How to maximise audience engagement with live streaming.

When it comes to live video, audience engagement is the number one concern for most companies. Live streaming is a powerful tool to fully capture attention and drive brand growth. But if you’re not well-versed in the strengths and weaknesses of live video, your event could suffer, and your viewers will find more than enough distractions to capture their attention.

Remember the 5Ws: Who, what, when, where, and why for every broadcast. This formula helps you provide all the necessary information upfront — including any promotions leading up to an event — it also helps to reiterate the context of the live event throughout.

Remember, not every viewer starts watching an event at the beginning. So be sure to reiterate key points of the five Ws every 30–45 seconds, for those who are coming in and out of your event. This can be done by having lower thirds or on-screen text reappear occasionally, or by simply having a thoughtful host to re-introduce event details during any momentary lapses so that your audience stays informed and engaged.

Play with camera angles One common misconception about live streaming is that the camera should always be set in a static spot. While this might seem like the the easiest and most common setup, it isn’t always the best option. Especially for driving engagement.

There’s plenty of gear — think drones, dollies, or cranes — available to help you move your camera while keeping your live stream smooth and professional.

You don’t need award-winning techniques. Finding creative ways to change angles, provide better coverage, and give your live stream more depth can lend your audience a greater understanding of the space — and pique their interest for that much longer.

Consider audio and music Bad audio will ruin a live stream from the get-go, even “adequate” sound can still cause audiences to gradually disengage. Strong audio presentation can eliminate distracting background chatter, adding energy and focus to even the most specialised subjects.

If your budget allows for some music and sound mixing, it could be worth your while.

Build a strong call to action (CTA)

At the end of the day, you’re trying to maximise audience engagement for a purpose — whether that’s getting clicks, selling your product, or racking up more likes and follows. And a strong call to action is always the best way to maximise and define your event’s success. While you don’t need to bury your lede (you can put CTAs in everything from the promotions, to the opening, to the sign-offs), it doesn’t hurt to be mindful of what action you want viewers to take, and spend some time to find the strongest ways to present it.

Keep it consistent Live video, for all its nuances, is really one of the strongest mediums available to fully capture a viewer’s mind and attention. If you plan accordingly and incorporate some of the tips above, you can create consistency, which keeps downtime to a minimum, limits distractions, and maximises audience engagement from start to finish.

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