Thanks to COVID-19, we all have to now conduct our business ONLINE. No matter what you do, no matter what you sell, or whatever you have to offer, the best and only way to reach your known and unknown audience now, is from as many online platforms as possible.
You need to be able to stream your content to your audience and this calls for more and better packaging of the content before sharing through any online platforms.
In a house of worship for example, the go to solution now is the Live Streaming option.
Live streaming gives viewers a powerful feeling of “being there.”
When your audience view a live video stream, the viewer feels as though they are right there with you, taking part in the event. And that feeling is exactly what you hope to deliver with your streaming initiative.
As a powerful tool, Streaming technology is a very important and has and will continue to evolve. Even so you need to take out time to plan before making any investment on it. To get the most from it, first, know where you want streaming to take you.
Have a PLAN
It’s always a good idea to have a plan for anything you want to achieve. Know your reasons why you want to live stream. Having clear goals, will make your decisions about purchases easier.
Looking around, it seems as though all churches are getting into streaming, but it’s important to make an early determination as to both how realistic your expectations are, as well as how those expectations are going to fit within budget.
“Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
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And Action
Once you have a known goal or direction, it’s time to dig into the technology. You are going to need hardware, software, and most likely a service to help you reach your audience.
Live streaming looks so much like a live television broadcast. This calls for a production environment to: capture the action, convert it into a “stream” of data, and distribute it to your viewers.
Your goal at this stage of content creation is to capture good quality video and an accompanying audio signal.
Distribute
The only way to distribute your content is through the incredible reach of the Internet with a high-speed dedicated connection and fast hardware.
Time Allocation – To engage your audience, you’ll want to make sure you can schedule a preferred time for your broadcasts, whether they are live content, pre-recorded or uploaded video segments. When audiences know when things are showing, there’s a better chance they will tune in.
Added Bonus
LIVE CHAT – Using Live Chat with your broadcast means viewers can interact with you and other viewers.
So How Do You Get The Message OUT
There are many streaming providers who are ready to distribute your content. Each has its own pricing, distribution model and features to consider. The right one for you will be the one that lines up best with your plan. Let’s take a quick look at the free ones.
FACEBOOK LIVE – Facebook’s Live is an excellent streaming destination for most people, especially for those who may already have a following with this platform. It’s a great place to start. Facebook has all the right channels for communication, notification and interaction. It’s certainly popular, but Facebook falls short in its organization and scheduling.
Note: it’s free!
YOUTUBE LIVE – YouTube live offers a better organization method. The only thing to be aware of is that: YouTube actively looks out for licensing. In other words, it takes copy right issues seriously. If for example your choir performed a licensed music track, there is a chance that YouTube could identify the audio and that could result in them disabling your account.
Note: It’s free!
Some other streaming services worth noting includes:
TELESTREAM WIRECAST
USTREAM
LIVESTREAM
WOWZA
