Live video streaming is a very popular, trendy, and impactful medium in the present modern era, especially in affiliation with hybrid events. As per certain statistics, the live video streaming industry has grown exponentially by 99% between 2019 and 2020. With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the growth increased even more and it is safe to say that this field is not just booming but exploding.
Live streaming is a best friend to people from different fields for different purposes. For instance, live streaming is beneficial to a content curator to garner more views or even to a marketer in search of leads.
Whatever may be the purpose of any live stream, the most important aspect of it should be that it is efficient and good. The competition out there is immense and to stand out in this rat race, the quality of the live stream must be top-notch. To ensure a flawless live stream, certain common mistakes should be avoided to appeal to viewers and retain them. Listed below are some common mistakes committed while live streaming and tips to avoid them:
1. Uninteresting choice of topic
One of the gravest and most taxing mistakes that one can commit is picking an uninteresting topic to live stream. To gain and retain an audience, it is integral that the live stream video content resonates with their interests and needs. Events live streaming for many brands may suffer if they make the event too self-promotional.
Instead of this, one can make sure to live-stream those topics that serve the audience’s needs and interests. Events’ live streaming for brands should be planned well and can be made more educational and creative rather than self-promotional and driven by profits only.
2. Lack of planning
Live streams, especially events live streaming, need to be planned well in advance. Even though live streams are unedited and unscripted, they are not exactly a cakewalk. They take a lot of planning and vary from event to event. Certain basics of live streams to consider include location, duration of the live stream, segments of it, internet bandwidth, audio, and video equipment, potential background disturbance, miscellaneous resources, and weather (if outdoor setting).
It is imperative to take care of the known variables, be prepared for unknown variables, and eliminate any room for failure.
3. Lack of resource assemblage
Since events live streaming services in Mumbai differ and depend on the topic being covered, different resources are incorporated. Additional resources like illustrations, images, graphics, charts, diagrams, graphs, or pre-recorded video content may be added to the live stream. These additions are very helpful and enhance presentations.
No matter what, it is critical to have the required resources assembled way ahead of time. This ensures organization and accessibility. Nobody wants to witness a live stream host struggling to play a recorded video during an ongoing event, that is an embarrassing situation to be in.
4. Lack of test run
A live stream cannot exactly be rehearsed fully, but a test run of the presentation helps one be mentally prepared and feel a tad bit confident. Doing a test run allows for room for improvement and refining any issues. Timings of graphics can be adjusted and equipment issues can be identified and taken care of. The duration of the event can be timed and technical issues about the hybrid event platform can be ruled out.
5. Poor audio and video quality
The bar of expectations from live streaming is rising and people’s patience is thinning. The audience is not willing to entertain shrill and scratchy audio quality and fuzzy visuals. Users will exit the live stream in a matter of seconds if they sense bad quality. Hence, it is important to make sure that a smooth and lag-free live stream is put forth.
To enhance the visuals and audio quality, the best events live streaming platform should be picked. The right mics should be invested in, speakers must be trained and any background noise should be identified and eliminated.
The camera equipment should also be decent in quality and the frame rates should be chosen informedly. For sports events and other such hybrid events, a high frame rate can be invested. But for interviews and presentations, a lower frame rate can be considered.
6. Low upload speed stream
Even if the audio and video is of state-of-the-art quality, it is useless if the upload speed cannot handle the heat. Irrespective of the location of the live stream, it is unpredictable as to what upload speed one may get. But it is important to try and get the best speed possible.
If one is live-streaming a physical/hybrid event, a multi-bonded cellular service should be considered for the same, keeping in mind the requirements of the hybrid event platform. This is so because a large number of viewers tend to saturate the nearby satellite towers which result in upload speeds plummeting.
7. Lack of interaction
Live streams are popular for the sole reason that they offer the element of interaction and engagement. Folks have the chance to watch their favorite authors, for example, in real-time and might even be able to ask them questions through the chat tool. Lack of interactivity defeats the purpose of its popularity; hence the element of interaction must be kept alive.
Incorporating a chat function and having a manager for the same, audience polls and Q&A sessions, social media polls, gamification for corporate events, and having the speaker or host speak directly to the camera are some ways to make the stream more interactive.
8. Lack of promotion
Live streaming of events takes place in real-time and hence need to be marketed and promoted in advance. Lack of promotions may lead to low attendance and disappointing views; therefore, hosts must make sure to begin promotions early and be consistent.
Promotions can be done across social media channels, get sponsors, and do mass emailing to broadcast the event. When the event is just around the corner, frequent reminders must be sent out to ensure attendance.
Capitalizing on video content for promotions is a great tool to promote the event since visual aids are more appealing than text.
9. Lack of data analysis
It is critical to analyze and extract insights from the data of the live stream. Data such as geo-locations, fallout, and drop-off points help give unique and valuable insights into the audience.
Conclusion
Live video streaming is a thing of the future and is here to stay indefinitely. From broadcasting events to promoting brands to building communities, gaining knowledge about live streaming is an important and fruitful skill. Hybrid events and live streaming go hand in hand. Mastering both of them is an asset in the digital world and there is only going up from here. However, one must choose only a reliable platform like Dreamcast to ensure no hindrances or obstacles.
