Live-Streaming Video Content: The Pros and Cons

Looking for ways to boost your long-form content production? Live streaming videos like webinars, Q&As, interviews and workshops could all be a great way to inject more in-depth and lengthy content into your video marketing strategy.

Live streams have become increasingly popular over the length of the pandemic because they offer brands a way to remotely engage with their customers. They give consumers a real person to talk to and answer their questions. The streams feel more personal in real-time and help your audience feel heard. At the same time, they can be exclusive content that only features members or during certain events.

In this article, we’ll explore some of the pros and cons of live-streaming video content.

Let’s dive right in!

The Pros of Live-Streaming

Live-Streaming Comes With High Engagement

There is something about live streams that captures the attention of audiences. Likely, this has everything to do with the fact that they can engage with a community of other viewers in chat, ask questions, and observe another person in real-time. In addition, live-streamed videos come with the understanding that the content won’t be edited down to its most efficient and streamlined version. 

As a result, viewers of live streams often come into this experience prepared to spend longer watching the video and engaging with the content. Attending a live stream is like attending an event. Your viewers will bring more commitment than they would to any other form of video content.

Live-Streaming Is Cost-Effective

Long-form content production is often expensive because of how much time and effort needs to be sunk into it. However, live streaming long-form content can be a great way to work with a small budget. You don’t have to spend extra on editing, animations and graphics.

Of course, this comes with the downside that you won’t experience all the benefits of professional video production.

Live-Streams Turn into Long Form Videos

Once you’ve recorded a live stream on your chosen platform, you can usually share this pre-recorded version with audiences that might have missed out on the live event. This means a highly-engaging live Q&A session can quickly turn into high-quality long-form content afterwards that will keep bringing in views. You can even edit this recording. For example, create a highlight reel, event recap or promo video. Or edit the live version down to streamline it into a more easily consumed long-form video.

The Cons of Live-Streaming

Mistakes Happen

The biggest downside to live video is that you can’t protect yourself from all eventualities. The production might not go as smoothly as you’d like. For instance, actors and interviewees might stumble over their words and not get a second take. Poor internet connections could create lag. Equipment might break on-site and cause outages that delay the event. And of course, there might simply be a lull in the conversation, or the content might not be as engaging as you had hoped if participants have to deviate from a script.

Live-Streams Come with Time Limitations

Many platforms cap live streams at the 90-minute mark. This may be more than sufficient for your event. Still, in some cases, Q&A sessions or webinars could benefit from running longer. There are also time constraints on the viewer’s side. Because of real-time commitments and time zones, many viewers might not view the entire video content and miss out. This is why it’s imperative to create professionally edited recordings for renewed excitement for these viewers!

Live-Streams Can Fail Without Sufficient Planning

Live streams are like live events which you want your audience to attend. Suppose you haven’t advertised your live stream sufficiently and ensured there is plenty of interest. In that case, you might waste the time of your interviewer, actors, behind-the-scene staff, etc. Primarily Q&A style live-streams rely on high audience engagement, so the event might flop if the chat is nearly empty. This, in turn, makes it a poor choice for shareable long-form content.

Combine Live Streaming With the Power of Professional Video Production

Many live streams can actually be pre-recorded without heavily affecting the live “feeling” when they are officially streamed. This is true for all types of live streams where audiences don’t engage directly with the actors in the video.

Pre-producing content allows you to work with a video production company and unlock all the benefits of professional editing. This means long periods of emptiness can be cut out, professional graphics and animations can be inserted to enhance your video, and you can even do another take if someone fumbles their sentences.

If you can’t pre-record, it is still worth engaging professional help to edit your long-form video content once it is recorded live. That way, you can refresh and improve the content for viewers that didn’t make time for the live stream and maintain a more polished version to circulate the web.

For help with all of your video production needs, get in touch with High Stakes films in London today.

Published by High Stakes Films

High Stakes Film is a Production House in London delivering concept-to-edit brand experiences through photography and film. We bring the creative talent to get the job done when the pressure is on, from talent features and product shots to brand storytelling and POS. High Stakes Films draws on ZAK’s next-generation insights and strategies to inspire ground-breaking creative productions. Whatever you need - we’re here. https://www.highstakesfilms.com/

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