How to create a live stream: step by step for Facebook and YouTube
Step-by-step instructions on how to create attractive and interesting live streams for your followers!
Step-by-step instructions on how to create attractive and interesting live streams for your followers!
In an attempt to create content that is increasingly appealing to their followers, many companies and entrepreneurs began to invest in live broadcasts, or as they are known by many, live streams.
The formula was created to be successful: content that is easy to produce, fully interactive and through video, a format that according to a study conducted by Cisco, will account for over 80% of online traffic in the coming years (the study says 2019, but these numbers can be reached as early as 2018).
If you are an entrepreneur and want to be in touch with the main trends at the moment, you are probably thinking, “Great, I’m going to go live right now!”, But hold on! Although it’s not complicated, live streams without any preparation can backfire.
Instead, we suggest that you make a list of topics you wish to address and read our tutorial so you can create content that is attractive and interesting to your followers. Shall we?
Live streaming is a service that allows a profile, page or channel to communicate with its followers via video in real time without the need for the viewer to download any content or sign up for it, as is the case of webinars.
The difference between a live stream and streaming services like YouTube and Netflix, for example, is that in live streams videos are watched at the same time as they are recorded, which allows the content producer to interact with whomever is watching, responding to comments, etc.
Despite being content made to be consumed instantly, these videos can also be kept on the timeline for other people to watch later.
Are live streams interesting for your business? Below we have listed a few reasons to invest in this format.
With the change in Facebook’s algorithm, content began to be delivered to less than 2% of your total audience. If you want to appear on your followers’ timeline you have to pay for it.
Thus, the number of post likes dropped drastically, as well as the number of shares. Contrary to this trend, the only format that had an increase in the number of shares was videos.
Data from YouTube, the world’s largest streaming platform, also shows that average viewing time increased by 70% in Brazil in 2016 alone. From this information, we can conclude that videos are an essential format for any digital marketing strategy and will continue trending over the next few years.
With live streams your leads have a chance to get to know you better, which makes the dialogue more dynamic and personalized. During live streams, you can also clarify doubts in real-time, which optimizes the time of your support team that is usually made up of only one person, which brings us to our next topic.
When you demonstrate that you are interested in your customer’s experience and are open to dialogue without moderated questions, cuts or edits, you increase the level of trust your customers have in your product.
Live streaming does not require much investment, you just need an HD (high definition) camera, an internet connection and that’s it. You are now ready to start! But of course, if you wish to make your content look more professional, you should observe certain details.
In order to stream live you can opt for natural or artificial lighting, but in both cases care must be taken to ensure that the images are not blurred, dark or grainy.
In the case of natural light, there are certain times of the day that are more favorable for recording, such as the period from 8 am to 10 am, when the sun is not as bright and the light doesn’t create harsh shadows on the face of the person being recorded.
Another equally interesting time is from 2 P.M. to 5 P.M., but there you may have a problem, because the sun might set before the transmission ends, making the lighting uneven.
Artificially lit environments, on the other hand, are more predictable and controllable. It is possible to set up artificial lighting with equipment you have at home and move them around should you want to generate different effects for your audience.
We talk further about this in the post how to create the best lighting for your videos.
Many people don’t mind watching a video with poor quality, but the same cannot be said of audio, since this factor compromises the comprehension of the subject.
In edited videos, you can turn on the subtitle option and transcribe the script. But in live streams, if the viewer does not understand what you’re saying, the only solution for him is to abandon the live stream.
And changing your location doesn’t help; even if recording takes place in a quiet environment, the camera captures all external noise, and because it is a live recording, you will only see the result of this interference after the stream has already begun.
The solution to this problem is simple: you only need a lavalier microphone and USB cable connected to your phone or computer. But don’t worry because your investment will not exceed $ 20.With this, your broadcast will gain a lot in quality.
It sounds obvious, but a lot of people forget about this essential detail. With a bad internet connection your stream will be constantly interrupted, audio may be cut off and you don’t even notice it because you’re too busy recording.
Of course it is possible to make a live stream using a 4G internet package. However, we recommend that you only start streaming live if you have access to a stable, secure network, preferably with good speed; after all, your viewer’s experience should come first.
There are two ways of streaming live via Facebook: through your own page or by using encoding software.
The advantage of using software is that you can insert graphics into the video, display your equipment screen or share images that make your live stream more interesting to anyone watching.
In general, when the subject covered is simpler, a page live stream solves the problem. But if your intention is to launch a product, we recommend that you use more advanced features to enrich your explanation and address possible objections.
Just in case, we will share the step-by-step process for both types of streaming, so you can have more information to decide on the best format for your business, and especially, which one will be better accepted by your audience.
Remember that the stream key is valid for 7 days and after previewing the video you have up to 5 hours to start streaming, otherwise you will need to generate another key.
We also recommend that you don’t share these links with anyone because they allow others to stream live on your page.
In Scheduled start time, enter the date and time for the live stream so your followers will be alerted that you are planning a live stream and can plan to watch from the beginning.
As you can see in this post, live streaming is a great way to get closer to your followers and humanize your brand in your users’ imagination. But just like any other product, it needs to be planned and must deliver value to those who are watching.
This means that you can’t merely turn on the webcam and say the first thing that comes to mind. First of all, you’ll need to assess your followers’ profile and understand what kind of content might be useful to them at that moment. At the blog, we have several posts on how to find relevant topics for your audience, in case you want to learn more.
In addition to technical issues, many entrepreneurs fail to create live streams because they are not familiar with cameras. If this is what you’re afraid of, we suggest you start slowly and increase the duration of the stream when you feel more secure.
Have you thought about calling an expert to appear in the video with you? This interview format simulates a chat, which can make you more comfortable, as well as create empathy in those who are watching. An outsider’s opinion is also useful to reinforce your authority on a given subject since it means that your guest approves the product.
Don’t worry about time (and a few attempts); you’ll become more self-confident in front of the cameras and will begin streaming your message with more confidence.