Does live streaming video sound overwhelming and intimidating? Is it something you really want to try but have no idea how to get started or what to use? Or do you not know why in the world you should even give it a try?
IE 204: Live Streaming Video: Why, How, & What You Need In Order to Succeed with Kathy Hester
Live video is a fantastic way to connect with your audience and continue to show up authentically. It provides you with content for many platforms by doing one simple thing.
Today we’re going to cover the why, the how, and precisely what you need in order to succeed when it comes to live videos.
Teaching live Video Techniques
Kathy Hester is a vegan food blogger and the author of 11 cookbooks that have sold 150,000 copies. She has two blogs, Healthy Slow Cooking and Plant-Based Instant Pot. She also hosts online cooking classes.
Kathy teaches live video and promotion techniques, including classes such as, “live Video For the Shy and Reluctant“ and “Jump Into live Video Using Your Phone.”
She is currently running a Promote Yourself mentorship program that meets a couple of times a week. Kathy helps her students and clients understand how they can use live video to accomplish anything in their business.
Using One live Video on Other Platforms
You might have seen the title of this episode and thought: No! Not another thing to add to my already full plate! But going live is not nearly as time-consuming as editing video.
You don’t have to take all the extra steps of editing if you just go live.
You might feel like you don’t have the right equipment in order to go live, but the fact is, you can teach a cooking class and sell that class with just your phone. And we know you have a smartphone.
When you do a live video on Facebook or Instagram, you can download it and post it anywhere else: your Facebook, Instagram, blog, or youtube. This is the beauty of live video: it is one piece of content that you can make and then use in as many places as you want. You can even use it as an ad to sell a product or class.
What Equipment Do I Need?
The only thing you really have to have is a tripod and some good lighting. If you have these two things, live video does not have to be daunting.
Kathy has an equipment page on her website that covers the different lights, accessories, and software she uses when she does live videos. She started out using a webcam and now has a much nicer camera. But all of that came through growth.
The entry into live video does not have to cost you anything. You can even just use your camera on your computer or lean your phone against a stack of books.
Practice Privately Every Day
So, we’ve convinced you to go live. Where do you even start?
Here are 3 tips you should think about before you go live:
- Make a private Facebook for yourself and your friends where you can practice live video. Reach out to Kathy and you can be a part of her Facebook test group. You need a place to try things and a safe place to mess up. This allows you to make mistakes and figure things out before you start going live.
- Go live in your test group every day for a week. This will allow you to not only make all your mistakes and get them out of the way but also practice looking directly into the camera. This is the most powerful thing about live video. It makes the viewer feel like they are on the other side of the camera.
- Be yourself. It’s okay to not wear makeup every time. It’s okay to mess up. Be true to your brand. Think about your audience and how you can help them instead of thinking about yourself and what people might think of you.
You have to be authentic. Kathy has taught cooking classes where her gravy got lumpy. That doesn’t mean she is a failure. It gives her an opportunity to teach her audience how to problem-solve. And it shows her audience that she is not perfect.
Using Live Video Software
If you’re just starting out doing live video, you don’t have to pay for any type of software. Kathy has demos in her Jump Into Live Video class that will teach you everything you need to know about using your phone.
Kathy uses Ecamm which is a Mac-only software. You can use Streamyard for PC. These two types of software provide you with more options when it comes to recording your live videos and the angles you can film from.
But again, you don’t have to do any of these things or use any software. You can just go live on your phone.
Creating Connection With Your Audience
Kathy did a live every Tuesday at 1:00 for a year and a half. After six months, she realized she didn’t hate it anymore. What changed everything for her was how her audience blossomed.
They became more comfortable asking her questions. They showed up for her lives regardless of what time they were.
Live video provides you an opportunity to connect with your audience in a completely different way.
The bulk of Kathy’s live video income comes from her cooking classes. She also gets ad revenue from posting these live videos in her blog posts.
One thing Kathy does not do is to go live on two platforms at the same time. You cannot look at two cameras at the same time. You don’t want to be ignoring one group of people, so it’s better to do one at a time.
You can always download your videos and post them to other platforms. (On Facebook, you have to enlarge your video and click the three dots in order to download your video.)
Kathy’s Courses and Programs
Kathy’s courses are especially geared toward beginners.
Jump Into live Video Using Your Phone has 19 videos that are in bite-sized pieces so that you can take it at your own pace.
Live VIdeo For the Shy and Reluctant is a group that meets twice a week with homework that will help you overcome barriers.
If you’ve been working on live video for a while, Kathy offers coaching calls and the Promote Yourself mentorship group. The group covers different topics every month and works on individual projects from bloggers in the group.
You can reach out to Kathy via email and sign up for her newsletter to be one of the first ones to hear about new courses.
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