How To Get More Viewers For Your Live Streaming Channel
Live streaming is a great way for content creators to engage with their audience in real-time. In fact, looking at live streaming statistics and trends shows that video streaming worldwide is to grow by 9.48% between now and 2027, with a market volume of US$137 billion in 2027.
Live streaming is an exciting, interactive experience that allows you to showcase your talents and ideas to the people who matter most: your fans! But how do you build and grow an audience for your live streaming events? This article will look at how to grow as a streamer.
The answer lies in taking the right steps to capture attention, create engaging content, and promote yourself. From optimizing your stream setup and having a stream schedule to leveraging social media platforms – there are many ways to make sure that more people see what you have to offer.
With the right strategy, anyone or any business can become a successful live streamer, have committed live viewers, and become one of the most viewed live stream creators. They can take advantage of the great potential that live streamed content can offer.
Here are some of the best methods for building and growing an audience for your events.
Optimize Your Stream Setup
Optimizing your live streaming setup is your secret weapon for building and growing. First of all, streams hosted on your own website are more likely to look professional. Second, they serve as a great introduction to potential fans.
You should also consider the type of live streaming software you use. Many options are available. These include free and open-source solutions, such as OBS, and more professional broadcasting tools, such as vMIX. Using professional video streaming software, you can adjust the resolution, frame rate, and bitrate to optimize your streams for maximum performance.
Speaking of this, pay attention to the smallest details. You'll be able to differentiate yourself from the competition by creating the best streaming experience possible for your viewers. Focus on buffering times, network speed, and accessibility options like subtitles. This is usually done via your live streaming platform, and it can make a big difference.
To wrap this up, here are the most important elements of your stream setup that you should optimize:
- Camera
- Microphone
- Audio interface
- Lighting
- Tripods and mounts
- Internet connection
- Video capture device or encoder
- Video editing software
- Streaming platform (YouTube, Twitch, StreamingVideoProvider, etc.)
Step 1: Plan An Engaging Content Strategy
Live streaming events can be daunting if you're not sure how to make your content stand out. There are a few key ingredients to crafting an engaging content strategy. These ingredients will help you build and grow an audience for your live streaming events.
Know Your Audience
First, start by identifying exactly who your target audience is. This way, you can create content tailored to their wants and needs. How do you determine your target audience?
To create content for live streaming, consider factors such as their age, interests, and location. With that information, you can craft content that resonates with them in a way that is both entertaining and informative.
Plan Your Streams
Second, make sure each event is well-structured with an interesting topic. Also, include plenty of interaction and lots of visuals. This will keep things fun and exciting throughout the stream.
For example, you could host a Q&A session, have guests join in for interviews, or even create challenges to get viewers involved. All these should be planned ahead of time to ensure your stream flows smoothly.
Build Up That Buzz
Finally, don't forget the importance of promoting your live streaming event ahead of time. Do this across different channels and platforms to ensure the most reach. We'll talk about this more later.
Step 2: Take Advantage of Social Media Platforms
Running a successful video streaming event requires engaging an audience. This can be difficult to build and manage.
Taking advantage of more social media platforms can extend your reach. It can also help you create relationships with potential viewers.
Those relationships will foster their loyalty and push your events to grow in popularity. In the end, this is how to get live stream viewers.
By using hashtags, posting teasers, and sharing info related to upcoming streams on social media, you can target participants while generating the excitement needed to attract serious viewership.
For example, let's say that you're an aspiring artist streaming live performances of your songs. You could create a hashtag for the event. You could post teasers on Instagram or Twitter, where 90% of users follow a business account. Or, you could even use popular platforms like TikTok to spread the word.
Hashtag Examples
Here are some examples of hashtags you could use for each platform:
TikTok | ||
#LivePerformanceStreaming | #LivePerformanceStreaming | #LiveStreaming |
#StreamingConcerts | #LivestreamShow | #PerformersOnline |
#LiveMusicOnline | #OnlineConcert | #GoLive |
#SupportLiveMusic | #WatchMyShow | |
#DigitalGig | #LiveMusicExperience | |
#ArtistConnect | #MusicLoversUnite | |
#VirtualVenue | #ShareTheStage | |
#PerformingArtsOnline |
Furthermore, if you've created a dedicated brand or network encompassing several live streaming events, developing this community across various social sites is essential for long-term success.
Taking full advantage of the potential offered by social media platforms can make all the difference when growing an audience for your events. That’s why it’s a good idea to distribute your streams to multiple channels like YouTube, Facebook, and so on.
Utilize SEO Techniques
Whether it's a live musical performance or a lecture series on the inner workings of Machine Learning, you know there's no use in streaming if no one is watching. This is especially important when streaming on your own website. Make sure potential viewers can find your streams when searching on Google.
That said, utilizing SEO techniques is a great way to get your events seen by as many people as possible. By optimizing titles, adding keywords to your content, and optimizing video thumbnail images for search, you'll have more potential viewers than ever before.
Luckily, these strategies are easy to put in place. They're not resource-intensive like advertising campaigns or outreach initiatives. So make sure to give SEO a shot when building your live streams. You never know who could be around the corner from becoming your newest fan.
Interact With Viewers During Streams
If a million viewers is truly your target, roll your sleeves and clack at your keyboard.
Interacting with viewers during streams can be one of the most effective ways to build and grow an audience. When streaming on websites outside of YouTube or Facebook, interact with your viewers throughout the broadcast but also follow up, i.e. to grow your twitch channel, connect with viewers outside of twitch’s platform.
Make a list of topics to talk about when streaming and encourage your viewers to engage in conversations during breaks. Ask them to leave comments, questions, or even feedback when the stream is over. Responding to their comments shows appreciation for their feedback. You also make viewers feel connected with your content. And you’re helping them feel like a part of something bigger.
This builds trust with your existing audience and encourages new viewers to join in.
Finally, taking time to talk about what content is coming up will further increase anticipation for upcoming events in your fan base!
Promote Live Streams Using Email Marketing
If you are worried about how to promote a live stream, email marketing is one way to go. You can close the circle of engagement by asking your YouTube subscribers to sign up for updates in your newsletter.
Promoting live streams via email marketing is a great way to engage with your audience, build awareness and increase viewership. It's important to invest in having a professional email address for your live stream promotions, as this can help foster trust with your viewers.
You’ll probably feel suspicious of a business if their only email is hosted at Gmail, won’t you?
When creating an email campaign for promoting a live stream, you'll want to make sure the message is clear, concise and engaging. A great way to accomplish this is by creating a compelling subject line that grabs people's attention and encourages them to open the email.
Additionally, be sure to include details of what viewers can expect from the live stream, such as what topics will be discussed or any special guests who may be joining. You'll also want to include key visuals in the emails, like images or videos that are related to the event.
To maximize conversions and ensure higher reach, use segmentation tactics when distributing your emails. Segmentation allows you to create more personalized messages that are tailored towards diverse audiences with different interests.
You can also use A/B testing methods to experiment with different copy and subject lines to determine which messaging resonates best with different segments of your audience.
Leverage Live Streaming Communities
Leveraging live streaming communities can be the difference between making a great impact on your audience and having little engagement. This is an efficient way to get more viewers.
Joining different communities, such as one focused on youth sports for example can be invaluable. It means not only connecting with a wider pool of potential viewers but also getting advice from seasoned streamers about how to maximize your potential for success.
Not only that, but many streaming platforms are designed to make interaction with viewers easier than ever before. Joining these live streaming communities provides an unmatched opportunity for growth and progression. You can collaborate with other streamers to mutually grow your channels.
All these will increase stream viewers for you.
Track Performance Analytics
To paraphrase the famous Drucker quote, you can’t grow what you don’t measure.
Tracking performance analytics can be a total game-changer for anyone looking to build an audience and grow their live streaming events. Measuring things like viewership, engagement, and click-throughs on your website is the place to start.
By doing so, you get valuable insight into what kind of content is resonating with your viewers. And you can create more of it!
With the right embedded analytics, for example, you can even discover users who continue to engage with your videos long after the event has ended. Additionally, analyzing variation in outcomes allows you to identify any areas of improvement needed, from video content production to promotional campaigns.
This kind of detailed data can enable you to make the most of every live streaming event. You'll understand exactly what’s working and what needs more attention.
Not only that, but by tracking metrics, you'll be in a better position to understand your ROI, or return on investment. This will ensure that you're getting the most out of your spend.
For example, if you’re streaming live on your website with StreamingVideoProvider, you can track the Deep Analytics to understand who, when and for how long watched your videos.
Keep Promoting Regularly
People will only know you exist if they know where to find you, so the importance of promoting can’t be overstated. Make sure everyone knows where and when they can tune in. Do this by scheduling regular promotion on all your channels. You could even use a QR code maker to generate a code for your stream, so you can promote it offline.
Connect with other people in your live streaming industry and let them know what kinds of content that you have available. You can use email campaigns, newsletters, and targeted messaging via email providers to reach your audience. You’ll start to see those views pile up as people get excited for your live streaming events.
Don’t forget the power of word-of-mouth. Asking friends and family to spread the word about what you do can go a long way towards helping build an audience. It can also keep you from being an unemployed streamer.
Conclusion
Live events and streaming are powerful tools for connecting with viewers and building an audience. Taking the steps outlined above can help you optimize your performance, reach more viewers, and increase engagement. So don’t be afraid to jump in and start streaming, especially on your own website.
As you continue to hone your craft and find ways to develop relationships with viewers, you’ll start to see the rewards that streaming can bring. With some effort, dedication, and a whole lot of creativity, you’ll have an audience that’s engaged with your content.
References & Further Reading
Here is some further reading to get you up to speed on getting viewers for your live streaming channel:
- Fun Things to Do on Live Stream
- 6 Common Live Streaming Mistakes
- Promoting Your Live Stream
- Streaming Video Marketing
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