In today’s world, companies can’t afford to ignore the importance of social media in their marketing strategy. Yet, if you want to make the most of your social media presence, you need to interact with your fans regularly. With so many people utilising social media, it’s essential to maintain a great reputation and grow a dedicated following.

Videos are the most engaging type of material to share on social media, and there are many different forms that social videos may take. Video production experts agree that live streaming is now the most effective method of reaching an audience.

Streams are popular because they are spontaneous and instantaneous, revealing a more human aspect to typically polished accounts.

Yet it’s not simple to pull off a good live video. To that end, I’ll be spilling the beans on all I know about creating a high-quality livestream for Facebook or Instagram right now!

Intently prepare for your airing

Preparation for your live video broadcast begins a long time in advance. Weird, right? That may seem counterintuitive at first, but any well-produced video will go through a process of strategy and preparation, and live broadcasts are no different.

The first step in planning a stream is to define two pieces of information:

Whom is this letter addressed to?
In other words, what exactly will it be about?
For the “who,” it’s crucial to have a firm grasp on your target demographic(s), as well as their interests, habits, and expectations specific to each platform.

Brands may find that their Instagram audience is distinct from their Facebook audience due to the distinct demographics of each platform’s members. Strange, huh?

Then try to put yourself in this situation.

You’re in charge of a school district’s online presence. You may expect your audience to be made up mostly of educators and parents on Facebook, whereas your target demographic for Instagram will most likely be kids themselves.

You’ll need to tailor your message for each network, so it’s important to first understand your target demographics.

Get the word out about your streaming video in Live

Do you need viewers for your live show? Naturally, you do, which is why you need to spread the word in advance.

Send out reminders to your fans a few days before the stream begins. You may achieve this by giving your audience a taste of what to expect from your live video in advance through Facebook posts or Instagram stories. Put part of your advertising money into those articles if you can. They will help you reach more individuals.

If you say your live broadcast will begin at a specific time and date, be careful to start and end on time. If you’re even a few minutes late, some of your viewers may look elsewhere for enjoyment.

Pay attention to the aesthetic and technical details

Live broadcasts have the same technical and aesthetic standards as any other kind of professional video. In reality, live video is just another form of marketing video, and as such, it should help increase trust in your company among your audience or advance other goals established for your social media marketing campaign.

To avoid seeming like an amateur, you shouldn’t do things like photograph in dim lighting or against a busy backdrop.

Let’s run through a checklist of the final steps before launching.

One of the most noticeable aspects of a stream’s aesthetic is its lighting. Get a studio light kit if you can afford it. In the absence of any of these options, shoot near a window or outside to make the most of natural light. Inexpensive ring lights are a fantastic option for those who are doing live streams.
Very crucial is being aware of the acoustic environment. Verify that the microphone on your camera or phone is functioning properly and that there is no ambient noise.
While composing an image, make sure the backdrop is appealing but not too busy. Always go for aesthetically pleasing harmonic frame compositions, paying close attention to where in the frame you place your subject (typically dead centre in the front). Remember that rooms with visual symmetry are more likely to be aesthetically pleasing.

Do a test run before you go live with it

You believe you’re ready to go “Live” now? Just make sure you practise beforehand.

Checking the video’s lighting, audio, and composition with a dry run will help you avoid any surprises during the actual broadcast. Speaking out loud might help you perfect your delivery and ensure a smooth delivery.

Test runs should be as close to the actual thing as possible, so be sure to act out things like fielding questions, greeting new viewers, and briefly reintroducing yourself and the topic every few minutes (if you happen to get a constant flow of viewers).

If you’ve never done a live broadcast before, this is crucial; running through the motions will ensure that you know where everything is and how to use it effectively. This will prevent you from seeming to be completely inept in front of your audience.

The live video should have calls to action

You may already know that in the world of marketing, a “call to action” (or “CTA”) is a phrase used to describe something that encourages audience participation. An online “Purchase now!” button is one common form of this. In other cases, it may be the text under an Instagram photo that prompts viewers to share their thoughts.

Calls to action (CTAs) should be tailored to the specific medium, and live videos are no exception. The goal of most streamed calls to action is to maintain audience involvement and interest in the live.

Calls to action in live videos can be as straightforward as “Submit your questions here for the Q&A” or they can go beyond and have an impact beyond the video itself.