The marvels of live streaming for businesses

Several brand launch events, music festivals and celebrations adopt live streaming to allow their fans and followers around the world to be part of the experience

Image: Shutterstock

Live streaming is the delivery of video content over the internet using a camera, giving users the ability to view content via the web, iOS or Android apps. Producing a live streaming video broadcast is no longer a tedious process, as technology advancements have made it almost as easy as shooting a photograph through your smartphone, and a free account with one of many live stream providers adding to the ease. Given a user’s need to constantly consume fresh and topical content, there’s no doubt about the marvels live streaming will deliver for the always-in-need-for-more consumer. Several brand launch events, music festivals and celebrations have adopted live streaming to allow their fans and followers around the world to be a part of the experience. Shared experiences have the potential to create powerful connections and positive emotions. Envision the energy of a large stadium concert or a brand launch being broadcast to every single consumer across the globe – that is the power of live streaming for your business.

The live streaming industry has seen a massive uptake this year with the introduction and success of Meerkat and Twitter’s Periscope, giving users the ability to stream instantly through their smartphones. Facebook introduced Mentions App exclusively for verified profiles to live stream and post just to their fans, further increasing the ability for seamless online and offline content delivery.

Based on what we’ve been doing right at MindShift Interactive, here are a few tips to ensure you’re live streaming your event effectively: Prepare an event live stream checklist: Live streaming requires planning in advance. When the basic thought of a live stream comes to mind, all the back-end logistics need to be checked, right from the location, lighting, backup phones, battery, tripod, etc. One of the essentials for a live stream to be successful is great internet connectivity. Establish an internet connection which is fast and reliable, and don’t rely solely on your 3G/4G connection. Poor internet connectivity will affect the quality of your live stream to a large extent and cause a lag, so ensure you have this taken care of. It is important to place your smartphone for covering the event at a place where the lighting and sound quality are excellent and the disturbances are at a bare minimum. For a stable video shoot, a tripod is recommended. Creating a checklist and being prepared with a Plan B will keep your success rates high.

Create an engagement plan: Plan in advance to build up excitement about offering a live stream for your followers through an event page, RSVP or sharing the link for them to bookmark. Ensure your platform has adequate followers prior to the promotion, or else advertise and leverage your offering through celebrities or social media influencers in advance. The fun of live streaming is when you see people across the world as excited as the people at the event, and when they talk about it. Creating content which leads to viewers interacting, commenting, giving feedback can have a reflective impact on the live stream. Some of the unique approaches could be creating a contest to increase awareness, enabling a chat feature besides your stream or conducting a Q&A session during or after the event.

Make it social media friendly: You’re creating content for a consumer that’s always on the move and is viewing your stream on his/her phone, in between other things. Having a host converse with your followers and actioning real-time feedback or requests can make it engaging and keep audiences glued on for longer.

Test before you go live: To make things perfect, you must practice hard. While all the tools available in the market are pretty user-friendly, it is important to shortlist the one that’s apt for your event. Test each of them, and once finalised, do a mock test at the venue to ensure you’re getting the best output.

Record it: Many live streaming events forget to archive their efforts for future usage. Ensure you record your live stream, to create edited content for social media at a later date or create additional promotions. The content you create with the help of new technologies helps you add credibility for future events and helps you stand out from the others.

While these are the essentials to keep in mind, ensure you’re able to adapt to the ever-evolving technological advancements by reading up on the latest case studies and campaigns that each app shares. Adapt your strategy to better suit your business needs and audience’s interests. While live streaming is extremely easy through smartphones, for a thorough job, invest in specialists who can utilise the power of live streaming to the fullest.

Sharing your world in real time, with the rest of the world is getting hotter by the day and video live streaming is taking this to the next level. Are you ready?

- By Zafar Rais, CEO, MindShift Interactive Private Limited

The thoughts and opinions shared here are of the author.