How to use YouTube Live During the Pandemic?
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Social media users all around the world have taken refuge in various social media apps ever since the onslaught of coronavirus began. One of the biggest social platforms YouTube has also recorded a skyrocket in its monthly viewership figures due to the pandemic.
As more and more people are turning to online platforms for entertainment, these platforms have also upgraded their features to help users make the most of them. Small channels are also in luck as an increase in viewership during the pandemic has opened a path towards major growth. One such feature that allows creators to interact in real-time with their viewers and grow a steady subscriber base is YouTube Live.
Be it a huge corporate brand or a game streaming channel; everyone can benefit greatly if they use the Live feature for YouTube marketing. Every channel’s goal on this platform is to bring steady growth in the number of YouTube videos and gain real YouTube subscribers. To make this happen, it is important to use each and every feature offered by the platform, and YouTube Live is one of those. Here’s all you need to know about how to live stream on YouTube for leaving a lasting impact on every watcher.
How to Enable Live Streaming
YouTube does not offer live streaming as a default option. You would have to specifically enable the feature and wait for YouTube to activate it. Here’s how you will enable live streaming on your account:
- Live streaming option is only available for verified YouTube accounts. If you want to activate this feature, you first have to make sure that your account is also verified. If it’s not verified, just go to www.youtube.com/verify, fill in the basic details and then enter the verification code sent to your phone.
- Once your account is verified, desktop users will go to the YouTube dashboard while smartphone users have to click on their YouTube app’s camcorder. Just choose the ‘Go Live’ option and wait for the feature to be enabled.
- After activation, simply go to the Creator Studio and click on Live Streaming whenever you want to go live.
Please note that your channel must have a minimum of 1000 subscribers to use this feature on a smartphone. This subscriber limit does not apply if you choose to stream through the camera on your computer or with a streaming software.
Benefits of YouTube Live Streaming
In addition to channel growth, going live on YouTube also has a number of other noteworthy benefits. You can expect most of these important benefits once you choose to live stream regularly:
Real-time audience interaction
Live streams are a great way to interact with your audience in real-time. An interactive session will make your viewers more invested in the content you put out. It is a good way of asking your subscribers for their opinion on your content, and this personalized survey will give you an idea about how to do better. Live Q&A sessions are also a popular method of gaining viewer interest.
Exposure
There is a lot of competition on YouTube and creators are ready to do just about anything to stand out from the rest of the crowd. A live stream offers much exposure to a channel.
Personal Branding
If you’re looking to establish your channel as a brand on YouTube, using live streams wisely can be very instrumental in helping you achieve that.
Channel Growth and Boost to Audience Reach
YouTube success is all about views and subscribers. Every channel aims to create a substantial following, and rightly so. The smart use of this Live stream and every feature that comes with it can go a long way in increasing the number of new viewers and turning them into longtime subscribers.
YouTube Marketing
Video marketing is common on YouTube. However, using live streams for marketing might prove more beneficial as you have the opportunity to talk to your audience in real-time. You can also answer any questions they might have. This also catches the attention of other viewers, who weren’t very interested before.
Who can benefit from YouTube Live?
It doesn’t matter if a channel has subscribers in thousands or millions, everyone can benefit from going live on YouTube. Here are just some of the channels that can engage a larger audience through live streams.
- Game Streamers: Video game streaming is one of the most common content type that is shared live on this platform. Video game-related content brings in millions of views everyday on YouTube and live-streaming a game is a surefire way of getting your audience engaged.
- Corporate Bodies and Brands: Even huge conglomerates have begun to acknowledge the sway that social media platforms have in the real-world market. Companies use live streams for introducing their new products or services.
- Small Businesses: With the ‘Support Small/ Local Business’ wave, small brand owners can also use live streams the way huge brands do. People have become more conscious of choosing to buy from small business owners and YouTube Live will help them reach to a larger audience.
- Event Organizers: Live Streaming can also be used to create live events. The organizers can notify their audience about an upcoming event and encourage them to participate in it.
- Education and Every Other Niche: There is no bar to the kind of channel or content that can be put out through live streams. Whether your channel’s niche is cooking or beauty, you can go live once you put your mind to it.
Tips to Remember for a Successful Live Stream
Before you click on Go Live, here are a few tips you need to follow to make sure that your live stream has a successful run.
- Create an outline: You should have a clear vision of what your live session will be about and how you will conclude it. Once you have these figured out, plan in detail what you will do for the length of the live stream. A live video is much different from a recorded video and you will have to make it as smooth as possible. Especially since you have a live audience and there is no option of retake or edit any part.
- Prepare all details: Details like video title, thumbnail and description should be prepared in advance. Before starting your live stream, you should have these details ready as they make it easier to focus on your content once the camera is turned on. You should also plan a script beforehand. It is not important to write a complete script, a bulleted list is enough to ensure that your flow is smooth and you’re never out of things to say.
- Check YouTube Analytics: Find the time at which most of your subscribers are usually active on the platform. You can’t have all your subscribers active at the same time, but you definitely set your time according to the majority. Smart use of these figures has immense potential in channel growth. Since the pandemic has led to increased usage of social platforms, you will find that going live during this time will bring in more viewers than usual.
- Recheck your setup: Once the camera starts, you would have no chance of redoing something. Go over the smallest details like the speed of your internet connection, set your camera and choose a nice spot as your backdrop. Also, test your audio and video settings before the session.
- Event Promotion: A live stream is an event and every event needs an audience. Tell your viewers about your live stream and build anticipation about what they can expect if they tune in. Encourage your subscribers to promote your event and create catchy banners to share. Also use other social media handles like Instagram and Twitter to reach out to prospective viewers.
- Make attention-grabbing content: Once you’ve reeled in a substantial number of viewers, the next challenge is to keep them there. This can only be done by delivering an interesting and interactive live session. Turn on the live chat, answer your viewer’s questions and keep them engaged. If they clicked on your live video, they’re obviously interested in what you’re offering. All you have to do is deliver a substance that would live up to their expectations.
- Check post-live analytics: Using analytics from your previous live streams can help you gain an insight on what kinds of videos brought in more engagement. It tells you what your viewers like and using that information is entirely up to you.
In a nutshell, YouTube is a platform that has something to offer to its every user. Small channels can even grow drastically in the span of a single day if their content blows up. The pandemic has brought just as many new channels, trying to make it big, as it has brought new sign-ups from viewers. Minor and major channels are constantly striving to set themselves apart by bringing new and original content. Live streams have created a space where creators grow their audience and create a lasting bond with their viewers.
