Using live video is easier now more than ever due to the feature being built in to many social media platforms. Not only are companies and brands able to share real-time content, they are now able to connect with a dispersed audience more easily.
Live video is a great tool to use when showcasing your event. You can use the feature before, during, and after to connect with your audience no matter whether they’re present or not.
How to Show Off Your Event Using Live Video
Using live video can reap a multitude of benefits, from strengthening relationships with clients to encouraging more registrants for the event to expanding your brand’s reach on social media. Live video is more engaging and can have longer engagement times than normal video uploads. Facebook users spend 3 times longer watching a live video compared to viewing a non-live video.
There’s a variety of ways to use live video to showcase your event. Once you’ve learned how to go live on Facebook and Instagram, it’s important to prepare for your live video by planning the content ahead of time, not just winging it. With just a few quick tips, you can easily have your event engage people across the nation and even internationally.
Create a Plan
Managing your event is no easy task but with a detailed plan and the use of different event management tools, your life can be simplified a bit. When deciding to use live video to highlight different features before, during, and after your event, it’s important to create a plan for the streams. In order to come across professionally, you should have a game plan for each live video and the entire live video strategy.
You can vary the format and what content you stream live (in fact, you should vary it), but no matter what, a plan will help keep the video on track. Identify your audience and what the purpose of this live video is. Think of how many times you want to use live video to highlight your event during and before. Your live video content should be a tool to give behind the scenes insight.
Keep Your Audience in Mind
Broadcasting live should have the goal of connecting with your audience. After all, you don’t want to spend time and resources going live to have no one stay watching until the end. Therefore, when planning and designing your content for live video, keep your audience top of mind. Figure out what would entice them to tune in and what content would keep them engaged and watching.
Consider polling your following to see what type of content they would prefer or you can seek out inspiration from the competition and other events in your space. Live videos should provide content that people can’t receive elsewhere and not just be a reiteration of what’s on your website and social media. Live video will connect those attending your event to those not there.
Build Suspense
You can’t expect to live stream in a moment’s notice and have an audience of hundreds or thousands. Therefore, in order to set yourself up for success, you need to announce your live stream beforehand and build suspense around it.
Announce a live video stream at least 24 hours before you plan on doing it but don’t announce it more than 3 days ahead of time. You don’t want people to forget about it before it starts. When you announce it, add a description about what you will be showing. This brief description will entice viewers to tune in and hear what you have to say.
The better you build suspense, the bigger the audience you can expect. The bigger the audience, the farther the reach your message, brand, and event has. Live video can help encourage registrants for this year and the future, and it can help further a client’s relationship with your brand. It’s in your best interest to prepare and announce it to your following.
Go Behind the Scenes
With live video, you can format your content in a multitude of ways. One way to provide more insight and information about your event to your audience is to go behind the scenes.
When going behind the scenes, there are several different ways to approach it. You can give a sneak peek of the event space while you’re touring it or setting it up the days before. Have an entire team that’s working behind the scenes to ensure the event runs smoothly and goes according to plan? Introduce the all-stars in live videos.
Going behind the scenes can help bring anticipation and excitement for your event if you do it before the event happens. However, going behind the scenes can also happen during the event. This gives your audience in attendance a deeper view into what’s happening and also connects with your following that couldn’t make it. Behind-the-scenes content can humanize your brand and content and help connect your company with your following.
Reveal Big Announcements
A great way to show off your event is to reveal big announcements through a live video stream. Announcements through live video will provide your attendees and potential attendees with more information about your event.
Have a new speaker confirmed and ready to announce it to the world? Prepare a live video where you can announce it with the speaker or just your team. Finally nailed down a location for your conference? Give a mini tour or live stream outside the venue to show it off.
You can announce just about anything through live video. However, make sure to not overdo it. You don’t want to do so many live streams that your audience is no longer inclined to tune in. Remember, everything in moderation.
Provide Exclusive Interviews
Another way to use live video is to conduct exclusive interviews that can’t be viewed anywhere else. You can make use of your speakers or even the rest of your team.
Interview different speakers about their industry, background, or ask them other questions relevant to their experience. Consider having an exclusive Q&A session after their session where both attendees and those watching at home can tune in.
Dive in with the event team and ask them what they’re excited about for this year’s event compared to past events. Question them about what the responsibilities of their role entails.
Engage with Your Viewers
It’s important to remember that those watching your live video are likely already connected to your brand. Make sure to engage with them through the live stream to highlight that they are important and that you’re thankful for them tuning in.
During the video, acknowledge questions and call out the asker by name. Once the video is over, have someone go through the comments and respond to relevant ones. You want your viewers to feel valued since they took time out of their day to tune in to what you had to say.
Things may not always go right during your live stream. Instead of panicking, try to be as human as possible. Your viewers don’t expect you to be perfect. Roll with the punches and try to make them humorous.
Try Live Video at Your Next Event
Live video can enhance your event and help you connect with your audience and those who couldn’t make it. Use live streams to give behind-the-scenes information, conduct exclusive interviews, and provide an opportunity to connect with your audience in a different way. There’s no right or wrong way to use a live video, so experiment with what works best for you and your brand.
Anastasia Masters is a Content Marketing Associate at G2.com. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in history. In her spare time, Anastasia enjoys eating her way through Chicago’s different neighborhoods, planning her next trip, and binging a new show on Netflix. You can follow her on Twitter at @anastasia_mm0.
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