

According to LinkedIn, LinkedIn Live videos generate 7xs more Reactions and 24xs more Comments than native video produced by the same broadcasters. To have streaming success, aspiring broadcasters have to select a streaming platform. I highly recommend StreamYard. It is a very user-friendly platform for those who may not be very techy, yet it also has a lot of advanced features. It has free and paid levels. A LinkedIn member can use StreamYard to broadcast LinkedIn Lives as a solo person and still make a strong impression. In addition to StreamYard being user-friendly, the founders stream weekly town halls to answer questions from broadcasters and make feature announcements.

Here, I recommend delving into the capabilities of the streaming platform you are using. For example, LinkedIn Live does not provide information about event viewers, but you can gather information about attendees (using registration forms allows you to collect more accurate personal data and ensure that only registrants can become viewers). However, event analytics can provide detailed insights. Ultimately, live streaming provides a wonderful opportunity to receive feedback in real-time during the broadcast and generate high-quality UGC.