5 livestreaming tips for newbies and veterans alike

With smartphones and apps, you can be a one-person camera crew and on-air talent. There are savvy steps you should follow, though, so you make the most of the event.

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Once upon a time, live on-air video shoots happened only in TV studios.

Today, with the popularity of Periscope and Facebook Live, anyone can record and share live broadcasts right from their smartphone.

If you’re thinking about doing a live video shoot for your brand (and you’re as nervous about doing so as I was), here are a few things you can do to make your broadcast go smoothly:

1. Write a script.

Half the challenge of live video is knowing what you’re going to talk about. “Winging it” rarely works out the way you want it to — you end up with a lot of stalling and filler words (e.g., “um” and “uh”), and you may end up talking in circles.

Take time to write down your thoughts and major talking points in advance. I’ve actually found it helpful to create and print a formal script and tape it to the tripod we use, so I have the words right in front me.

Live news anchors read off a teleprompter during their broadcasts, so there’s no reason you can’t read off a script during your videos.

2. Promote the video

To increase your reach, post promos about the video on your social media channels before it happens so your audience knows to tune in.

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