Live Streaming  for Business: How, When and Why you should use it?

Live Streaming for Business: How, When and Why you should use it?

Live streaming industry is full of marquee names. The industry has Facebook Live, Twitter’s Periscope, Instagram Stories and Snapchat. Businesses have lofty expectations on live streaming platforms as they help brands communicate with audiences. Interaction and customer engagement is the formula that brands are faithfully sticking to. And yes, viewers prefer live videos from brands and not just run-of-the-mill social media posts.

To say live streaming is an overnight phenomenon is wrong in many ways. Many industry leaders are convinced that live video streaming is an extension of video marketing. They are also convinced that live streaming lends stability and shape to marketing strategies.

 The returns on live video streaming are amazing. Brands do not require any expensive or fancy paraphernalia. They just require an HD camera, a tripod, and a good internet connection. Many popular live streaming platforms are absolutely free. Let’s look at some numbers.

Facebook has more than 2.2 billion active users. Interestingly, Facebook Live has 360 million active users. Periscope has 10 million users while the number of active users is 1.9 million. Of course, its numbers aren’t as impressive as those of Facebook. Let’s now look at Instagram. Instagram Stories has more than 300 million daily active users. Snapchat has an estimated 191 million daily active users. To be upfront, the numbers are overwhelmingly large!

Can brands ignore such numbers? No! Brands should use different live streaming platforms to their advantage and to the fullest.

There is this FOMO – Fear of Missing Out factor which is fast catching up with viewers. To satiate their curiosity and immense anxiety, viewers are tuning into live streaming. More importantly, audiences want to gratify their intellectual curiosity and hence, brands should use live video streaming to educate customers about the benefits and advantages of their product and service offerings.

The infographic below gives a quick insight into why you should consider live video for your business or brand, which platforms to use, and what formats to explore.

live streaming business

 

2019 – Year of Live Video Marketing. What you should know?

2019 – Year of Live Video Marketing. What you should know?

Videos have not only become an impeccable source of entertainment but also a great tool for marketing and promotion. The level of interaction and engagement with video content is way more than any other content format.

According to a survey by Renderforest, after embedding videos on their websites-

  • 78% of websites got boosted traffic,
  • 71% of websites increased session times,
  • 69% of the businesses got more leads, and
  • 54% of websites increased their average sales.

These numbers indicate that video marketing has a positive impact on improving an organization’s presence. Whether you sell a product or service, there is a vital need for creating and sharing amazing videos with your prospects.

The years of 2017 and 2018 were extremely into video content marketing, but what’s in the store for businesses in 2019?

Indeed, it’s live video marketing!

Prospects are drawn to live videos and live events. Live video marketing is more than a powerful trend. For all intents and purposes, it’s a must-have strategy to get ahead of the competition, create compelling content, build a loyal fan base and gain tremendous traction.

If video marketing is a giant pie, live video streaming is one of the biggest pieces from it. Here’s a brief run-down on what you should know and why you should focus more on live video streaming platforms in 2019.

New video formats are trending these days: 

No doubt, the internet is overwhelmed with videos. Almost one-third of the internet traffic is from videos, but customers are no longer interested in ordinary videos. They are interested in creative ideas. This is where live video streaming platforms such as Facebook Live and Periscope come into the picture. Another trend which is hard to ignore is the emergence of ephemeral videos. Celebrities, influencers, and models are using Snapchat and Instagram to generate ephemeral videos.

Temporary visual content is expected to saturate the web in the upcoming years. As for live video marketing, 360 degree live videos are gaining momentum in 2019. This case study by Magnifyre reveals that quite a good number of viewers watched the 360-degree video to completion.

Video storytelling is giving amazing returns to businesses. The onus is on businesses to create compelling narratives. The key is to establish an emotional association with prospects.

Bands like Muse and Foals have used 360-degree music videos to add additional layers to their linear narratives. However, it might not be a replacement for the linear counterpart. 360 degree live videos could help businesses and brands to amuse their prospects and deliver better engagement than their competitors with the linear narratives.

In addition to that, 2019 is also the era of virtual (VR) and augmented reality (AR). While devices are still in transition to adopt true VR and AR capabilities, the adoption of the same in live streaming would also be an exciting event. Though the recorded VR and AR experience are already in trend, it’s not unrealistic to hope that 2019 might come with something far sophisticated to enable live VR and RV streaming for common audience.

The Recipe for Best Live Videos in 2019

The recipe for creating engaging marketing videos doesn’t change every year. It’s simple. You should understand the pain points of your customers and provide a feasible solution. You should be successful in building trust, and inspire them to share your videos.

However, the content for live video streaming is a little different. You can learn from how Space X uses live videos to create tremendous buzz on its historic milestones. When it comes to breaking industry news and live broadcasting rockets launch into space, Space X is arguably the best.

Does it impact Elon Musk’s reputation if there are small glitches in live feeds? No! People know that live broadcasting of a rocket being launched into space is extremely challenging. However, they do expect glitch-free recorded videos.

Your product need not be as awesome and exciting as Space X’s Falcon. The key is to provide in-detail product descriptions and delight your audiences. You might want to take a cue from the live product launch events by different tech brands.

Apple is a brand that does not require any introduction. Its product launch events are also as popular as its brand. Despite receiving huge traction on its official events page and YouTube Live, it adopted live streaming on Twitter for the first time in 2018. They knew social media streaming is a trend and there is a greater chance to reach a wider audience with Twitter.

That’s the key. You should know where to stream. Having a presence on as many live streaming platforms will only benefit your brand. Gain the capability to stream on multiple platforms at a time, if you want to adopt live video marketing in 2019. Use a live streaming software that supports multi-platform streaming for your cause.

Live Demo Videos Make Things Clear:

In addition to the streaming of live events, the live demo streaming of your products or services would help you build an unbiased trust in your brand. If done right, live such live explainer videos can remarkably increase your brand credibility and presence among the common audience. They help your prospects understand the benefits and advantages of your products and services.

Live-streaming-StreamHash-Fool.com

Image source: fool.com

People often ask me this question – What’s the ideal length of an effective live demo or explainer video? On-demand explainer videos are generally small and coin size. However, there is no industry standard.  A live demo should be very comprehensive and should address the extent of the complexity of your products. It’s good to go with a video whose length is anywhere between 5-10 minutes. Anything less than that is of no use for a live session.

Successful live demo videos have great sales scripts. Below are a few words of wisdom.

Live_Explainer_Video-Streamhash

Your sales script shouldn’t exceed 250 words. Concisely and precisely state how your product addresses industry problems. Don’t compromise on video quality. Last but not least, simplicity in live explainer videos is desirable. Do not complicate and confuse. It will be counter-productive!

Make sure to address the live queries in the real-time. The more demo you show based on the live questions, the more useful you can be with your live event. Moreover, do not forget to announce the live demo event in advance.  As it would be a short session, people might not be able to join you if not informed in advance.

Use Live Stories to Enamor Audiences:

A lot of credit should be given to Snapchat for introducing the concept of stories in 2013. By all means, ‘stories’ concept became an instant hit. Soon, other popular platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, etc., introduced stories. Such copy-cat mechanisms intensified competition.

In 2019, expect more brands to do live short stories to grab as many eyeballs.

Story creation is easier said than done. Stories should be authentic. If you are looking to create a brand story, ensure that it is associated with a central theme. You should be able to eloquently articulate the purpose of your organization. As mentioned in one of the earlier paragraphs, build an emotional appeal. Emotional appeal can be used to forge long-lasting relationships. Once you build an emotional connect, pricing doesn’t matter much.

Do not make the strategic mistake of alienating customers from your brands. Sometimes, the story we tell may not resonate well with prospects. Build a narrative which inculcates a sense of belonging in your target group.

Leverage Behind – The – Scenes Footage:

It’s a good strategy for brands to showcase their human side. Audiences love behind- the – scenes footage. Don’t believe me?

In 2016, Dunkin Donuts took the initiative of hosting a live tour of its facilities. The video covers short episodes of interviews with staff experts. Undoubtedly, the donut factory is a treat to watch. Right from laying out dough to decorating donut cakes, a staff member explains every step in the process of donut creation. If you observe the video carefully, you will realize that the staff member has been working for the company for the past 41 years.

Leverage_Behind_the_scenes-Streamhash

This is a personal milestone. It subtly conveys a very powerful message – Dunkin Donuts values its employees. It’s a trustworthy brand.

A behind-the-scenes show the real work behind a business. The trend started with the entertainment industry, where celebrities tried to connect with their fans showing the real scenes behind the camera. In any business, the behind-the-scenes live streaming can engage the audience with the brand. BTS viewers entice the actual work and struggle of a brand. It does not require any production or planning.  Just grab a phone and start streaming what’s happening.

Curious to elevate your brand presence? Leverage live video marketing to showcase behind-the-scenes footage.

Whip Your Viewers into a Buying Frenzy:

Are you keen on drastically boosting your sales? Create a buying frenzy!

How do you create it? There are many answers. To begin with, build brand exclusivity.

Let me ask you a follow-up question – How do you build brand exclusivity? Let’s learn from the master- Chevrolet. As a part of its winning strategy, Chevrolet used Facebook live to whip audiences into a buying frenzy. Its chairperson articulated his thoughts on sustainability and urbanization. He explained the purpose of electric cars and promoted CES 2016.

The exclusive tribe of Chevrolet owners was delighted.

Still not clear? Have you ever seen the live launch events of Apple or Samsung phones?

All those live demos, behind the scene clips, hyper-extended feature explanation with sophisticated animations, the flood of social media hashtags, and crazy launch discounts, everything creates a path to the buying frenzy. As a result, you see people camping overnight outside the retail stores to buy the products the first day itself.

Over to You

Now that you are familiar with the importance of live video marketing, get yourself professional live streaming software that can help you deliver results. Purchase that software which helps you create great video experiences and drive sales.

Founds this post useful and informative? Keep watching this space for more insights on live video marketing. If you have any queries, shoot them in the comments. I shall reply to the best of my capacity. Cheers to 2019!

How Does Video Ads Technology Work

How Does Video Ads Technology Work

Online advertisements are a means through which website owners and webmasters make money.  For all intents and purposes, online advertisements can take the form of banners, surveys or videos. Recently, video advertisements have seen a rise in popularity. This can be attributed to the rise in the number of social media users. Audiences have become inquisitive and online surfing is satiating their intellectual appetite.

To utilize a video advertisement to the fullest, learn about video ad technology. The purpose of this article is to keep you informed about video ad servers, the players that are used to project the ads and the concepts of VAST and VPAID.

Video Ad Servers

Video ads are stored and kept ready in a network resource called Server.  This is the simplified version of the functionality of a video ad server. If we delve deeper, there is an intricate web of instructions that are followed to display the right advertisement on the right web page at the right place at the right time.

Video ad servers are classified into two types:

  • Publisher Ad Server
  • Third-party Ad Server

 In case of a publisher ad server, the ads are displayed only on the publisher’s personal website. They are designed keeping one publisher in mind.

In case of a third-party ad server, the ads are displayed on a multitude of websites. Websites may or may not belong to the same organization.

Publisher ad servers are a good idea if you are a well-established business. You should have enough resources to manage and maintain your portfolio. This way, the work remains internal and hands on. A third-party ad server is for the ones who are new to the business. If you are looking to expand, outsourcing your video advertisement needs to a company designed to manage it makes more sense. This way, you can invest more time and resources in the development of your core product.

A step by step process is involved in displaying an advertisement, and it starts from the moment you select a website on your webpage. Here the publisher web server which holds all the websites data starts to communicate with the web browser and gives it the directions to locate the ads to be displayed. This sends the browser in the direction of the publisher ad server, where the browser shall use a small portion of the ad’s code to find it. The ad server will use this tag, find the ad and decide the appropriate creative display. The final delivery of the product is managed by marketer ad server.

Ad Format

While creating an ad, the creators should:

  • Decide the player to be used so as to display the video ad
  • Finalize the format or template to be used- Template is required to embed the code of the advertisement.

Let us now take a look at the most popular types of template.

For long, people have relied on creating their own templates to create an ad. This, however, is a tedious and time-consuming task. Moreover, to run the original script ad, a player is required. Creating a player is easier said than done. Not only does this add to the complexity of the task but also costs the company a fortune if the work is freelanced.

An advertising business organization, Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) gave the world not one but two solutions to this problem by creating standard interfaces which can be used all throughout the world by anyone.  The solutions are:

  • VAST: Video Ad Serving Template
  • VPAID: Video Player-Ad Interface Definition

Video Ad Serving Template (VAST) and Video Player-Ad Interface Definition(VPAID) have centralized the video ad industry and are godsend boons for ad developers.

VAST was the first template created by IAB in 2008 to simplify the life of the ad creator by creating a common list of instructions. This list of instructions can be used by all to create the ads which can be run on different types of players. It is worth mentioning that, IAB  in 2016, came out with VAST 4.0 where they have improved this template in areas like standardized time stamp, conditional ad declaration, universal ad ID etc.

VPAID is the advanced version of VAST and has seen much popularity when it comes to advertisements. Marketers are in love with its functionality. The ad reports back the action/response of the user. This can work as a great survey and marketing tool.  VPAID has an advantage over VAST in the fact that it is more interactive.

Many have today started to tap into the best of both worlds by layering VPAID over VAST. This gives the users an enhanced experience when it comes to video ads. The ad benefit of VPAID is its better user interaction, while VAST has the advantage of running on any video player

Video Player

Once the final product has been created, it is the task of the video player to display it. The video player’s function is to display the ad and also send a feedback to the server of the user who viewed the ad. They can also carry out advanced research like assessing the environment they are being run on. For example, handheld devices and desktops register different behaviors.

As mentioned earlier, initially, the creators were coerced to create a specific player for a specific template. Thanks to IAB, VAST and VPAID templates, everything is standardized. There are no hassles.

Types of Ads

  • In-stream video ads

These are the ads which many webmasters are familiar with. They are the annoying kind we encounter while watching a video on YouTube. Also known as linear video ads, they are played before, after or during the video content.

  • Out stream video ads

These are billboards of online advertising. There is no content which is used as a platform to display this type of ads. They are generally placed in the corners or alongside articles. Standard ad placement protocols are followed.

  • Interactive Video Ads

These ads are not just there to be viewed. The purpose of this type of ads is to keep audiences engaged. Interactive ads have the same functionality as linear ads. They are played before, after or in between the original content. However, interactive video ads can be used to give the users an opportunity to sign up or have a taste of a game the ad represents. This way, the creators can not only display their products but also let the users enjoy.

Advertising the product is the most important marketing skill any business owner should be aware of. Since the internet is here to stay for eternity, marketers should keep themselves abreast of video ad technology and trends in video streaming. Cheers!

How to Build a Professional Live Streaming Studio Setup

How to Build a Professional Live Streaming Studio Setup

The introduction of mobile apps like Snapchat and YouNow has increased the popularity of live streaming as the new social media trend. Many have seen the potential that live streaming holds and have tried to inculcate it into their existing platforms – Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram are to name a few.

The potential in live streaming has not only been noticed by the big names in social media, but also by individuals who would like to make their brand visible, may it be a product or themselves. It doesn’t take much, financially or the know-how, in order to set up a live streaming studio or if you want to build a live streaming studio in-house.

The article to follow will give you an idea about how to build a house studio.

A Work Space         

This is where we begin to build a live streaming studio. It is necessary to have one dedicated area the purpose of which is only to create your live stream videos. This is necessary so as to have one consistent background to be used for every live stream you do.

Almost all YouTubers have a habit of having a consistent background for all their videos, and eventually, the background itself becomes a key characteristic of their brand. The background can be used as an advertising tool, which will help make the product you are marketing visible.

As making a high-quality live video requires a lot of bulky equipment, it is always a plus to have a place where the equipment can be set permanently in the desired tunings and not disturbed by you or anyone else in the house. This way, your studio also functions as a storage area.

Equipment

Even though the technology today has developed enough to give us smartphones with high-quality video and audio recording, they still cannot beat the capabilities of professional recording equipment. 

The famous words spoken by all directors – reputed and non-reputed, i.e., lights, camera, action, will give you an idea of the type of equipment you need. You require lights in order to make the subject matter as bright as possible, good camera and a decent audio recording system.

As someone who is just entering the biz, it is advisable to start small and then build on it. It is this approach that makes sense both in terms of finance and scalability, as the time passes by, it will help you understand what equipment works best for you.

  • Lights

The lighting system is an important point to consider because even if you have a high-end video recorder, they won’t give you the optimum output if the lighting is not correct. You could either be lucky enough to have windows in your workplace which have good sunlight exposure or go the artificial route and buy some studio lights.

The downside of natural light is that you will have to designate a certain time when the light is right to record a video, and it may not be so every day since factors like the weather may interfere. Going the studio light route is better, as it gives a consistency to all your streams.

  • Camera

These are going to be the windows through which the viewer is going to gaze at you. This is where the more you invest, the better. There are many recording devices that you can go for, but in general, the main options you have are a webcam, a DSLR or a video camcorder.

Whatever you may opt, look for a recording device which captures video in1080p 30fps quality. Another thing to watch out for is a clean live HDMI output. There are many companies out there like Canon and Sony which sell high-end products, but if finances are an issue, then Logitech could be worth a look.

  • Audio

The first thing to do, avoid using the inbuilt mic. That is a strict rookie mistake. Always opt for an external mic as the sound quality will complement the video better. There are many audio recording options out there. You can go for a classic Larry King style mike on the table setup or if you are not a fan of the visible mic, a boom mic is also a viable option. In the case of a boom mic, you will have to go for a stand too if you are a solo act.

Streaming Platform & Software

Having found yourself a private space and acquiring all the required equipment, your live streaming studio setup is now complete. What comes next is an important step, as it involves deciding the platform on which you would like to advertise your product and reach your audience.

Many existing social media heavy hitters have come to see the potential in live streaming and have tried to add the option to their platforms. The first ones to catch up to it were Twitter with Periscope, an independent app, which was later made an integral part of the parent site.   

Facebook caught on soon with Facebook Live, and soon YouTube came up with YouTube streaming. The platform which you choose to use depends on what you are selling. Many users look on YouTube as it is purely dedicated to video streaming and have a very simple and user-friendly uploading process.

StreamNow is a streaming software which is very much preferred by the live streaming community. It has multiple monetization options- ranging from monthly subscription and banners to pay per view. Latency and bandwidth are not a constraint.

Videography

The advantage that video uploaders have over live streamers is that they have time before to edit a video to perfection before uploading it. However, live streaming is real-time footage with no time for any kind of editing.

It is advised that a professional with the skills and know-how of videography and producing skills are available to give you productive insight. This will help in giving your live stream an edited feel, even though all of it is being updated as it is being recorded.

Encoder

It may sound like a large device with numerous wires, but an encoder is a simple tool which is easy to use. If you want to stream live, an encoder is a must. They come in two avatars: software or hardware.

Software’s have the advantage of not taking any physical space and are easy to use. However, they are known to require a very robust processor to take the load of streaming live videos. Hardware encoders are preferred by many as it is a dedicated system and robust enough to stream live on multiple platforms.

Live streaming is the trend which is making it big in 2018, and many have predicted that it would only grow from here. If you plan on making your product reach a larger crowd then going the live streaming route by using StreamNow Facebook Live or YouTube streaming could be very productive to your brand, no matter what it may be.

Do let us know your thoughts on live streaming. Feel free to mention your doubts or concerns in the comments section. Our best wishes are with you and your live streaming venture. Cheers!

Live Streaming is a Powerful Marketing Tool in 2020

Live Streaming is a Powerful Marketing Tool in 2020

If you were to search for trending cum most effective marketing strategies, then I bet video marketing would top the list. For all intents and purposes, the year 2018 is going to see most of the businesses opting for video marketing to reach out to their customers. What started as an alternative strategy to the then prevailing marketing solutions in 2017, has now become the most sought-after solution vouched by all kinds of businesses- small, medium and large. Furthermore, statistics suggest that B2B video marketing has reaped great results when compared to other practices.

As we talk about the concept of video marketing, we shall move to the latest trend in video marketing which is ‘live streaming’. Live streaming allows any business to do one most important and effective thing- interact directly with customers. How about receiving instant responses to a product you have just released? Or what is it like to make your brand known across all the continents? Well, live streaming makes these things possible in the easiest way.

Live streaming is a powerful marketing tool in 2018 and can be used in several ways. Here are a few of the effective ways in which you can make use of live streaming as a powerful B2B video marketing strategy:

Live Interaction:

Live streaming provides you with the option of interacting with your customers, thus strengthening your brand value. If you are launching a new product or a service, what better way can you resort to so as to receive immediate responses from the live audience. Many live video streaming apps and websites have this feature of allowing the viewers to give their reactions to the videos. Also, if you feel that a new product needs a walkthrough of how and when to use, you can set up a schedule and demonstrate it. Doing this will not only increase the customers’ trust in your business but also encourages them to stay loyal to your products. Instead of making your customers rely on statistics and mathematical figures to decide on buying your product, it is always a better choice to give them an opportunity to interact with.

Behind The Scenes Coverage:

Let us consider the example of a news network. It is an obvious fact that many people who watch the news have their favorite reporters or news readers, about whom they would want to know something other than their professional lives. Live streaming helps you do this too. Make your customers happy by showing some behind the scenes footage, either your factory or your personnel making giving some finishing touches to products etc. Many customers are keen on acquainting themselves with best quality practices. Live footage of quality tests in a bottling plant or a production plant will work wonders. 

Beta Testing:

People might have many doubts about your products. This is quite reasonable. They might want to see a demo of the product before they actually invest on it. Live streaming while you send your products through testing can be of great help to educate your customers; simultaneously you can receive feedback from them. Suggestions from live viewers can help you customize your products or services according to the user requirements.

Provide Useful Content:

Think about helping your customers win customers for the products or services they offer. Wouldn’t it be a great opportunity to strengthen your bond with your customers by adding a personal touch and help their businesses grow? It can be related to anything, like a live explanation of how to manage customer service or how to improve their sales. Providing content that can help them with their growth will certainly forge new relationships and enhance your camaraderie.

Expert Interviews:

B2B video marketing strategies can even include interviews with experts belonging to your business. You can actually take insights from industry experts and stream the interviews live so that your audience gets an assurance about your product from a person who is not promotionally associated with your business. It also improves your brand credibility as you can show that a person with a high-profile is willing to invest his / her time in your company’s business.

Customer Service:

Providing reliable customer service is a very important aspect if you want your customers to stick to your brand. Live streaming videos dedicated purely towards customer service will help you understand the users’ concerns about your products and also will help you resolve issues easily. One advantage of making such videos is that many people who might face a similar problem will get an instant solution, without you not having to address each one of them individually. Also, you can show that your business is transparent enough to know its flaws rather than trying to cover up the weaknesses/shortcomings. Being honest and professional while you solve customer issues can fetch you good results.

So far, B2B marketers have been making use of resources like social media posts, pre-produced videos and infographics to improve their brand awareness. But now, video marketing is an effective strategy, not only in terms of quality but also in terms of cost. Live streaming can be done with equipment as simple as your smartphone. You can initially start off with this and be depending upon the requirement you might resort to other high-level devices to set up your B2B live.

How to setup a White-labeled Live Streaming Solution for Your Events

How to setup a White-labeled Live Streaming Solution for Your Events

Online video streaming is now trending in the market as it has become the most sorted solution for any kind of business when it comes to reaching out to customers. Nevertheless, the various social media platforms available today are making video streaming an easy task. Not only are they increasing the interaction with customers but also helping the businesses overcome geographical barriers. And Facebook is among the top most used social media platforms with billions of users from all over the world.

Facebook live streaming is suitable for any industry headline when implemented with a proper marketing strategy. With white label live streaming done through Facebook Live, you have the advantage of easy performance tracking with the highly engaging audience from different parts of the world. Features like commenting on live videos and reacting to them instantly make Facebook Live a lucrative means for businesses to opt in. If you are wondering about the kind of events that can be streamed live on Facebook, here are some suggestions that might help you market your businesses:

Businesses and Firms:

What else can be a better way of launching a new product if it is not through a live video streaming which can be viewed by everyone and everywhere? If you are a business planning to make new releases of products or product versions, Facebook Live can be a great solution for setting up a white label live streaming as you can receive live responses from the audience, also their suggestions that can be implemented in the next releases. Any keynote speeches or press meetings can also be live streamed to grab the viewers’ attention.

News Networks and Broadcasting Channels:

If you are a news network or a broadcasting channel, here is an interesting piece of advice to you. Apart from the coverage of mainstream news, if you can live stream online some ‘behind the scene’ segments with the news readers and the anchors, also sharing their personal stories, you will have high chances of improving your viewer engagement. Moving on further, you might have also heard about the latest buzz in the market: the Satellite Media Tour (SMT). With the live commenting and reacting features of Facebook live, SMT guests will have the flexibility to interact with viewers of all the markets at the same time, not having to invest time separately in different markets.

Sports events:

Well, you might be hosting a very big sports event but not have the rights to broadcast it on any popular television channel. In order not to disappoint yourself or the possible audience, you may choose the option of live streaming. There are so many sports enthusiasts who will be interested in watching the live action, supporting their favourite teams or giving commentary and judging the actions of players.

While white-labelled live streaming solution can be used for many other business purposes like the above-mentioned ones, it is important to keep in mind that the quality of the video being streamed and the ease of accessibility by the audience are to be taken great care of.  To ensure that your target audiences are satisfied with the content of the live video, it is mandatory to take steps necessary to maintain good audio and video quality. Here is the list of hardware you will need to produce professional content:

  • Camera: Depending on the budget you are willing to invest in streaming the video, you have different choices of cameras ranging from consumer camcorders to professional DSLRs with prices peaking up to ten thousand dollars.
  • Lighting and Audio equipment: Basic lighting equipment, tools like tripods for stabilization and external mics can help in professional live streaming of videos.
  • Software or Hardware: If you plan to incorporate on-screen graphics and multi-camera feeds, then it is necessary to use switching equipment – either a software like Wirecast or a hardware like Grass Valley Kayenne production-quality switching system.
  • Encoder: In order to avoid buffering problems and to make a reliable white label live video, you should make use of a software or a hardware encoder to deliver high-quality videos.

Now, instead of using the above-mentioned equipment, if you prefer to make use of a simple medium, as simple as a smartphone, we have something to share with you even in this case.

Yes, you heard it right -a thing which is always in your pocket can be of help for streaming a live video. In fact, a smartphone is the only thing you will require if you are just starting to learn the process of live streaming. You just have to download an app on your mobile to go live in a span of few seconds. If you are someone who hasn’t analyzed the likes and dislikes of your audience and is starting with the video marketing strategy, making use of the smartphone app is the right choice to make. If the question of where to find such smartphone apps is ringing in your mind, let me ensure you that we have a highly recommended and reliable answer.

StreamNow is a one-stop solution to start your live streaming business. StreamNow is highly scalable live streaming software with multiple revenue channels that includes all the features to serve as a Twitch or a Ustream. This app acts as a native communication channel to constantly be in touch with your users and also has interesting features like social login, peer to peer commenting system/chat system, dynamic admin panel, pay per view policy. Another interesting feature of StreamNow is that it allows users to follow each other. For instance, when your friend is going live using Facebook, you get the notification. StreamNow also has a similar notification system. StreamNow is the live streaming app developed by the very popular StreamHash venture. Be it an on-demand business model like Netflix, video streaming like YouTube or Live Video Streaming like Facebook Live – StreamHash provides you with a ready-made solution to launch any business related to video streaming online.

StreamNow can give your user a seamless live streaming experience. When it comes to user subscription, StreamNow enables you to give your users different subscription plans (both paid and free. The pricing plans are categorized into two- Deluxe and Ultimate. While Deluxe plan is available at $499 with certain limitations on features, Ultimate covers all the features at $999. Moreover, StreamNow is constructed and optimized for multiple monetization channels making it easy for both the users and the business owners to make transactions.  It is not only a cost-effective option but is also an easy-to-setup and reliable source for live streaming.

In order to ensure that your white label live streaming goes smoothly as planned, it is important to have knowledge of the factors mentioned above. You may also have to keep a track of the requirements specified while using Facebook Live-such as file formats, advanced audio & video settings and video lengths. Watch out this space to learn more about live streaming. Cheers!