Live streaming: What to know for Corporate Events, Businesses and Non-profits

Written By Ross Jaynes

Here’s why your Business or Non-Profit should live stream more content

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It’s never been easier to bring people to an event, no, really. 


During the COVID-19 pandemic, live streaming jumped 12% as people worldwide adapted to stay-at-home orders and remote work. We now have the option to attend a Post Malone x Nirvana tribute concert from our living rooms, listen to an epidemiology conference in our earbuds as it happens, bop around the Guggenheim Museum in the morning, and swing by the Van Gogh Museum during lunch. 


 With so many places shut down, live streaming is booming. 



 According to Grand View Research, the live streaming market is expected to become a $184 billion industry in the U.S. by 2027, thanks to expected improvements in live streaming technology and artificial intelligence. 



 Another survey found that more than half of people expect live-streamed events to replace in-person events, according to live streaming company Restream.



 Here are some of the key benefits to live streaming: 

 

• Easier exposure for your non-profit or small business: Your potential audience for a live-streamed event has no bounds. By promoting your event on social media and sharing it among colleagues, you can drum up a sizable crowd. Restream reported that 53% of people surveyed noticed higher event attendance rates after going virtual in 2020. 

• Save valuable knowledge for future reference: Many live streaming platforms allow you to record and save video for later viewing. This convenient option allows people who couldn’t attend the live stream to still see the original presentation. Anyone with access can refer back to what was said instead of relying solely on notes. Marketing professional Neil Patel suggests repurposing your live stream events into audio podcasts or blog posts. 

• Reach a younger audience: If your goal is to tap into a younger demographic, they’re busy watching a live stream as you read this. Traditional TV watching declined among people aged 18 to 49 during the pandemic, while online and mobile video content saw a huge spike in views. 

• You control the room: With live streaming, it’s a lot easier to minimize distractions and create a closed environment for people to focus on your message, but it’s still an engaging experience. Attendees can submit questions and comments in real-time, so presenters can immediately clarify their statements or go into more detail. A study by Forrester found that users will stay and watch live video 10 to 20 times longer than on-demand content. 

• Hold events from literally anywhere: The days of booking cheesy and overpriced hotel conference rooms to host an event are coming to an end. You can send out a link to a live stream video link and have hundreds or thousands of people attend your panel discussion, networking event, poetry reading, or all of the above. 

• A sense of connection: Since most of us have adjusted to life apart from one another, building connections online is easier than ever. For brands, that’s a good thing. According to a survey by AdWeek, 70% of consumers who feel connected with a brand typically spend twice as much as average consumers, according to an article in Forbes. 

 

Here are some cool things to know about live streaming if you’re new here: 

 

• Live streaming events are becoming more and more common. The number of live streaming events increased 300% from March to August 2020, according to Unscreen. By June 2020, watch time for live content was up 250% in the U.S., according to Think With Google. 

• Twitch is the biggest live streaming platform, with more than 9.3 billion hours of events watched, according to StreamElements. It’s popular with video gamers, but the streaming platform also hosts charity drives and cosplay events. In 2020, Twitch’s active streamers tripled, according to Restream. 

• Although Twitch holds the largest market share in the live streaming world, people prefer using YouTube to view live-streamed events, according to a Vimeo survey. Although Twitch and Facebook are the most popular platforms for live-streamed content, 70% of survey respondents said YouTube offered the best viewer experience of live content. 

• E-commerce live streaming is poised to be another booming business. Thanks to Alibaba and live shopping events that feature real-time product demonstrations and reviews, it’s already huge in China. Across the board, GWI Consumer study found that 21% of people learn about new products through live video. 

 

Live streaming can be a convenient and fun tool for non-profits and small businesses. If you stick to a schedule, use good SEO and offer fresh, helpful content, audiences will notice. 

 

 

Not sure about how live streaming could work for you? Here are a few ideas for great live streaming opportunities for your non-profit or small business:

 

• Expert panel discussions: Gather a handful of your colleagues and professional acquaintances together to share their expertise on a topic. Similar to an in-person conference, you can host your think tank-type event from the comfort of your own home. Have all the participants promote the event on social media ahead of time and give attendees a schedule of when speakers will be live to tune in to what sessions interest them. 

• Interviews: For a more intimate discussion, have someone with your group sit down for an interview. You can prepare questions ahead of time to have plenty of talking points to go through or take questions from people tuning in. 

• Question-and-answer sessions: If you have a topic you know people have questions about, host a live question-and-answer session. You can promote the session ahead of time, so people know when to tune in and ask people to submit their questions when they RSVP. 

• Product demonstrations/live tours: If you make a cool product or have an interesting workplace to show off, show everyone what it’s all about! Take people behind the scenes at your business or bring folks into a place they may never be able to see for themselves.  

• Host a class: If you have a skill you think people could learn, share it on video. Whether you’re great at making spreadsheets, writing grants, or doing yoga, you can share your knowledge with the world and connect with your audience as you go. 


Live, Streaming & Recorded Events

We cover corporate events in Nashville/Middle Tenneesse including shows, ceremonies, and sporting events with our professional photography and videography. Visual Media Co. is one of the few Middle Tennessee video production companies with the skill, equipment, and crew that can shoot both photography and video. Discover how we can help you craft your unique livestream!

Ross Jaynes
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