Recently live streaming has become increasingly popular. Live streaming sessions have helped a lot of businesses and organizations to survive in tough times. Various organizations and businesses host live streaming sessions to attain certain goals. But one thing that troubles various organizations is making it interactive and keeping the audience hooked till the end. If you also face issues with live streaming then you have landed on the right article. Continue reading to get some tips that will help you host an interactive live-streaming session.Â
Table of Contents
Tips For Hosting An Interactive Live-Streaming SessionÂ
1. Go For A Live Streaming ServicesÂ
The best way to make your live-streaming session seamless and interactive is to choose a good event or live-streaming service provider. There are various live-streaming service providers available in the industry and you can choose according to your goal and budget.Â
When you are choosing a live streaming service provider go for the one that offers various features like a customizable interface of the platform, and engagement tools that can create interaction. All these live-streaming services come with features that can help you interact with your audience one to one.
2. Make Use Of Social Media
Social media is a platform that has a very strong audience base. The best part about social media is that most of the features are available for free, you won’t have to pay for using some of the most popular social media platforms and features.Â
You can use social media to even promote your live-streaming session. There are platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin that can help you promote and will also keep you in touch with your audience. With the help of different social media platforms, you can interact with your audience even before you go live for your streaming session.Â
You can use Facebook and Instagram story features to interact with your audience, you can host a small question and answer session a few hours or a day before your live session, and you can use your Facebook wall to update about your event. You can post about the event on all social media platforms. Social media live streaming can also be an option for you.Â
A lot of people use Instagram live streaming or Facebook live streaming as they are free but these social media platforms don’t provide the option of security and privacy and that’s the only drawback.
3. Promote Your Live Stream
Promotions are a crucial part of any marketing process. If you are hosting a host live streaming session you will have to promote it to make your audience aware of your streaming session. There are various ways in which you can promote your live-streaming session.Â
Social media can be a great option for promoting your live-streaming session without paying for it.Â
4. Use Engagement Tools
Interacting with your audience while live broadcasting requires engagement tools. In contrast to on-demand streaming or Video conferencing, when viewers passively watch content, live streaming involves audience participation. They can be looking for solutions to their problems, seeking assistance with their questions, or just getting to know you. Real-time communication fosters engagement and increases audience trust.
Certain platforms provide engagement tools and you should always look for these engagement tools when you are selecting a platform some of the tools are:
- Chat Box
Chat boxes are essential for any event platform as these chat boxes play a major role in the interaction. With the help you these chat boxes you can interact with your audience, they can type their questions, ask doubts, etc
- PollsÂ
Several platforms provide the option of polls and these polls are a fun way of interacting with your audience and knowing their opinions. With polls, the audience doesn’t have to do much; they can just cast their vote.Â
- Networking Rooms/Private chatsÂ
Get to know each of your guests personally by using the private chat or networking room feature. Allowing your viewers to interact with you before or following the live stream will make it easier for them to relate to you and your business. You’ll be able to give your guests an interactive encounter with your company or brand.
5. Test Before Going LiveÂ
For a live-streaming session, testing your equipment is an important necessity. The easiest method to make sure everything is working properly before going live is to do this. Most live streaming systems let you perform a “dry run” test of your setup to make sure everything functions as it should.
A dry run is important because if there is any technical issue or other problem you will not be able to interact with your audience. For instance, if your camera or microphone is not working properly your audience will not be able to not able to see you and it is a major issue during a live-streaming session, or if your microphone is not working properly it will affect your audio, in that case, your audience will not be able to hear you. All these issues will capsule a lack of proper communication and interaction between your audience and you.Â
To avoid any such issues during the event run a test before going live and also make sure that you have a backup if anything goes wrong.
6. Use Email & Whatsapp AutomationÂ
Using Email for sending regular updates before the event will create a bond with your audience. Whatsapp is the platform that can build trust and help you engage and interact with your audience on a personal level.Â
You can send timely updates and reminders to your participants through WhatsApp. The best part about WhatsApp is that you can automate it and in this way, you will be able to interact with your audience anytime they want. And not just that with WhatsApp you can also send updates on your participation during the live event.
7. Choose The Right Time
Choosing the right time will play a crucial role in attendance and interaction. You must choose your timing carefully because your stream is going to be live. It is not a pre-recorded session. It could be more challenging to draw viewers if you’re live-streaming a session in the middle of the workday. However, there is a greater likelihood that your audience will be available if you wait until later in the evening.Â
Consider the number of attendees, whether or not they are in the same time zone, and how much time you’ll need for questions and answers. You should pre-device the length of your live-streaming session and the amount of time all the activities will take.
8. Interact With Your Audience Constantly
It is very obvious that to host an interactive live-streaming session you have to constantly engage and interact with your audience. To foster engagement and to motivate your audience to interact with each other during a live stream or webinar it is important to set some time out for engaging activities.Â
Maintain constant involvement by answering questions from your audience or by praising a participant in the chat who made a perceptive comment. Pause every few minutes and respond with a query regarding what you just said. Think of your audience as active participants rather than passive observers and approach your webinar as a dialogue rather than a presentation.
The Bottom Line
It can be difficult to maintain interaction and engagement throughout your live-streaming session at first, but after using simple tips for increasing participation, you’ll be able to present interactive live streams with ease. For your next stream, try out a few of the suggestions on this list and see how it goes!
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