In the past, live streams used to be something that were spontaneous, that was filmed on mobiles, and it didn’t matter if the audio and video quality were just average. Now, just a few years later, live stream is now complex and powerful, and a really useful tool for communication. To make sure you’re maximizing your broadcasts, make sure to avoid the seven biggest and most frequent live streaming errors.
Poor Planning
Regardless of your experience level with live streaming, planning for your live stream is critical to be able to be successful. A lot of people try to do it on the fly, but it’s more complex than that. There is so much competition out there so it’s really important to stand out and make a good first impression. That’s why you need to put a lot of thought and effort into creating the best content and value. Even if it’s just entertainment, it has to make the cut.
You should also have all the material that you need at the ready, whether that’s images, a slide deck, or some pre-recorded video. As per Frank Sheer, a marketer at Academized and Elite Assignment Help, “you want everything to be exactly right and prepared once you go live. You should also be really clear about all your segments so you can go from one topic to another smoothly.”
Choosing the Wrong Topics
A lot of people look for topics that they find interesting, or that’s key to their brand or product. That’s a mistake. You should be choosing your topics based on your viewers and what matters to them. Plan your live stream by keeping your audience front and center in your mind, and what they will get from it. Think of what is the benefit of your audience watching your live stream instead of doing something else.
Not Promoting It
When you find your topic and the benefit it has for your audience, it will help you to figure out how to promote the topic. You also need to be promoting it heavily. Mentioning it once will not be enough to get an audience, even if it’s a really interesting topic. You should keep promoting it regularly and remind your audience about it just before starting your broadcast. This mistake is particularly damaging, because the first thing you need for a successful live stream is an audience.
Being Inconsistent
Not being consistent is one of the most frequent mistakes with live streaming that people make. If you want to be successful, you need to be able to show consistency. If you’re going live at different times of the day and night, and not on a regular schedule, you won’t be very successful. You should follow the same concept as TV shows back in the day. It works when people know when to tune in and the frequency. This all depends on how available you are and the types of resources at your disposal. If you say you’ll go live every week, be sure you can actually deliver on that.
Not Testing It
People rely a lot on technology, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make sure everything is working well. Obviously, some things can always go wrong during a live stream, but you should keep all the technical errors to a minimum, and the key to that is testing. Jo Grange, a business writer at Big Assignments and Ox Essays, “test your equipment, your hardware and software, and then do a dry run. If something goes wrong, simply apologize, indicate when it will be rescheduled to, and stay calm.”
Bad Quality Streaming
Live streaming with a bad quality of the video, audio, or the internet connection is a sure way to lose your audience. Viewers want a good experience, but that doesn’t necessarily means spending all your money on equipment. You can invest simple a little for the essentials like the microphone, webcam, software, and lighting.
Live streams are really important for businesses and entrepreneurs, but there’s still some pitfalls that must be avoided. By being aware of the most common mistakes, it gets a lot easier to avoid them.
Ellie Coverdale is a marketing writer for UK Writings and Boom Essays, tells her readers the best social media and marketing tips. She enjoys finding new ways for people to reach their audiences and is a big supporter of influencer marketing. Ellie also teaches writing tips for Essayroo.