The 5 step guide to going live on social media

The world of social media is ever-changing and marketers must stay on top of the latest trends to stay competitive. Going live on social media is one way to get your message across quickly and effectively, allowing you to engage with your audience in real time.

Person with notebook and computer making notes

Going live on social media involves streaming a video directly from the platform to viewers who can then interact with you by commenting or asking questions. Whether it’s for a product launch, announcement, Q&A session or just for fun, going live is an invaluable tool for businesses looking to expand their reach and maximise their marketing efforts. It allows businesses to build relationships with potential customers in an authentic way that other forms of advertising simply cannot match. With the right strategies, brands can leverage this engaging medium as part of their overall marketing plan.

Step 1: Research Platforms

Nowadays, it’s easier than ever to go live on social media. To get started, consider which platform you will be using for your live broadcast. Researching the various options available is an important first step in creating a successful social media marketing strategy.

Analyse what kind of content works best with each platform and the types of audiences that engage with them. For example, Instagram Live is great for product demos or Q&As about your brand. YouTube Live is ideal for hosting conferences or webinars on a larger scale than other platforms. Facebook Live can work well as a promotional tool when announcing new products/services to your followers.

No matter which channel you choose, make sure it resonates with your goals and target audience so you can maximise engagement and reach more people over time!
Step 2: Prepare Your Content

In order to have a successful livestream on social media, the second step is preparing your content. Before going live it's important to plan ahead and know what kind of content you want to share with viewers. Consider what type of message you want to deliver and how much time you will need for the stream. Will it be an educational video or an open discussion? An engaging topic and interesting visuals are essential in capturing viewers' attention.

Before going live, practice running through your presentation multiple times so that you can become comfortable speaking in front of a camera. Rehearse any jokes or stories that you may tell during your broadcast and make sure they flow smoothly when presented out loud. Additionally, research other popular streams in order to get ideas for growing your own audience base. By doing this, you’ll be more prepared to start streaming with confidence!
Step 3: Connect & Setup

The third step to 'going live' on social media is connecting and setting up. To get started, choose your streaming platform. This can be a mobile app, such as Facebook Live or Instagram Stories, or a desktop application like OBS Studio or Streamlabs OBS. Once you have chosen the platform that best fits your needs, create an account and install the software if necessary. Connect it with the service of your choice by entering your login credentials for that service.

Next, configure the settings in terms of resolution and bitrate to ensure that you stream in optimal quality with no buffering issues. Then connect any external devices you may need for audio input, such as microphones or headphones. Finally, ensure that all visuals - like logos or overlays - are ready before hitting the ‘start’ button on your streaming dashboard to begin broadcasting live!
Step 4: Go Live & Engage

Once you’ve tested out your equipment, created an engaging introduction and outlined key topics of discussion, it’s finally time to hit “go live!” As you broadcast, remember to encourage conversation from your viewers - ask questions and respond promptly to comments. Interacting with your followers will help you create a lasting connection with them as well as boost engagement for future broadcasts. With each livestream session, aim to end on a high note - leave viewers feeling excited about what comes next!
Step 5: Analyse Performance

Once you have gone live and broadcasted your content to the world, it is important to take some time to analyse its performance. This will help you understand how successful your post was, what worked, and where you can improve for future posts.

Analysing your performance is a great way to measure the success of your post and get insight into viewers’ reactions. Start by tracking the engagement levels of your post - likes, comments and shares. If possible, track views as well if available on the platform. For example, on YouTube you can check out total views, watch time and average view duration among other metrics that will help identify how engaging your content was. Additionally, look at feedback from viewers in terms of their comments or reviews - this may provide invaluable insight into what works (or doesn't work) with regard to topics or presentation styles that resonate with them best.

Maximise Social Reach

In conclusion, going live on social media is an effective way to engage with your audience in real time and build authentic relationships with potential customers. To get started, research different platforms and prepare your engaging content. Next, connect and set up your equipment before going live and encourage engagement from your viewers during the stream. Finally, analyse the performance of your post to understand what worked and where you can improve for future streams. With these 5 steps, you can leverage the power of live streaming to expand your reach and maximise your marketing efforts.