It’s not a given that people will watch your live video if you provide them with a link a few minutes before. (Of course, impromptu live streams are still likely to attract a crowd, but the aim is to maximise the size of that crowd!)

So if you’re thinking of planning a live stream in advance, head over to your YouTube channel homepage and schedule one, using the ‘events’ option.

This then allows you to promote the live stream before it actually takes place. Using social media is a good first port of call. You can simply tell your audience where and when you’ll be streaming or you can think a bit further outside of the box.

You can create a ‘live stream trailer’ using footage from either your previous live streams or pull footage from your YouTube videos. Then share it widely over your various social channels to entice your viewers.

If you’re posting regular vlogs or other content make sure to mention that you’re planning on live streaming. Chances are, if people are interested in your regular content, they’ll be potential viewers of your live streams too.

If you’re planning on making a habit of doing regular live streams, why not change the header or artwork on your YouTube channel homepage to reflect this?

You can use a tool such as Canva, that lets you build professional social header images. It’s really easy to use with a simple ‘drag and drop’ functionality, and there are tons of templates to help you get started.

This makes it as easy as possible for a viewer to find your live stream- this is always the main aim!

Think about your location carefully, and all of the factors that are going to affect your viewers’ experience.

It’s no good if your audience is straining to hear to you over tons of background noise, so pick somewhere that you’re in control of the volume of things around you.

Give your viewers something interesting to look at, whether you’re in a home studio or a more professional setup, the personal touches are best. A backdrop like a jazzy curtain or a decorated wall will be enough.

While you can stream from anywhere, it’s important to consider the decor of the space you’re in and what message it’s conveying to your viewers.

Don’t wait until the exact time you have planned your live stream to get in position. Log in a few minutes earlier, get yourself in front of the camera, check all of your equipment is working correctly and most importantly, loosen up a little!

You can also use this time to send a link to your stream via an update on your social media accounts- making it as easy as possible for your viewers to head over to your live stream.

When you’re lighting a live video you first need to make sure the host and any other guests are evenly lit and easy to see.

It’s important to make sure the lighting is flattering and presents a clear picture to your audience.

Unlike traditional ‘narrative’ lighting which tells a story, lighting for live video is all about the content of your live broadcast.

Check out this lighting video by PocketLIVE TV or Wistia’s Down and Dirty DIY Lighting guide as a great starting point.

Always have a backup of EVERYTHING. Computers, cords, cameras and audio cables especially.

Also, keep your devices charged and ready at all times, and it’s a good idea to keep a spare battery charged up because live streaming can be really draining on battery life.

It may sound obvious, but always make sure you are looking at your camera, which is essentially your audience.

A reference monitor on a camera is a great tool for knowing how your stream looks for your audience, but it’s so tempting to keep looking at it. Resist the urge to stare at the monitor for longer than needed, to make sure your eyeline into the camera lens is correct.

Having an extra set of eyes on your live stream is very important. So whether they are watching along in the same room, or watching remotely from a different location, as long as they can be in touch with you, it’ll work.

This extra person can provide support and inform you of any problems that you can’t see, such as audio sync issues and choppy frame rates.

If you’re looking to build up a following try to go live at a regular, consistent time. An irregular frequency or timing of live streams can become frustrating to an audience.

Being consistent also makes things much easier for you! Keeping a regular schedule allows you to market and promote your stream in advance, and you can even consider scheduling your social media posts if you’re super busy.

Being able to vibe and bounce off a co-host or special guest can make your live stream more engaging for the audience. The added insight can add a fresh perspective to make your live show more interesting for viewers.

Having a guest on your live stream is also the perfect opportunity for cross-promotion. You can promote your guest to your audience, and your guest can promote you to their audience.

If you can convince a well-established influencer to collaborate with you on a live stream, you’re going to be able to attract an even wider audience. There are tools available to help you connect with influencers:

These platforms allow you to find influencers that would be suitable to collaborate with, and contact them directly.

Viewer comments have a limited shelf life, so it’s best to get to them quickly. Replying to them live is best (if possible!) and if you can’t do that, then straight after the show will work.

Interacting with your viewers in this way helps boost your engagement with them and keeps them coming back to your live streams again and again.

Now, we aren’t saying you need to rehearse line by line, but having a good idea of what you’re about to say and do is essential.

If you’re live streaming with a crew, chat with them beforehand so everyone’s on the same page.

Make a list of everything you need to do before your broadcast i.e set-up, mic check, rehearsals, rundowns, bathroom breaks, etc.

When you have a good run through, it’s much more likely your live stream will go according to plan.

While it may seem obvious, you need to make sure you’re talking about something that’s going to resonate with your audience.

Look at what content has worked in the past, you can do this by using Google Analytics to see what content is working on your website. Have a look at which posts are receiving the most traffic- chances are these topics will perform well during a live stream too.

Also, check out what content your competitors are releasing for a bit of inspiration (and make yours better).

Trending topics in your industry is a great place to look for some ideas- people are usually searching for content around popular topics, so make sure they’re coming to you!

One of the most important things, if not the most important thing to consider when starting to live stream, is the equipment you’re going to use.

You’ll need to have the following:

Monetising your live stream on YouTube can get a little complicated. Firstly, your channel needs to:

And you must be:

If your channel is enabled for monetisation, YouTube will trigger ads on your content. Ad serving is not guaranteed and not all viewers see the ad, live streams can be eligible for:

You can also earn revenue on your live streams by enabling ads and using Super Chat.

YouTube Live has lots of handy features to help make live streaming that little bit easier- and advanced, with a small amount of effort.

Making the most of these additional features can really elevate your live streams to the next level.

Following the above steps and tips will give you a great lift off for creating live content. Remember practice makes perfect, and getting started may be a challenge.

But with consumers crying out for more live video content, it’s time to say ACTION and go live in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…