How To Get Acquainted With Hosting A Livestream Event
You’ve already got all the information on how to plan a livestream event… now how do you host it? First thing's first: what is your end goal? To drive traffic to socials? Raise awareness about your brand/film/cause? Hone in on the big picture that explains why and how you're going to make all of the time and effort you're putting into this activation worth it (trust us - you'll need that reminder when you're pouring yourself a glass of wine before diving back into the run of show). Check out our top tips & tricks for a successful virtual live event.
Let's Get Acquainted: Know Your Audience + Pre-Event Triggers
Let's face it, we're a year into the pandemic - the Zoom fatigue is real. Due to that, make sure you realize that these events aren’t for a new audience. During our Acquainted Virtual Launch Party, we had 62.3% of viewers join in via recommendations! We can’t help but assume it was Adelaide Kane (Reign) and Giacomo Gianniotti (Grey's Anatomy) fans. These virtual lives are the perfect way for fans to interact with their favorite cast member.
When you go live, you don't wanna kick off right on the dot or leave your early birds hanging. Having a countdown stream around 5 minutes before the event begins builds anticipation and keeps the viewers at bay. Have your host & panelists do one last social media push right before the event starts so you can maximize reach and attract last-minute stragglers.
This blast should happen on their accounts (pro-tip: IG Lives really do the trick because they notify followers directly). When it's showtime, we recommend playing your film's trailer or some other introductory video to tastefully launch the start of your event and allow the late ones to trickle in.
Pick Me!: Maximizing Audience Engagement
During our Virtual Event, we had 45% of viewers engaged throughout the whole event! You may be wondering how you will incentivize your viewers to join and keep them engaged throughout the actual live. Easy - make it interactive. Opening up the 'floor' to questions that can be answered by the panelists/guests is always a good idea. Ensure your viewers know that the event will consist of a fan Q&A and drop reminders throughout the live to leave questions in the comments anytime. It's like encouraging them to be a "Pick Me" (but in a good way). It sure worked for our Acquainted live event, considering we had 995 comments throughout our event - 1,333.3x more comments than any other post we had during the month!
Not only can you use comments for Q&A's, but you can also promote the film there! You can simply pin a comment with the movie's website, and that leads the views straight to it! Get those conversions any way you can. ;)
In addition to a Q&A, keep in mind how you can weave other initiatives, activations, and connections into your event. What do you have to offer? Is it a giveaway with an incredible partner? A personal, private Zoom with one of the panelists/guests? Use your unique offering to drive even more traffic to the live event by announcing the winner(s) at the end so that only those who are still tuned in will know if they are the chosen ones.
Oh, We’re Talking Long-Term: What Happens After
What's one of the best parts about a Virtual Live Event, you may ask? The endless opportunity for views! We started off with 152 views when we first went live for Acquainted; now we've increased our views by 465%! While it will definitely vary depending on the type of event, for us, 86% of our viewers were women and 14% were male.
However, what are you gonna do with this hour of footage? Repurpose it, of course! Keep the recording archived and feel free to cut up different clips that can be posted on socials and included in PR efforts. And boom - you've got content for days (or weeks, we don't have access to your social media calendar). See what the heck we’re talking about here. And here. And also here!
Alright, we’ve given you everything you need to know. Now, it's your turn to execute. Virtual live events are a way to engage + resonate with your community, promote something special, and have a shit ton of content. It's crucial to get ahead of the game while you can. Even though there is a light at the end of the tunnel for small live events coming back, we still think Virtual Events will be here to stay. I mean, why would we write this whole blog if it wasn’t? Take advantage of what you can do now. By the way, make sure you watch Acquainted ;)
Cheat Sheet: For Our Too-Busy Friends
What is your end goal?