If you are a little bit leary of trying live video, you might just be surprised by how much better you like it compared to pre-recorded videos.
That was definitely my experience when I started experimenting with live video a couple of years ago.
Here are the 7 reasons I like going live:
There’s no expectation of perfection.
When you go live, people are much more forgiving about little flubs. They don’t expect a polished performance. If you are the kind of person who will record a one-minute video 10 times to try to get it just right (yep, that’s me), you just might find live video very freeing!
Production values are much less of a concern.
When you are doing a recorded video, odds are that you’ll be more concerned about the production values, including lower thirds or other graphics or text on screen, background music, etc.
While you can certainly add those elements when you are doing more of a “studio” live presentation, they aren’t expected in nearly the same way as they are with pre-recorded videos.
It’s quick and convenient.
The various social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc. ) make going live very easy. If you do it right from your phone, you can get going in literally a few seconds.
It’s engaging.
Live video attracts people because of FOMO – fear of missing out. They figure if you are going live, something interesting must be happening! Of course, you can go live for lots of reasons, not just breaking news.
But you can also interact with people who join your live stream and respond in real-time to their comments and questions.
And that’s not just when you are live. Live videos when posted as recordings tend to get additional engagement too.
It doesn’t have to be permanent.
If you decide that the live video wasn’t that great after all, don’t post it! If it went OK, then go ahead and post it. You can even download a copy, clean it up, and re-post it somewhere else.
Preparation is different (and easier).
Ideally, you have time to think through what you are going to do when you go live, but it doesn’t require the same amount of prep as a recorded video that has been perfectly scripted and storyboarded.
It’s more authentic.
Authenticity is what it’s all about, and live video helps the real you in real situations shine through. It just feels so much more human than a video that has been clearly produced and heavily edited.
Do you like to do live videos? Share why in the comments!
