Brands are constantly looking for new ways to include more people in their experiential marketing events, which has led many brands to turn to live streaming. In the past, it was much more difficult and expensive to film events and share the videos online. Brands would have had to rent equipment or hire someone to handle the filming to ensure it was done correctly. But, with the introduction of Facebook Live, it’s easier than ever for brands to start live streaming their own events. Now, all it takes is few taps on your smartphone to start broadcasting video coverage of your event directly to your fans at home. If you want to incorporate live streaming at your next experiential marketing activation, make sure you follow these tips for before, during, and after the event:

Before the Event

Live streaming should feel spontaneous and natural, but you still have do a bit of preparation to make sure everything goes off without a hitch. In the days leading up to the event, check all of your equipment to ensure everything is working properly. It’s best to go to the exact location of the event and do a test run of the filming. Why does it matter where you practice? If you’re live streaming through a tool such as Facebook Live, you will need a strong internet connection to keep the feed going without interruptions. Do a test video to check the strength of the internet connection, and also to identify any other potential issues. For example, how is the lighting in the venue? If there won’t be enough light to capture a clear image on film, find a new location within the venue where you can live stream or bring in additional lighting you can set up before the event.

Now, figure out what you’re going to cover during your live steam. Remember, it’s supposed to sound natural and unplanned, but you should still have a rough outline of what you want to talk about, who you want to interview, and where you want to go within the event. As you film, you should feel free to move around so viewers can see different parts of the event. For example, if you’re live streaming from a fashion show and want to go backstage, figure out what you’ll do once you’re behind the scenes. Is there a makeup artist or hair stylist who can say a few words? Can you stand by a rack of clothes and quickly show off a few pieces? Plan this out so you don’t aimlessly wander around and bore your viewers.

You should also promote the fact that you will be streaming live from the event to your fans and followers. Remind everyone that if they can’t make it to the event, they can still participate by tuning into your live feed. Encourage them to share the event with friends or leave comments about what they hope to see during the live stream. This will help you build buzz around the event and increase the number of viewers who watch you from home.

During the Event

Now, it’s time to start live streaming your event. Start off the live feed by introducing yourself, and giving a brief background on the event. You should repeat this short introduction a few times throughout the live stream. Why? Everyone in the audience isn’t necessarily watching the event from the very beginning. If they tune into your live stream late, you want to make sure they know what’s going on, so every five minutes or so, remind the viewers who you are and what event you’re broadcasting from.

People love live streaming because it allows them to communicate directly with their favorite brands. As people watch the live feed, they can send in questions or leave comments about the event. It’s up to you and your team to stay on top of the comments that are being submitted so you can address them and answer questions live from the event. Even if you don’t have time to get to every question, make sure you acknowledge that you are seeing the questions come in so viewers know you are listening to what they have to say.

After the Event

That’s a wrap! The camera may be off and you may not be live streaming, but the work is not over yet. If you used Facebook Live to stream your event, you will have the option of saving the video to your camera roll once you have finished filming. Make sure you select this option so you have a copy of the video on your phone. This makes it much easier to upload to other social media pages and embed it onto your website.

Even though you were reading viewers’ comments during the live stream, you probably didn’t have time to actually absorb what they were saying. Now that the event is over, go back and see what people were saying during your live stream. Were there any parts of the video that people found boring? Were they asking to see more of certain aspects? If you didn’t get a chance to answer all of your fans’ questions during the live stream, respond to them with a comment after the event.

You should also create a post on your social media pages to thank everyone who tuned in to watch. Use this as an opportunity to ask for feedback on the event itself and your live feed so you can improve before your next event.

If you’re interested in live streaming from your experiential marketing event, contact the experts at Factory 360. There’s no room for mistakes when you’re streaming live to your fans all over the world, so let us help so we can ensure everything runs smoothly. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation!