Streaming and live broadcasts are slowly but surely dominating the growing world of entertainment year after year. A vast number of studies have been conducted in recent years to gauge the pace of the exponential pace, per Variety magazine, at which streaming and live broadcasts have revolutionized media and online content strategies around the globe.
Perhaps you are thinking about exploring the path of live broadcasts on your own, attempting to take full advantage of this trendy form of communicating with your customers and fans. If that is the case, here are 6 tips to seriously consider to ensure that your quest to broadcast your brand live do not come back to haunt you later.
Use Quality Equipment
Keep in mind that, when you are showcasing anything for your brand, it needs to reflect the quality and first-class performance of your brand that you strive to show your customers and clients. Average Facebook users who want to broadcast live with their low-quality mobile devices and blurry lens can have at it and do so without fearing any repercussions. As a business or brand owner, however, you have a lot more at stake. Even if you want to host a Facebook live stream, such as the streams promoted through sites like BlueJeans, you need to make sure that your equipment is up to par with the quality standard your customers have grown to expect from your company.
Test Footage and Equipment Before Broadcasting
Along the same lines of quality control and assurance, the last thing you want to do is to press “Record” on a live broadcast without first taking the time to test your equipment. Even if you have the best of the best camera and sound equipment, unexpected technical glitches still arise. Within a standard recording, you can stop the footage and edit accordingly in post-production. On the contrary, when working with live recordings and broadcasts, post-production essentially does not exist. There is no “cut” or further editing involved. What you show during the first take is exactly what your fans, followers, clients and customers will see. It is true that you can go back and edit the footage after it has already aired somewhat.
However, if your footage is plagued with unexpected technical glitches, video problems and audio issues, the damage has already been done and very well might be irreparable. When it comes to building your brand and establishing a high-quality reputation for your company in the online world of live broadcasts, there is no room for glitches and technical difficulties. Testing the footage and equipment in advance will drastically reduce the likelihood of these unnecessary “hiccups” emerging during your broadcast.
Have a Prepared Strategy for Live Footage
Just because you are broadcasting live does not mean everything must be impromptu and spontaneous. As mentioned above, personal Facebook users who want to broadcast live for their friends and family members can embrace that type of unplanned spontaneity. As a business or brand owner with your company’s reputation on the line, that is not something you can afford or even risk. Think about the amount of damage that would be caused to your brand’s reputation if something went horribly wrong during a live broadcast. For instance, you may have the idea of interviewing a random customer who walks into your store through the live feed – hoping to get honest yet positive feedback to share with your live audience. Without having a strategy in place, you may be unpleasantly surprised by what your chosen customer decides to share.
Avoid Red Flag Topics and Content
Personally, you may have a lot of opinions on quite a few different topics that may fill the headlines and newspaper pages. With a live broadcast, you have a chance to have your voice heard and fully embrace the opportunity to speak your mind without anyone telling you to stop. This type of “free expression” has caused quite a few people to lose their jobs (and so much more) in recent years. As a business owner, you always must consider how your “free expressions” will reflect on your brand. During live feeds, make sure that you avoid any potential “red flag” topics that may spark controversy or rub your customers the wrong way. While it is not necessary to pretend to support something that you do not support, it is vital for you to simply keep your mouth shut when it comes to your personal opinions and thoughts if they conflict with the needs of your customer base or the reputation of your company.
Represent Your Brand with Dress and Language
Pay close attention to the attire you wear and the language you use in your live broadcasts. Just like with the “red flag topics,” you should avoid wearing or saying things that your prospective and existing customers may take the wrong way. Your primary objective for live broadcasts should be to draw a bigger crowd of customers and clients to your business – not to drive away the customers and clients you already have.
