How to Use YouTube Live Streaming To Connect With Your Audience

Video marketing has grown in popularity as video consumption grows. A recent study found that 91% of consumers want to see more videos from brands. Besides, 66% of consumers find short videos to be the most engaging type of content on social platforms.

YouTube is the largest video-sharing platform, with one billion video hours being watched daily. It’s also one of the most popular video content marketing sites due to its high engagement rate. So, if you’re a brand seeking how to connect with your audience using video content, you won’t go wrong with YouTube. And one of the features that makes YouTube such an attractive video-sharing platform is YouTube Live.

YouTube Live is a feature that allows you to interact and connect with your audience in real-time. With this feature, you can go live via video and chat. Your target audience can join the YouTube live stream from anywhere and interact with you one on one. You can even restrict your live stream on the video privacy settings under the visibility settings to either private, public, or unlisted so that it reaches the right audience.

In this article, we look at reasons why you should make YouTube live streaming part of your content creation strategy and the types of YouTube streams available to you.

Table of Contents

Why Live Streams Are Worth Using?

Not yet convinced that YouTube live streaming is good for your business? Here are a few statistics that will change your mind.

Live videos have the ability to capture the attention of viewers 10 and 20 times longer than a prerecorded type of content
80% of video viewers prefer to watch a stream from a brand than read a blog
According to a recent survey, 20% of US adults confessed that they watched live videos a few times a day
66% of US content creators include live-streaming as part of their content strategy

From the above statistics, it’s clear that YouTube Live is a strategy that can drive the growth of your audience. Some other benefits of using YouTube Live include:

Real time interaction with your target audience – If you want to connect with your viewers, you should try live-streaming. A live stream allows you to have a one-on-one conversation with your audience. This encourages your viewers to share their thoughts and ask questions. This makes YouTube Live more fun and engaging compared to watching a pre-uploaded video. Further, with YouTube Live, you get real-time feedback from YouTube active users.
Authentic content – A live stream is a unique way of sharing content. The streaming content is more authentic as your viewers will get an opportunity to see an unfiltered part of you or your brand. This gives your viewers a better sense of your brand while also building trust.
Monetization – There are many monetization options available to you with YouTube Live. Some of these options include super chat, super stickers, pre-roll ads, mid-roll ads, overlay ads, channel membership, partnership, and affiliate programs. You can even ask your viewers for donations or tips as you live stream
Easy collaboration – YouTube Live makes it easier for you to collaborate with high-profile experts, artists, and renowned speakers. In case of a physical event, it becomes very difficult to invite such people, but this is not so with live events. Live-streaming allows you to collaborate with renowned personalities, and this increases the number of viewers who attend your live stream and also keeps them hooked and engaged.
Increases your reach – As mentioned earlier, internet users prefer watching a live video stream to a pre-recorded one. When you do a live video, it increases your chances of reaching more people. Besides, live videos have a higher chance of ranking on search engines compared to pre-recorded videos.
Budget-friendly – You don’t need sophisticated equipment to go live on YouTube. You can go live using your smartphone or your computer’s webcam. Further, when doing a live video, you won’t have to worry about editing your video or spending hours on other post-production tasks. You can also use YouTube Live to organize virtual events and deliver an online seminar or training, which saves you traveling costs and the time you’d spend organizing a physical event
You can reuse the content – You can record a live-streamed video and later make it available as on-demand content. Besides, after your live stream, your video will be saved on your channel so that your viewers can watch it later. Repurposing your streamed videos helps improve the identity and presence of your brand

The Types of YouTube Live Streams to Pay Attention to

There are three ways you can stream your YouTube videos

Through mobile – You can use a mobile device such as a smartphone or a tablet to stream your videos. Although YouTube has age restrictions to protect minors, young people aged 13 and above who may not have sophisticated equipment can stream videos thanks to YouTube Live However, to stream through mobile, your channel must have at least 50 subscribers.
Webcam – You can also use your computer’s webcam to go live. The good thing about this option is that you can use it even when your channel is still new and has no subscribers. This option is also ideal for live streams that don’t require lots of resources, such as Q&A sessions.
Encoder – If you’re going to stream a live event, conference, or webinar, you’re better off using streaming software or a hardware encoder. A software encoder is an app you can use on a computer while a hardware encoder is a standalone device that doesn’t have as many performance capabilities as a streaming app. However, hardware encoders are more efficient and faster, although they tend to be more costly than software encoders. An encoder enables you to share your screen and use multiple cameras and microphones, among other hardware.

There are various types of YouTube Live audience connection examples, and it’s important to choose the right ones for your brand. Your choice will often depend on your target audience, your industry, and the goals of your live stream.

Here are four types of live stream formats that you should consider:

Live Webinars

A live webinar is an engaging and interactive experience with more than one speaker who presents information or discusses a topic.

When planning a webinar, ensure you have someone in your team who can host it successfully. Also, choose a theme for your webinar, identify your audience, and ensure you have the right equipment. Lastly, be sure to promote your webinar across your social media channels to attract viewers.

Q&A Session

A YouTube live stream is uniquely suited for a Q&A session.

In such a session, the host answers the questions asked by followers. Inviting your followers to ask questions when doing a live video helps personalize the conversation while allowing you to interact with them in real time.

Besides, you get real-time feedback as your viewers will express their opinions directly to you. Q&A sessions are also budget-friendly, especially if you don’t have the equipment to hold a webinar or another virtual event

Conference Live Streaming

As a brand, you can choose to broadcast a conference live with the help of YouTube Live. You can choose to stream the conference highlights or the whole of it.

Conference streaming helps you attract a far wider audience, enhance your marketing efforts and give you more revenue opportunities in terms of sponsorship and partnerships. Undoubtedly, Conference live-streaming is an excellent way to boost your brand reputation, ROI and customer loyalty

Virtual Events Live Streams

In addition to streaming a conference, you can also stream a live event. Live-streaming a virtual event is an excellent way to connect with your audience, even those that can’t attend the event in person. It also provides another means of getting revenue, as you will provide a paid experience for your exclusive home audience.

Therefore, don’t underestimate the importance of live-streaming a product launch, a festival, a trade show, or a concert.

YouTube Streaming Tips to Connect with Your Audience

Now that you know how you can use YouTube Live and its benefits, here are streaming tips that will help you started on your success journey:

Have a goal – Your live stream should have a goal or an objective. For instance, if you want to build valuable connections with your audience, make sure you stick to this goal and maximize it during your stream
Encourage participation – To make your live stream more engaging, make your audience part of the experience. Ask your viewers to comment, give suggestions, or ask questions on the YouTube live chat feature. Make sure you acknowledge the comments and answer the questions in real-time
Test your equipment and network – You don’t want your microphone or webcam failing during the live stream. Ensure your equipment is fully functional before you start the stream. Test your network, too, to avoid a broken stream or another error caused by a disruption in your connectivity. Although viewers prefer live videos because they aren’t staged, you should also have a script or some notes ready to avoid mistakes and embarrassing moments. Also, test other additional features in your live stream, such as privacy and safety settings, beforehand to ensure they’re working.
Consistency – If you want to build your audience through live streams, you need to be consistent. Stream your video at the same time of the day and stick to streaming content your audience is interested in. This way, your audience will eagerly anticipate your future streams.
Promote your live stream – To attract viewers to your stream, promote it by sharing the link on social, posting a premier on your blog, or using other methods to spread the word. Also, scheduling your stream in advance gives you ample time to inform your viewers that you will be going live.
Use YouTube Analytics to track the performance of your stream – You can see how your streams perform with the help of YouTube Analytics. For instance, you can analyze how many viewers watched your stream, average watch time, playbacks, new subscribers, and the number of chat messages viewers send. This data can help you improve your future streams accordingly

Conclusion

It’s time for you to use the power of YouTube Live to build and connect with your audience. From streaming webinars and Q&A sessions to conferences and live events, YouTube can grow your brand in more ways than one.

Are you ready to level up your video content with YouTube Live? Let us know in the comments section.