by If you were wondering how to live stream an event on Twitter Live, you’re in luck. We’ve put together a quick guide to get you off the ground.
This article will walk you through…
- How to prepare for your Twitter Live stream
- Where to do a test stream before the real one
- What to include in your live stream tweet
- Which hashtags to include
- How to engage with your viewers
- How to save your live stream video
- Where to view insights from your stream
- How to promote the live stream
Donald Trump will be green with envy once you’ve mastered these Twitter skills. Stretch your thumbs and get ready.
1. Make sure the venue has WiFi
No Internet connection, no live stream. That’s why the first step is to make sure that your event venue has excellent WiFi.
If you plan on streaming to other platforms in addition to Twitter, then you need a perfect connection.
You should also ensure that your phone or tablet is working correctly. If you’re using a camcorder and microphones, they also need to be tested ahead of time.
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2. Advertise your live stream
It’s a good idea to advertise your upcoming live stream. That way, you’ll increase the number of people who actually watch it.
Use your mailing list and your social media channels to announce the live stream. But don’t do it too early if you still need to sell tickets to the actual event.
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3. Do a dry run on Periscope (optional)
Twitter Live is really an extension of the Periscope app. It was initially a live streaming platform that Twitter acquired a few years back.
Your Twitter Live stream will automatically be available on Periscope as well. Since you can’t perform a dry run on Twitter Live, you should do it on Periscope first.
4. Tap “What’s happening?”
Open up the Twitter app and start a new tweet by tapping on “What’s happening?”. You’ll be presented with a new screen where you can compose a tweet.
Tap the photo icon in the bottom left corner of the new screen. If you haven’t given Twitter access to your photos before, you’ll have to authorise it now.
5. Tap on the Live button
You’ll see a new screen once you’ve tapped the photo icon. There are a couple of buttons and then an overview of the photos and video on your device.
Tap the Live button to start your live stream. If you haven’t given Twitter access to your camera and microphone, then you’ll again have to authorise it.
There is no option to choose the front-facing camera, so you’re stuck with the back-facing one. It’s not about you, anyway—it’s about your event.
6. Compose a tweet
You’re ready to go live! But before you click the big red button, you should write something about the live broadcast.
Include the details for the event and tell people why they should tune in now. Treat the tweet like copy that sells the live stream on Twitter.
7. Include some hashtags
Twitter is the platform that made the hashtag so famous that no one knows what a pound sign is anymore. In other words, you need to use hashtags.
You should definitely create your own event hashtag and have everyone involved use it. But you should also include other relevant ones (i.e. #livemusic if your event is a concert).
8. Go live!
Okay, you’re now ready to go live…for real this time. Tap the big red Go Live button, and you’re on the air.
No one can stop you now. And everyone can see you. If you’ve done everything right, you should start seeing some comments from viewers of your live stream.
9. Engage with the Twitterati
Now that you have the attention of the Twitterati, you need to engage with them. After all, they’re the reason you’re doing the live stream in the first place.
It’s likely that you’ll have many other things to do at your event. That’s why you need a dedicated person to reply to all the comments you get.
10. End the live stream
When the event is over, it’s time to end the live stream. Remember to wind down your broadcast correctly, and thank people for watching and commenting.
You should also include a call to action when you wind down. Tell people what to do next, like subscribe to your newsletter or go to your website.
11. Save the live stream (optional)
Once you end the live stream, you’ll see a new screen. You can watch the replay of the live stream and access insights.
Before we do that, tap on the three dots in the bottom right corner of the screen. You’ll be given the option to “Save to Camera Roll”.
The reason you should save the video is so that you can use it to promote future events. Feel free to repurpose the video as shorter clips, still images, or even GIFs.
12. View Twitter insights
Tap the Insights button to see all the statistics for your live stream. You’ll see the number of live and replay viewers.
You’ll also see how long people watched for, how long the stream was, and how many comments you got.
That data can be put to good use. If you ever use paid Twitter ads (see #14), then use the insights to target your ideal audience.
13. Pin the tweet to your profile (optional)
Once the live stream is over, you’ll see it on your Twitter feed as a tweet with a Periscope link. You can pin this to the top of your feed, so it’s the first thing people see.
14. Promote the live stream with Twitter ads (optional)
You should consider using Twitter ads to promote your live stream. Use the live stream insights from #12 to target the people most likely to engage.
Since it’s a representation of your event, you might get new people interested in attending future iterations.
BONUS: Twitter Media Studio
Twitter Media Studio follows in the footsteps of YouTube. It’s where you can get really creative with your content on Twitter.
It has a range of cool features that will definitely add to your live stream. You can, for example, include a link to your website as metadata.
If you’re a more extensive business, you can also add team members to your Twitter Live Studio. Go back to #9 to see who you should give access.
Finally, you’re also able to monetise your content on Twitter via the Media Studio. How about that? Make money from ads on Twitter in addition to your event’s ticket sales.
Stream away!
You now know everything you need to start a live stream on Twitter. Hopefully, you’ve also come away with few tips to make your stream stand out from the crowd.
Happy tweeting!