7 Things you must do when you go live on social media

Irrespective of the platform you choose to go Live on, here are some things you must abide by to keep your viewers engaged and happy.

Going Live on social media has varied benefits, depending on the kind of content you deal with. There is some use case scenario for everyone. It helps you engage with your followers in real-time and make them feel heard. You can make the most of each minute of the time they spend with you if you get the process right. We bring you a list of things you should keep in mind when go so live on social media platforms.

Create pre-buzz

Tell people about the timing of the session and the topic plan to discuss with them. Give them time to prepare and set aside some time to engage with you. You can also ask them to send across some questions. It would help you know what your audiences expect from you and prepare accordingly. You could use ephemeral avenues such as Stories to put up the announcement.

Be mindful of timing

There is no perfect time to go Live. You could look at the timing of the day when you get the most engagement on your page/profile and decide accordingly. Facebook and YouTube allow you to create the Live session and let people set reminders. You could use such features to help your followers keep track and tune in on time.

Plan, plan, plan!

About 30 to 60 minutes are plenty enough for a Live session. No one has the time to hear you go on and on about something, irrespective of how much they love you and how important your topic is. You have got to structure your session (Yes, even an impromptu one!) to ensure you and your followers get to make the most of the time you have and engage fruitfully.

Also Read: Facebook now allows going Live from Messenger Rooms

Get the tech right

Whether you should go online vertically or horizontally would depend on the platform you are choosing to go Live on and the device you feel your followers are most likely to watch it on. In case the Live would be broadcasted on multiple platforms, you could base your decision on the most preferred platform and device.

Having a strong internet connection is an absolute must. If you are going Live from a phone, please do turn on the Do Not Disturb option. Using a tripod or a stable surface is a good idea. Don't try to hold your phone in hand during the entire duration of the Live. It will just cause fatigue.

Description is key

If it's a planned Live, you can type in a good description (on Facebook and YouTube) for the Live. It would be a good marketing asset for the session. In the case of Instagram Lives, you can pin the description in the comments area. These would help viewers know the topic irrespective of when they come to know about or join the session.

Respond in real-time

Never let your viewers feel unheard. It is extremely important to answer as many comments as you can. Make them feel a part of the experience and interact as much as you can. You can take their names and say hello to encourage engagement. In case you feel answering a comment would take some time on an Instagram Live, you can pin it for the duration of the discussion to help viewers keep track of what is being talked about.

After streaming

After the Live stream is over, you can share the video as a piece of content on your Feed, Stories and IGTV. You can also edit it in parts to share as smaller assets that people can watch later. Making it accessible as snackable content will help with the shareability as well, extending the shelf-life of your Live session by manifold.