5 Live Streaming Tips & Best Practices to Foolproof Your Strategy

For many video publishers, live streaming is no longer just a nice-to-have. It is a crucial part of their strategy and one of the most effective tools for digital engagement. But just clicking the “Go Live” button is not enough to truly reap its benefits. You need a strategy that covers everything from prep to follow-up. So let me walk you through my top five live streaming tips and best practices.

Plan the Content

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first: content is at the core of your live stream. Without it, you might as well not go live at all. When planning the content of your stream, there are two main things to consider:

• What is your goal? What do you hope to achieve with this live stream? Are you trying to raise brand awareness, attract potential leads, or inform existing customers about new services? The subject matter and format of your stream will largely depend on the answers to these questions.
• Who are you addressing? While this often goes hand-in-hand with the goal of your live stream, there’s no harm in repeating it. Who you’re talking to will dictate how you’re talking to them. Enterprise-level decision makers will likely expect a more formal tone than, say, developers. On the other hand, developers will likely want to hear more technical details than managers and executives.

Get the Right Tech

When I say tech, I mean two different things.

First up is your physical live streaming equipment. Some main components to think about are the camera, microphone, and lights. Of course, depending on the level of production, you might want to have multiple cameras and mics, a more complex lighting system, a soundproof studio environment, and so on. 

Once the equipment is taken care of, it’s time to choose a live streaming platform. Although the best choice will vary depending on exactly what you’re looking for, here are some things to keep in mind when browsing platforms:

• Performance: Does the platform offer enough bandwidth for your needs? Are there features such as adaptive bitrate and a reliable CDN? Does the player come with all the necessary engagement tools? Does the platform support simulcasting?
• Monetization: If you’re planning to earn from your live stream, monetization options will be a major factor in your choice of platform. In other words, the platform should support your chosen monetization model(s).
• Security: Will your stream comply with data privacy standards? Will it be properly protected from unauthorized access and reproduction? Does the platform offer security features such as geoblocking, watermarking, or DRM?
• Cost: Of course, the best platform in the world won’t mean much if it’s outside of your budget. So, finding the balance between usability and affordability is key.

Promote Ahead of Time

In order for people to sign up for your live stream, they need to know about it first. How and where you should promote it depends on the target audience you’re trying to reach. If the goal is to have as many sign-ups as possible, utilize all channels at your disposal – social media, newsletters, your website, and maybe even paid ads. On the other hand, if the live stream is supposed to be a client-exclusive event, you can collaborate with your client success team to spread the word. 

Another thing to think about at the promotional stage is messaging. The audience should be able to clearly understand what the live stream is about and how to sign up for it.

Speaking of signing up – the sign-up process should be as simple as possible, while still providing you with all the necessary information (such as the attendees’ names, companies, and email addresses). If you’re planning to monetize the stream through PPV, the payment process should also be as straightforward as possible.

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Engage the Audience…

It’s finally time to go live! One of the main advantages of live streaming is the ability to have some back-and-forth with your audience. Otherwise, you might as well just pre-record a video and upload it as VOD.

…During the Live Stream

Engaging with your audience while streaming is pretty much a must. At the very least, I recommend having a quick Q&A session at the end of the stream. This will allow you to clarify any points or provide additional information your viewers may need. 

But Q&As are not your only option. You can also use polls, a live chat, comments, likes and dislikes, and more. The important thing is to match your engagement strategy with the subject matter of the stream. For instance, an interview-style live stream could include comments throughout the session, rather than a Q&A at the end. That way, the audience can ask the interviewee additional questions about the topic they’re discussing at that moment.

…After the Live Stream

Engagement doesn’t stop when the stream does. After your live, I recommend sending a follow-up email (after all, you collected those email addresses for a reason) with a quick overview of what was discussed. If you’re planning to make your stream available for on-demand watching, include the link to the on-demand video, too. 

Of course, depending on what your live stream was about, add a CTA – invite the viewers to check out the product you discussed, sign up for your newsletter, follow you on social media, and so on.

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Analyze the Performance

Finally, every piece of content is a learning experience – and live streaming is no exception. Analyze the performance of your stream. Focus on insights such as the drop-off rate, peak concurrent viewers, average watch times, viewer retention, geographical and device distribution, and so on. Every piece of data can give you information on what you can do differently next time.

Time to Go Live!

According to Statista, live streams are the third-most commonly consumed video format, right behind music videos and viral memes. And I don’t see this trend dying down anytime soon. With the best practices I shared above, you too can tap into that huge audience. Whether you’re looking to promote a new product or spread the word about your brand, live is the way to go. Happy streaming!

Oh, and if you need a reliable live streaming platform to support your online event, feel free to reach out to TargetVideo’s sales team.

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