Live Streaming – a beginners Guide

Live streaming can be a fantastic tool for small businesses to help them reach their audience. With 63% of people aged 18-34 watch live streaming content regularly, and 47% of live streaming video viewers worldwide are watching more live videos compared to a year ago, you really should be live streaming!

What is live streaming and why is it beneficial for Small Businesses?

If you don’t already know, live streaming refers to videos the viewer experiences in real time. With 64% of viewers likely to buy a product after watching a live stream, it really is a tool that you should be utilising if you have products to sell.

If you are new to live streaming, there are a few things to consider before you jump in.

a basic streaming setup

Before you begin, there are a few things that you need – a camera, streaming software, a microphone, a computer and a decent internet connection. Many of these can be ticked through your mobile phone. You can also add accessories that will drastically improve the quality of your live stream without too much effort.

Camera – You can start with the webcam on your laptop, and maybe upgrade to a more powerful webcam later on.

Streaming software – also called an encoder, this takes the video and audio input from your computer and transmits it to the streaming platform of your choice.

Microphone – a decent microphone can make a huge difference. You can use the built in one on your phone, but if you’re using a camera to live stream through your laptop then you’ll need to invest in a stand-alone mic.

Computer – You will need a device to stream from and a laptop or desktop computer is usually your best option. Your computer needs to be powerful enough for streaming, also, it can be a good idea to use an ethernet cable to connect to the internet when streaming, rather than Wi-Fi which may be glitchy.

Good internet connection – If you’re uploading video and audio to transmit in real time, you’ll need a solid internet connection.

There are other accessories you may choose to add on in time – such as lighting, headphones, etc but these five things will enable you to begin.

Getting Started

Asking your self a few questions to identify your ideal audience is a good starting place –

• Who are my existing customers?
• What content do they engage with the most?
• What are they asking for?
• What kinds of content do they watch on other channels or accounts?
• What kind of customers do I want to attract?
• Where do those people hang out? What do they engage with?

There are many different platforms where you can live stream – but it is vital you pick the one{s} where your audience is already hanging out. Instagram is a great place for brands to hang out, Facebook is excellent, especially for local businesses, and Twitter and YouTube are also good options. LinkedIn is good for professional live streaming, and if you are looking to sell products then either Amazon Live or Instagram Live Shopping are both ideal platforms.

What content should I create?

Once you have identified your audience, and found where they are hanging out online, you can think about what content you want to create. Have a look at what other businesses are creating, and then make a list of ideas –

• Answer questions
• Give a tour of your office/workspace/studio
• Unbox a product
• Offer a tutorial
• Share your knowledge.
• Host a giveaway
• Film a ‘behind the scenes’ video of you creating a product
• Do a live flash sale!
• Share some tips you’ve learned from your years of experience

Take the plunge

Once you have done your market research, and set yourself up with the basic equipment, it’s time to jump in! The first live stream can be daunting, prepare yourself ahead of time so you know roughly what you want to talk about and ensure you have any props to hand.

If you find that you want to take Live Streaming to the next level, then you can find out about webinar production services to make your live streaming even more professional!