Plan your live stream content and discovery

Ready? Set up your live stream for success with tips on how to create a solid plan around your programming strategy, using engaging creative approaches, and getting your live stream discovered.

Live streaming on YouTube

• Set yourself up for success

  Going live is an exciting opportunity to engage with your viewers in a new way and grow your channel. Fans often find it thrilling to know that they can see and interact with you, right now. Before you go live, there are a few things to consider to set yourself up for success:

  • What is the goal of the live stream? Determine what you want to accomplish by going live. Will you interact with viewers in a new way or show them something behind the scenes?
  • Why does this idea have to be live? Will live broadcasting enhance the topic?
  • Is this a series idea you could repeat or a one-off format? Decide whether the content of the live stream is similar to what viewers would expect from your channel. Could this be something to bring into your regular programming schedule or keep it as a one-time event?
  • Will viewers who miss the stream enjoy watching it later? Consider how the live stream may be watched after it takes place. Since completed live streams are added to your video library by default, there are opportunities for live content to complement your other videos.

  When preparing for your live stream, consider striking a balance between planning ahead and being improvisational to create the best experience for your viewers -- viewers want to see your authentic personality shine through.

  • Outline a written plan for your live stream to help you stay organized. This can include central messages in the stream, or calls to action you want your audience to remember (eg: “Don’t forget to subscribe and be sure to ring the bell to get notifications for all my future streams!”) Having a plan helps your stream feel organized and structured, which audiences appreciate.
  • Consider inviting a co-host. Ask a friend or a fellow creator to join your live stream to keep up the energy and combine talking to the audience, reading chats, and moving between topics. Your co-host can be off-camera too!
  • Assign help. Ask individuals to moderate the chat, stream health, and other technical elements while you are live streaming. Or have someone act as a ‘producer’, selecting comments for you to read out and letting you know when to move on from a segment.

  Tips

  • Before your first live stream, check that your account is in good standing and verify your identity.
  • Set goals and write out talking points, an outline, or a storyboard.
  • Determine which creative format (repeat or one-off) can enhance your brand.
  • Design your live stream for watching live and on-demand.
  • Create a plan for your live stream to stay organized during broadcast.
  • When setting up your chat moderation, you can create a blacklist of words and enable moderators to help you.

  See it in action

  • 
    Planning Q&A
    Even though live involves being improvisational, planning your stream can help keep it interesting. Tom Scott built a format that asks a new question every few minutes. This keeps the show moving and exciting and allows for new viewers to quickly catch up.
  • 
    Lively co-hosts to keep the stream dynamic
    Having a co-host (or two) can help maintain energy and flow, especially within a longer stream. Hannah, Grace and Mamrie bounce off each other during this live stream. One will read comments while the others tell stories and make jokes. This keeps the stream interactive and unpredictable.
  • 
    Chapter your streams
    Rebecca Zamolo incorporates a multi-act structure to her streams. She uses three discrete segments of interactivity, demonstration and surprise. This allows her to keep the audience engaged, because they always know there’s something exciting coming up next!

• Try engaging creative approaches

  Live streams are typically centered around a moment that compels viewers to watch it now. During your planning phase, think about a subject that makes it irresistible for your audience to watch live. Below are a few creative approaches to keep them engaged.

  Approach	What viewers like	Things you can try
  Suspense	Anticipating what may happen next	Generate suspense through an unpredictable outcome as a fun way to keep your viewers watching Set up games, challenges, or giveaways during the live stream - these naturally amplify the feeling of suspense
  Interactivity and chat	Feeling like a vital part of your community, so they’re inspired to interact with your live stream Having the potential to change the outcome of events Being recognized by you or their peers	Give a shout out to your top contributors Say hi when viewers join Encourage conversation through Q&A, take viewer suggestions, or poll them
  Keep it dynamic	Having the live stream hold their attention with limited “dead air” time (moments where nothing is happening)	Create a semi-structured outline Have your team (on or off camera) help you by co-hosting or selecting comments for you to respond to throughout the stream
  Never before seen	Experiencing something they may not be able to experience on their own	Craft a narrative around the never-before-seen experience so viewers are encouraged to watch beyond the initial “wow” moment Take your audience to a new location or on a behind-the-scenes tour
  Shared experience	Being a part of something together as a group, so they feel a sense of connection (shared experiences feel unique to everyone on the live stream and create a community amongst viewers)	Foster a shared experience through video games, new experiences, or performances

  See it in action

  • 
    Suspense
    Olympic diver Tom Daley works out with his audience, challenging them to keep up with him. Fans type out how many exercises they’re able to do, seeing if they can keep up with an olympic athlete.
  • 
    Interactivity
    In ARC Party, a show for book-lovers, viewers are able to vote (1, 2, 3) for which box of new advanced readers copies will be unboxed and reviewed next. They greeted individual audience members by name and asked them questions, strengthening the connection with their community.
  • 
    Community promotion and shared experience
    Live is a great way to get your community excited, and feel part of your next project. By watching her documentary with her fans and answering questions, Lily added a whole new dimension to the film.
  • 
    Never before seen
    LosPolinesios releases baby turtles back into the wild and brings this unique moment to your screen.

• Help viewers discover your live stream

  Promotion is key to get the word out and generate a buzz in anticipation of your live stream. You should think about how to promote your live stream and how it can be discovered before, during, and after your live stream.

  Before

  • Social media and your channel are great ways to let your audience know when your live stream is happening. If you live stream often, you can:
    • On your channel, use the channel description to promote the date, time, and topic or add the promo to your channel banner.
    • On social media, build teasers with highlights, Q&A opportunities, or ask for input from your audience. Create excitement with your fans by teasing content a day, hours, or even minutes before you go live!
    • Encourage viewers to subscribe and ring the bell to receive push notifications.
  
  • Create your title, description, and thumbnail so your live stream can be easily discovered once you go live.

  During

  By ringing the bell, your fans will get notified whenever you livestream in-app and through e-mail. The notifications can appear in two places on your channel: a special live section on your channel page and in the subscriber's subscriptions feed with a ‘Live Now’ badge. For anyone watching your content, your stream can get surfaced on search results, the YouTube homepage, and suggested videos.

  

  Give your fans who missed the live stream the opportunity to see it and get them excited about your next one. You can promote this to viewers who missed it on social media and get them excited for your next live stream! You also have the option to make the video unlisted, private or delete it.

  Tips

  • Promote your live stream on social media and on your channel to generate excitement.
  • Think of your title, description, and thumbnail before going live to help with discovery.
  • Consistency is key -- if you are using a repeatable format, try to go live at the same time each week.

  See it in action

  • 
    Make a clear call to action
    UnboxTherapy tells his audience to enable notifications during his live streams.
  • 
    Make it easy for your audience to act
    At 12:46, Maya explains the exact steps that her audience can take to enable notifications.