Many years ago, when live video technology was invented, there was a shortage of live streaming platforms. That has changed today, and picking a reliable one has become a hassle. This is because it isn’t a matter of signing up with the platform and going live. You need to consider more things- particularly, your short-term or long-term goals.
Each platform has a list of features that makes it suitable and reliable for your needs. It is therefore recommended you choose a platform that will satisfy your needs.
We’ve listed 5 steps for finding the right live streaming platform that will satisfy your needs in this article.
Let’s get started:
- Identify Your Target Audience
The first step in getting the right platform for live streams is understanding your core audience. There is no secret, and you must know whom you’re creating the content for. And this will go deeper than considering the gender skews or age groups. And luckily, some services are for sale, such as Twitch viewers.
You have to identify your audience to tailor content that will interest them. And that allows you to create more valuable and intimate live streams.
That said, how will you identify your target audience? With these questions below, you’ll have an idea of your core audience:
- What challenge or problem does your audience want to solve?
- Which are secondary problems or issues?
- What are the emotions of your audience while experiencing these challenges?
- What are some of the solutions they try?
- Have these solutions failed, and how?
- What are their expectations from these solutions?
The above questions refer to various challenges and solutions your core audience experiences. So, you don’t have to allow the verbiage to throw you.
Remember that audiences will join live streams to gain something – that could be for entertainment, achieve something, or explore the new industry.
When you uncover what the audience wants, you can discover their problems and offer them solutions.
- Define Your Target Goals
You need target goals to proceed with your aim of choosing a live streaming platform. Once you know your audience, the next thing is defining your goals to cater to your audience.
The good thing about this step is that it is relatively easy. The answers to identifying a target audience can help determine what your audience wants.
When you define your target goals, you can add structure to your audience through engagement. In other words, you will need to identify some unique challenges that you can explore in-depth. Some of these challenges should be positioned as a single live stream event but aiming at solving the significant challenge.
An easy way to define your goals is to understand your audience’s stage in the funnel. That’s because buyers will move from the top towards the bottom of the funnel. So, they will transform and get educated, which makes them ready to buy.
Again, the goals you set should vary. Perhaps you only have a few viewers on your Twitch channel; you will have to create more relevant content to attract more. And you can quickly achieve that by creating live videos unaware viewers would like to learn. Otherwise you may look for a Twitch bot to get your target audience.
- Research for Competitors
Research and identify some of your competitors. You can uncover how they use their live streams and the benefits they get.
Follow these five steps:
- Identify Their Platforms
When you know your competitors, check at the platforms they use to broadcast through – such as Twitch, YouTube, and more.
Today, brands will consider using more than one streaming with srt protocol. However, that may not give you success. You need a platform that can provide more viewers because that’s where your audience thrives.
- Identify the Livestreams Your Audience Produces
It is essential you know the live stream your competitors are hosting. That becomes a good guide for identifying vital topics to explore.
- Research how they Monetize
Live streaming monetizing is covered as a specific feature. Fortunately, there are other ways you can generate revenue with your live videos.
In this step, you have to identify the different ways your competitors earn through live videos.
- Research their Promotional Channels
You have to identify how your competitors drive viewership and engagement in this step. You have to search for the marketing strategies they use to know more about their ways of promoting the live event.
- Conduct a SWOT Analysis
The method will help you identify your competitors’ strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Identifying these tips will give you a better live stream offer.
- Align Your Features and Goals You want
As said earlier, each live stream platform has specific features. You need to identify the features you need to meet your target goals.
Some of these features you find in a live stream platform include:
- Video content management system
- Live video monetization options
- Auto-record to VOD, Monetization & Distribution
- Global payment processing
- Go-live notifications
- A branded live streaming platform
- A fully-customizable website
- Pre-regustration pages
- Live event countdown
- Live chat & engagement tools
- Coupons & gift cards
- Landing page builder
- Live streaming to web & branded OTT apps
- Video editing & embedding tools
- Advanced live video analytics
If you choose a live stream platform, the above features are worth checking. So, you will consider a platform with the essential features you want.
- Match Your Platform With Audience
The common mistake for most live streamers is going live on any available platform. That allows them to stretch too thin. And because you can live stream on a platform, it doesn’t mean you should do it.
When you focus your efforts on one platform, it may help optimize your live stream. The audience on the platform will get used when they see you live and can engage frequently.
Lastly, you’re not stretched thin; therefore, you can respond to comments and engage better with the audience.
Conclusion
Finding the perfect live stream platform is essential. The process is more than getting a platform, signing up, and going live. For a platform to offer you the best result, you should uncover your audience, what they want, and the platform they use.
An excellent platform helps you achieve audience-specific goals and brands.
Good luck!
