#5: On the Go Livestreaming: A new way to bring an in-person connection to virtual communication
Livestreaming—presenting public meetings live via social platforms—is a now standard tool in contemporary public engagement, but it is so fraught with technology challenges for outreach teams that it is often dismissed. A recent development has turned the complexities of livestreaming into a simpler version that reduces the need for expensive equipment and special training. Called “broadcasting on the go," this newer approach is surfacing across the web, and outreach teams are jumping back on the livestreaming bandwagon to capture and stream live events using only a smartphone, delivering real-time immediacy that can bolster campaign effectiveness.
What is modern livestreaming?
On the go livestreaming gives anyone with a smartphone the ability to share what's happening around them as it happens. It's a big part of digital communication right now, and the reported 1.1 billion hours of live streaming in 2019 make it the perfect complement to a campaign that also includes social media posts, ads, and articles. Sharing the video over a social media network creates instant interaction with the audience. And, these kinds of live streams get shared during and after events as well, drawing in an even larger audience.
Here are a few popular tools for on the go livestreaming for public engagement:
Snapchat. One of the best-known apps for streaming live, Snapchat pioneered on the go livestreaming. With Snapchat, once the live event has ended, streams can be saved for editing and redistribution elsewhere.
Instagram. Facebook's subsidiary has over a billion active users, and is especially popular with adults under 35. Instagram Live's reliance on mobile devices makes it very good for reaching the often hard-to-reach younger audience.
LinkedIn Live. The professional social media network's livestreaming service has proven to be an effective way to draw eyes and interest to a project. According to LinkedIn, its livestream videos get seven times the number of reactions and 24 times the number of comments as a standard post.
How can broadcasting improve public engagement efforts?
Immediacy. Broadcasting on the go happens in real-time. It's a powerful tool for showing what an event is like as it happens, keeping people up-to-date and capturing a moment and everything surrounding it in a way that can't be duplicated.
Flexibility. The variety of on-the-go livestreaming platforms let campaign teams pick the best fit for their audience and the project. And, the video can be repackaged for other engagement applications, increasing visibility and expanding reach.
Authenticity. Building trust with audiences is fundamental in public engagement—and the real-time transparency of the livestream can translate to the project as a whole.
Streaming In
Broadcasting on the go can go a long way for a public engagement effort. When a video shows what's happening here and now, the audience can connect to an event, even if they are not attending in person. The use of on the go approaches can equip engagement teams with content they can use and reuse, maximizing exposure and reach—add a poll, and you can create a feedback loop that makes otherwise passive audiences part of the conversation—more on that next week when we look at trends in polling.
Interested in seeing these trends in your outreach? Let’s get to work, give us a call and schedule a meeting today.
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