Why You Should LiveStream Your Events
Live video for event marketing has gone from a tactic to a way of life
Skift defines live streaming as “the broadcasting of real-time events to an audience over the internet." Additionally, they view it as an extension of video marketing. It is rapidly becoming the preferred marketing channel for most brands and event planners because of its ability to increase user engagement and audience reach.
Live video for event marketing has gone from a tactic to a way of life; according to Vimeo and dacast, states that the live-streaming industry bloomed in 2019 and 2020, with about 57% of marketers leveraging it to build their brands - with good reason. It connects brands with a global audience in real time, increases brand awareness, promotes your business, and creates a dedicated following.
Moreover, you can livestream an event to create a sense of community, provide a paid experience for an exclusive audience, generate revenue, or continue connecting with your audience even when they can't be there in person. According to Statistica, lockdowns related to COVID-19 proved the value of live-streaming technology, with about 41% of artists going live more than once a month as of March 2021.
When deciding to livestream your event, you first need to consider the choice of an online video platform, a platform that will host your live stream. You will need to be aware of the estimated audience numbers and ensure that whatever streaming solution you choose can bring your vision to life. Therefore, selecting a solution that both uses a global content delivery system and has incredible streaming quality is essential. In doing so, you can be assured that your live-streaming event will be able to accommodate potentially large volumes of viewers in numerous remote locations.
YouTube Live Events offers two options or livestreaming your event: Quick and Custom. Quick allows you to broadcast live to the world, using only your computer and webcam, and takes only a few minutes to set up. To be eligible to livestream your event, your YouTube account must be verified (and in good standing – meaning you haven't breached community or copyright guidelines. You can check this in your YouTube channel's 'Status and Features' section.
Another option is Vimeo, which views livestreaming of events as opening up once-limited events to an endless list of participants from around the globe – allowing you to reach more people than ever before. According to Vimeo, once you have decided on your livestreaming platform, several other vital questions must be asked before embarking on livestreaming of activities and events.
What is your content strategy? Your content strategy will ultimately dictate everything when producing a live event, so it is naturally one of the first questions to be asked.
Where do you want your content to be seen? "Choosing a destination for your livestream depends on how your audience watches video online and whom you want to be able to see your stream," Vimeo's Live Production Lead, Tom Gott. If you're streaming a private event, it is best practice to embed the stream on your website or create a password-protected event. Suppose you are streaming a public event - the more eyes, the better. Your content should live on multiple platforms and websites.
If livestreaming a physical event, will the quality of the online experience match the in-house experience? You must make the viewing audience feel like they're at the event without harming the experience of the in-house audience (if there is one!)
Have you scheduled enough time to test the live stream? The best thing you can do to prevent mishaps during production is to try everything, but most importantly, test your stream ahead of time to ensure there are no glitches.
Murphy's law applies to live video production. "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong," Gott says. If you identify the things that might go wrong, you won't be flustered if they go wrong.
As outlined above, many brands and publishers are already experimenting with livestreaming their events in various ways outside of traditional events and conferences, including:
• Behind-the-scenes videos for loyal fans and audiences.
• Q&As and direct conversations with customers or social audiences.
• Special product announcements or launches.
• Influencer partnerships where a brand features a guest speaker on the stream.
Livestreaming of events has now gone from being an asset to a critical and indispensable part of any communication and go-to-market strategy. Brands will livestream in diverse media formats, from 360° video to entirely narrative live events. In an age of authenticity, viewers expect live video experiences. Consideration must also be given to the following:
• What sort of event do you wish to livestream?
• What is the purpose of livestreaming this event?
• What do you hope to achieve?
• What is your intended ROI (return on investment)?
• How or will you monetize the event?
• What is your budget?
For success in livestreaming, it is strongly advised that you invest in promoting the event and the livestream to ensure that people show up to the livestream and understand the event's purpose. A handy trick is using a countdown timer to generate excitement and allow people to join the event before it goes live. A countdown timer lets your audience gather, so everyone is ready when the event goes live.
The primary purpose of streaming events is to connect with the audience, increase brand recognition, and sometimes make them take action. If the latter is the case, you need to place a clear call to action that pushes viewers to take the desired action to achieve your intended goal.
The final advice for successfully live streaming your event is to ensure that you have the necessary production essentials in place, namely, internet connectivity, power, a switcher and encoder, space for all your equipment, and full access to your venue (and ahead of time).
Brands and organizations of all sizes want to reach customers and employees worldwide, face-to-face and in real-time, to share their most exciting moments. Livestreaming is now the preferred choice for achieving this whilst simultaneously ticking the box for other key marketing activities, as we have outlined, such as content creation and brand development.