Episode five is all about live streaming – the hottest tools out there, why you should be paying attention to them, and how to use them effectively for your business.
What live streaming tools are out there and what are they being used for?
1. Meerkat is a mobile app that enables users to do live video streaming over the web service Twitter, sending video to their Twitter followers.
2. Periscope a live video streaming app for your Smartphone developed by Twitter. It tweets out to your followers that you are live and your video is stored on the app for 24 hours so your followers can view it later.
Both Meerkat and Periscope are great for spontaneous, brief broadcasts.
3. Blab: Used on a computer; multiple people can live stream at one time. Participants appear in a cubes and can interact with one another live on the air. Blab is a good alternative for Google Hangout, especially if it is recorded and fans are given a URL to view the recording later.
Blab is a great way to showcase various experts or conduct an interview style broadcast that is of interest to your audience.
4. Facebook is introducing live streaming – this is currently only available for verified public figures right now, but it won’t be long before they are offering this service to everyone.
What is the value of live streaming for my business?
There is a lot of value in live streaming:
- Easy to use
- Informal information sharing
- Feels genuine
- Allows you to show things without having to create something fancy
- People don’t expect professional level video quality
How can I use live streaming effectively?
Here are a few tips to make your live streaming experience a positive one:
1) Let your audience know ahead of time that you are going to be broadcasting: Having your core audience in attendance is a great foundation in which to build a new audience especially because they are more inclined to participate if the broadcast is Q&A style.
2) Create a broadcast that can be used again later: Download and save broadcasts that you feel will help your audience now and in the future. You can create templates for uploading Periscope videos to YouTube.
3) Don’t get distracted by the 'hearts:' If Periscope is your tool of choice don’t get distracted by the hearts fluttering on the screen or the sometimes-inane comments that may appear. Focus on the questions that fuel your broadcast and if you miss something good that you catch in the replay, don’t worry about it – use it for a future broadcast!