Why Live Social Media Matters for Trainers
- Real-Time Excitement: Creates a sense of urgency and FOMO (“fear of missing out”), encouraging attendance or online viewership.
- Authenticity and Connection: Behind-the-scenes peeks and real-time interactions build a stronger connection with your audience.
- Increased Reach: Live videos often get priority in social algorithms, boosting visibility for your event.
- Repurposable Content: Recorded live streams can be edited into clips, testimonials, or trailers for future events.
Key Concepts for Training
- Platform Considerations
- Audience Match: Where is your target audience most active? Consider demographics when choosing platforms (Instagram Live vs. LinkedIn Live, etc.).
- Feature Familiarity: Explore each platform’s unique live features (Q&A, polls, guests, etc.) for the best engagement strategies.
- It’s Not Just About Going Live
- Pre-Promotion: Build anticipation in the days leading up to the event with teasers and announcements.
- During the Stream:
- Engage with viewers (answer questions, acknowledge comments)
- Clear calls to action (register now, follow for more, etc.)
- Post-Live:
- Share highlights as clips or posts
- Thank viewers and address follow-up questions
- Content That Shines Live
- Behind-the-Scenes: Event setup, speaker prep, exclusive sneak peeks
- Q&As: With speakers, industry experts, or even attendees (on-site or virtual)
- Contests & Giveaways: Flash giveaways announced live create excitement
- Demos & Short Tutorials: Showcase something relevant to your event’s theme.
- Tech Prep is Key
- Strong Internet: Essential for smooth streaming
- Audio Matters: Test your microphone setup for clarity
- Good Lighting: Makes you look more professional
Training Activities
- Live Event Brainstorm: Using event scenarios, have trainees come up with 3-5 live stream ideas tailor-made for their target audience and platform.
- “On-the-Spot Interview”: Pair trainees, with one playing an event speaker and the other an interviewer. They have a short live “interview” with prepped questions and audience Q&A.
- Promotion Plan: Have groups create a pre-live stream, during, and post-live stream promotional plan for a hypothetical event.
Training Resources
- Platform Resources: Each social platform has its own guides and tutorials for best live-streaming practices.
- Sprout Social Blog: (https://sproutsocial.com/) Insights on social media trends, including live video strategy.
- Live Streaming Equipment: If budget allows, introduce simple gear to improve quality, like ring lights or clip-on microphones.
Trainer Tips
- Embrace Imperfection: Minor hiccups are okay; authentic engagement trumps polish.
- Encourage Practice: Suggest trainees do solo practice runs to boost confidence before going live for the event.
- Analyze Results: Stress the importance of reviewing live stream analytics to see what content resonated best.
Activity Variations
- Live Stream Relay: Divide the group into teams. Each team goes live for a short segment with a specific goal, building upon the previous team’s content. Example:
- Team 1: Event venue tour
- Team 2: Quick speaker spotlight interview
- Team 3: Behind-the-scenes setup with a contest announcement
- The “Oops!” Fix: Present trainees with common live streaming mishaps (bad audio, unexpected interruption, etc.). They must brainstorm solutions on the fly.
- Post-Live Analysis: Provide recordings of previous event live streams (could be your own or publicly available). Have trainees analyze what worked well, what could be improved, and how to repurpose the content.
Event Scenarios
- Industry Conference: Large-scale multi-day event with keynotes, workshops, and networking. Target audience is professionals in a specific field.
- Food & Music Festival: Outdoor festival with local vendors, bands, and a family-friendly vibe.
- Virtual Career Summit: Online event with live talks, resume workshops, and virtual networking opportunities.
- Charity Auction: A hybrid event (in-person + online components) with a silent and live auction to raise funds for a cause.
Additional Tips for Scenarios
- Tie to Persona Work: Revisit ideal attendee personas and tailor the scenarios to match their interests and likely social media hangouts.
- Variety is Key: Include a mix of B2B, B2C, and different event sizes to showcase the range of live social media applications.
Variation Examples Using Scenarios
- Conference “Hype Session”: Trainees brainstorm a short, energetic live video to boost excitement between keynote speakers.
- Food Festival Challenge: Teams plan a live ‘taste test’ segment featuring a few vendors, showcasing the event atmosphere.
- Virtual Summit Q&A Have trainees design a live Q&A format with a career coach, focusing on common audience questions.
- Charity Auction “Exclusive”: Groups outline how to use live video to give online viewers a sneak peek of high-value auction items.