Livestreams are a valuable tool for reaching a global audience, yet they come with their own set of challenges.
They enable us to connect with a worldwide audience in real-time, providing an opportunity to build a larger community over time. In the beginning your livestreams may have low attendance, imagine how incredible it could be to have over a thousand attendees. This can only happen if you persistently build your audience month by month.
✅ The benefits of livestreaming
- Chanel visibility - The YouTube app notifies subscribers when you're live, reinforcing the presence of that your channel is alive even if they don’t tune in immediately
- Reach - You can get an audience that is not local to your office, increasing your brand awareness
- Authenticity - Livestreams are unedited, making the content feel more genuine and relatable. Audiences appreciate the spontaneity and transparency
- Content repurposing - Livestreams can be recorded and reused as video content, extending their lifespan and reach
❌ The downsides of livestreaming
- Decline in YouTube growth - YouTube as a platform is not growing as rapidly as it used to. Instead, viewers are shifting towards other platforms or consuming shorter content like YouTube Shorts
- Reduced in-person attendance - LiveStreaming can sometimes reduce the size of the potential in-person audience. Conversely, the convenience of livestreaming might lead to procrastination, with people planning to watch online but ultimately skipping it
Tips
- Focus on good audio - To make livestreams successful, it's crucial to prioritise good audio quality in YouTube recordings. Clear, professional sound is critical to keep the audience engaged and to make the content enjoyable for both live and later viewing. Poor audio can drive viewers away faster than any other technical issue.
- Don't do watch parties - They tend to dilute the experience by turning what should be a focused viewing session into a more casual social event. This approach often detracts from the content itself and fails to engage the audience as effectively as a well-executed livestream or standalone recording.
