Is Live Streaming Right for Your Event?
Are you planning to host an event and considering live streaming it? Let's help you decide if Live Streaming is right for your event!
With the increasing popularity of live streaming, it is crucial to make the right decision to ensure the success of your event. Live streaming is a powerful tool that can help you reach a wider audience and increase your brand's exposure. However, it requires technical expertise and equipment, and it can demand more time and attention compared to releasing a video. So, how do you decide whether to live stream your event or not? Here are some factors to consider:
Interactivity
Interactivity should be a crucial factor in deciding whether to live stream your event or not. Consider the level of audience engagement you want to achieve. Will you be hosting live Q&A sessions or interactive polls? Do you need to interact with your audience in real-time? These elements can greatly enhance the live streaming experience and create a sense of connection with your audience. If your event requires real-time interaction, live streaming is the ideal choice. It allows you to engage with your audience, receive immediate feedback, and foster a sense of community. The alternative to live video is an edited video.
Edited Video
Releasing an edited video instead of live streaming can offer several advantages in certain circumstances for corporate communication. One major benefit is the ability to adjust the timing through editing. This flexibility allows you to carefully craft and refine your message, ensuring that it aligns perfectly with your objectives. You can trim, rearrange, and polish the content to create a seamless and engaging presentation. Additionally, by prerecording your video, you have the opportunity to rehearse and perfect your delivery, resulting in a more polished and professional appearance. While it may require extra effort in terms of editing, the ability to have full control over the timing and delivery of your message can be a significant perk, making prerecorded video an excellent choice and a great alternative to live streaming for corporate communication.
Both Live and Prerecorded Video
Combining live streaming and prerecorded videos allows you to leverage the best elements of both approaches. You can take advantage of the real-time interaction and audience engagement provided by live streaming while also benefiting from the flexibility and control offered by prerecorded videos. This combination ensures that your event is dynamic, interactive, and well-structured, maximizing the impact and effectiveness of your communication efforts. Having prerecorded videos to play back during your live stream takes some of the pressure off of the live presentation. It also gives your presenters a little break during the event.
Archiving and Recording
Your live stream team can also record and archive your event for later viewing. This is super helpful for those who may not be able to make your presentation or event. It's also helpful for those who could make that event but want to review the content again.
Ideal for Live Streaming
Town Hall Meetings, Product Launches, and Global All Hands Meetings are 3 of our most popular events for live streaming. Having your event live streamed can open up your event to multiple cities around the world and unifies the communication channel from the C-Suite Team. It allows presenters to connect with their worldwide audience or team without the need to bring everyone into the same room. We've also done staggered events that we call "Global Event Hosting," which we'll talk about next.
Global Event Hosting
If your Town Hall meeting spans across multiple time zones, consider leveraging global event hosting. This approach allows organizers to cater to audiences in different regions and accommodate their respective time zones for a more inclusive and accessible experience.
What does this actually look like? Imagine having 3 different Town Hall Meetings at 3 different times worldwide. Your C-Suite team could prerecord their part of the presentation, and your streaming vendor could playback that presentation for each of the 3 events. Then the second half of the event could be a live Q&A session with one of the C-Suite members. This would allow your team to not have to get up at odd hours of the day for this meeting while unifying the message across your global team.
Technical Requirements
Live streaming typically requires more technical expertise and equipment compared to video production. If you don't have the necessary equipment and expertise, it's advisable to hire professionals to handle the live stream. Ensure that you have a reliable internet connection, quality audio and video equipment, and backup systems to avoid technical glitches. Technical difficulties can ruin a live stream and negatively impact your brand's reputation, so it's important to invest in high-quality equipment and a trained technical team.
Budget
Evaluate the potential ROI and costs to make an informed decision about live streaming. When live streaming, expertise and specialized equipment are necessary. Instead of treating the costs as an expense, consider them as an investment. Hiring professionals for a high-quality live stream helps minimize technical distractions and effectively deliver your message to your audience. Think about the long-term benefits of reaching more viewers, reducing distractions, and connecting with your audience. A high quality live stream can allow your message to be better heard and understood to your shareholders.
Where Live Streaming Doesn't Fit
If you are hosting a private event and do not want to record or archive it for later viewing, live streaming may not be the best option. If you have calculated the return on investment (ROI) for your event and the cost of live streaming does not justify the expense, then live streaming may not be the right tool for you. In fact, video production may not be necessary in these circumstances either. If you cannot justify the ROI, it is probably not worth pursuing.
Bonus Tip: Audience Reach
One of the main advantages of live streaming is its ability to reach a larger audience beyond those physically present. Typically, more people will tune in to a live stream compared to pre-recorded content. In fact, we have observed up to a 3x increase in viewership for live videos compared to standard videos, even if the video is prerecorded and looks as if it’s a live video. Additionally, live streams can be archived and viewed after the event, similar to other types of videos.
Summary
Live streaming is a powerful tool for events, reaching a wider audience and increasing brand exposure. However, there are factors to consider when deciding whether to live stream or not. Interactivity is important as it allows real-time engagement and feedback. Edited videos offer flexibility and control over your message. Combining both approaches maximizes impact, providing live interaction and polished content. Technical requirements and budget should be considered, as live streaming requires expertise and high-quality equipment. Evaluate the potential ROI and long-term benefits of reaching a larger audience. Consider your event's needs and goals to determine if live streaming is the right choice.
If you're looking for a live streaming vendor, we hope you consider Corporate Streams. Thanks for reading, and we'll catch you in the next one!
