I often say that a stage is simply a platform to share your message. In this online world, especially during the pandemic, most have been surprised to learn just how many stages are readily available and are ready to start exploring.
Today we’re talking about live streaming, however the secrets I share are absolutely relevant to pre-recorded video or any other stage that you find yourself speaking.
Making the decision to start showing up on live stages can often be an emotional decision rooted in FEAR.
What will others think of me?
What if I make a mistake?
What if I have a total brain fart?
What if I *actually* fart?
Legit on that last one. I once had a client tell me that one escaped her during a zoom meeting (thank goodness it was a private session, but can you imagine?!)
So yes, live video can be scary and intimidating… if you let it be.
Whether or not you choose to start leveraging a live platform like Facebook or Instagram is really a question of importance.
Does the purpose for live streaming outweigh your fears?
When you explore alternative perspectives from your current reality, you might find the courage to bust through your fears, excuses or inconsistencies. That is why I’m uncovering for you a few truths today that might help you see live streaming in a new way for your business.
These are not tactics or technical strategies, but rather adjustments with how you see yourself and the platforms. Explore these truths for yourself and I think you’ll redefine your relationships with live streaming.
I won’t get into the reasons WHY live streaming can be an instrumental tool in your marketing belt, but you can get more insight into that, along with practical strategies on episode #34: 5 Ways to Structure Live Video Shows with Melanie Dyann Howe.
So let’s dive right in.
Remember the power of the #replay
A mistake that many eager video newbies make that leads to disappointment is thinking that the value of live streams is the LIVE component.
Don’t get me wrong, the live piece is exciting and fun… when people show up! But truthfully, unless you already have a large and engaged audience online, you’ll most likely not get a lot of live attendance when you start (if any at all).
This could be deflating for someone who faces their fear and hits live only to be met with ZERO watchers… if that is the expectation.
So let’s start by shifting the value of the platform. The power of the live is in the replay and re-purpose.
(08:53) live streams have the potential to reach a bigger audience. Facebook lives are engaging when you get people live, but the power is in the replay because click and live on Facebook means that you all of a sudden now have a video on your Facebook page that you can download and re-purpose and do for other things.
When I go live on Facebook, we download those. My team takes it. We make little bite-sized videos and those become packaged up little videos that we do on IGTV, or on our Instagram stories, or on YouTube. We repackage it.
If you are struggling getting video content out, remember that these videos have the potential to be far more than one live.
OK, but which platform should I focus on?
This is a question I get weekly from my clients and my answer is always the same. I don’t care where you show up. I just care that you’re doing it consistently. Be smart about it, go where your audience is.
Pick the streaming platform that feels right for you.
That might be Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn or somewhere else. Pick a platform, grow to a level of consistency and when you have it, you can adopt strategies to be more effective, then add another channel.
4 truths to help you start showing up
Truth #1: You are the differentiation that sets your brand apart
(10:47) You have to make showing up a constant, not a variable in your business. People want to hear from you. They want to see you. You were the difference maker in your brand and products.
You have to accept the fact that when you post pretty pictures and captions and other things that look “on brand”, but you don’t show a face, people aren’t truly connected. You have to be connected with your audience, particularly, if you’re building a relationship business, a personal brand style business.
Truth #2: Mastering the camera has become a foundation of building relationships online
(13:00) It is no longer optional. It is a requirement because if you are not, you are now behind. This is no longer an optional kind of thing. You need to make the decision that this is what you do.
Decide that you are the kind of business owner who shows up and does video.
End of negotiation.
Truth #3: The more you get on camera, the more you say your message out loud, it gets better.
(18:47) There’s no shortcut. The shortcut is doing the work. Doing the exercises, saying things out loud, doing the word vomit exercises.
You’re not going to be great. You’re not going to be great when you first get started, so just accept progress, progress over perfection.
Truth #4: When you record, you have an out. When you go live, you get it done.
Understand your relationship with a camera. I’ve found through my work that there’s two camps when it comes to creating video:.
- Camo Live: These are the people who say “Oh, I would so much rather go live because I don’t have to think about it!
- Camp Pre-Record: These are the folks that even the idea of going live gives them hives, they’d much rather have the ability to edit.
I’m not here to say that one is better than the other. I use both in my business and have seen many entrepreneurs be successful at either or both. What you must understand is which camp you sit in so that you can make a decision that is on par with your strengths. Don’t force live if it feels awfully unnatural. But if you do go this route, be sure you are in fact still doing video.
If you find yourself resisting both live and pre-recorded, you have to push yourself out of that indecision.
Don’t use the tech as an excuse
(16:22) You don’t have to be fancy and you most certainly don’t need to be techy.
To help you get started, here’s links to a few additional episodes that will help you on this path:
How To Articulate Your Thoughts So They Make Sense To Others – Ep #02
5 Ways to Structure Live Video Shows with Melanie Dyann Howe – Ep #34
