The COVID-19 contagion is showing no signs of stopping any time soon. Researchers have already made it resoundingly clear that we won’t have a vaccine until at least 18 months in the future, if at all. Until then, we have to stay at home and practice self-isolation. This, unfortunately, means that live events will have to be delayed until things get better.
The good news here is that you can still host virtual events and keep audiences engaged, the trick is to properly plan and prepare for the event. Here is our round up of the top dos and don’ts for live streaming your next event.
The Dos
i) Do Use Sufficient Bandwidth
Hosting a successful virtual even requires a reasonably fast internet connection. A slow internet connection will quickly tire your remote viewers out and they will drop their connections. The success of your virtual event pivots around a fast internet connection that can offer a fluid and flowing experience for your live audience. Avoid using Wi-Fi here because it would lead to interruptions that can cause your stream to freeze, buffer, and drop out entirely.
ii) Do Use the Right Tools
Audiences no longer have the luxury of seeing the host in person. You will have to recreate the same experience with a robust video camera (high resolution and frame rate) along with a powerful microphone with all the right features (such as decent frequency response and directionality). It may be tempting to use the camera’s built-in microphone, but the audio output of the device will be extremely limited.
Make sure you utilize an external microphone to deliver a superior quality of sound to your virtual audiences. Make sure it can capture the true essence of the host’s voice.
iii) Do Reuse Your Content
One of the high points of virtual events is the ability to repurpose the content and extend its life span. Media outlets do it all the time by taking important snippets from the live performance and uploading it as a standalone video. This keeps your audience coming back to relive the same experience.
The Don’ts
i) Don’t Leave Out the Metrics
It may seem challenging to keep tabs on your audience’s reaction and engagement levels because of the physical barrier that that now exists, virtual events are your best possible tool when it comes to capturing audience data. This information can then be used to optimize KPIs and improve your brand’s ROI. There are many virtual event providers who let you capture audience reactions based on the event’s performance.
ii) Don’t Forget About the Sponsors
While your audiences are your bread and butter, your sponsors also play an important role in keeping your business afloat – this is as true for virtual events as it is for live events. It is extremely easy to plug in sponsors into your virtual event in nonintrusive ways. There are various platforms that you do this without sacrificing quality and keeping both audiences and sponsors happy.
