Raise your hand if someone has told you in the last year that you have to do a live stream to connect with your audience.
A live stream is the hottest and most popular method to reach clients around the world in a way that just isn’t possible with graphics and written content. But what is it about combining audio and video that makes us business owners so nervous?
The short answer is that it’s all happening in real-time. There are no retakes, and your interaction is perceived to be completely authentic. This allows your clients to feel more connected but requires nerves of steel, practice, and preparation to make sure you get it right the first time!
So, what’s the benefit to your business?
Live stream content follows the 3 E’s of social media; engage, educate, and entertain.
It’s the perfect platform to do all three of them at once. What is more engaging and educational (and sometimes entertaining) than getting a reply back in real-time to a question or comment?
Remember, one of the key benefits of live streaming is the opportunity to introduce an authentic you. Connections will occur because of the way you move, your smile, confidence, voice, or laugh. Customers get a glimpse into your world - your kitchen table, the backyard, your home office, or your production floor - because you can stream from anywhere.
Pull bits and pieces of the best parts of your live stream to reuse as content across all your social media platforms. Save an audio clip for a podcast, screenshot a funny moment, or embed the stream into a blog post or article. The applications and these benefits to your business are limitless.
Live stream with Streamyard
There are a lot of options for live stream platforms, but I’ve found Streamyard to offer great value, useful tools, and provide a high-quality stream.
Streamyard offers both a free and paid version of its tool. You can choose how to produce each stream. Go solo or bring in up to 10 guests for a roundtable chat.
Streamyard also offers to schedule up to one week in advance of your live stream so you can promote upcoming content. You can customize the message for multiple channels including Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
This past year, my business partner and I have been hosting a weekly 15{ish} Minute Coffee Chat using Streamyard as our streaming platform. In addition to all the great options already mentioned, my favorite Streamyard feature is the ability to customize our live stream experience by creating branded backgrounds, banners, tickers, and overlays to highlight important information we want to make sure our viewers take from their time with us.
And, it can all be done in advance or on the fly during a live stream event!
Additionally, Streamyard allows you to pull in comments from the audience to answer questions or respond to reactions. You can bring in video and audio clips to share during your stream with little disruption to the flow of your program.
Are you ready to live stream?
If you haven’t already incorporated live streaming into your marketing strategies, now is the time!
The more often you go live the easier it is and the more natural the words and flow of your program become. While I always advocate planning your stream in advance, don’t overthink your message. You know your products and services best and this is how you can demonstrate your expertise.
Lastly, have fun! I have more than one “oops” that has occurred, but being able to laugh and continue the stream shows your clients that authentic side and that’s really what live stream is all about.
Did you know that Streamyard is one of our Masterclass Partners? Their class on how to get started with live streaming was an incredible resource for our members. Just another benefit of AMSE membership!
Not an AMSE member yet? There is no better time to sign up! Click here for more membership information and how to get started!
Anna Larson is a 15-year military spouse, entrepreneur, and homeschool mom of 2 amazing kids + 1 fur baby. She started her own business after nearly 20 years in marketing and program management. NomadAbout offers comprehensive marketing solutions, website design, copywriting, and social media management.
She contributes monthly to a number of publications, hosts a weekly podcast and live stream business show called 15ish Minute Coffee Chat, sits on a board as the Director of Operations for a non-profit that offers support to cancer patients, and co-leads the Fort Hood chapter of the Association of Military Spouse Entrepreneurs.
In her spare time, she likes to travel the world and have amazing adventures with her family. She can’t decide if exploring glaciers in Switzerland, standing in the shadow of Burg Khalifa, or zip-lining at Victoria Falls is her favorite so far. You can also find her with her nose in a book or sitting poolside for relaxation.
