It’s easier than ever to broadcast live to an audience. Producer George Bergel talks through the things to know.
A live broadcast used to mean a hugely complex and technically demanding undertaking - but nowadays it can be far simpler to engage with your audience via live video.
Products such as Facebook Live and Instagram Live have made viewing live content on your phone almost ubiquitous, whilst Twitch has been one of the breakthrough creative platforms of the last few years. Here’s some things to think about when working out how live content can fit in to your marketing plans:
What sort of live show is right for me?
Broadcasting from a phone is a great, low budget way to bring your audience into an intimate or exclusive environment, whereas a traditional, multi-camera set up is best for those larger scale moments such as performances or panels. For the right project, 360 VR is an option, too.
Where should I broadcast?
This will depend very much on your existing audience - where do they normally interact with your brand? Drawing an audience to a new platform to watch your content live can be harder than the broadcast itself - so bring the content to them. It’s possible nowadays to broadcast to multiple platforms.
Why is this live?
We always try and ask ourselves this question when planning a project. Exclusive access, one-off moments, a sense of jeopardy or danger and fan engagement are good reasons to go live. If it could work just as well as a pre-recorded video, then it’s probably not the right idea for your live project.
Plan plan plan
Then plan some more. Even if you’re just going backstage with a phone for a sneak peak, planning your content to the finest detail will really help you make something compelling, engaging and re-watchable after the broadcast is over
If you think going live could be the right choice for your brief, or just want to find out more about how it all works, get in touch.