Lights, camera, action. 📹

If you’re the kinda person who experiences stage fright, you might be staying away from live streaming. But with everyone and their sister tapping into this feature, it’s time you did too.

Audiences for live streamed videos seem to be growing by the second. On Facebook alone, more than 360 million users watch live videos. Regularly.

If that’s not enough of a reason to put aside your fear of being in front of the camera, you need to re-evaluate (or maybe it just made your fear worse? IDK).

For those who are ready to hit the stage running, here’s how to make sure you live stream the right way. (Trust us, you don’t want to be going live the wrong way)

Strategize Before The Camera Turns On

Like reality television, nothing filmed is ever done on the fly. If you thought otherwise, we’re sorry to break it to ya. Take time to make sure you have a legit reason for going live.

Plotting scripted content or a bulleted list of talking points will make sure your live content is easily received and you actually have something to talk about.

Pick A Stage

It’s almost 2019 (wild) and the ability to go live happens across all of the platforms we know and love (or hate). The platform you decide to go live on depends on which platform is most popular with your audience.

Wistia plots out the pros and cons of each platform, so you can see if a Facebook Live is right for you before you even hit the “live” button.

Tell Your Friends!

Don’t forget to actually tell people you’re going live. When you’ve taken the time to plan on going live, what’s the point if you don’t have an audience? The ways to promote your live video are limitless.

Phone a friend, create a promo video, post a countdown to your social channels. There’s no right or wrong way to get the word out about your time to shine in the livelight (intentional typo).

See? Live streaming on social media can be fun. Continue the fun (and learn the technical do’s and don’ts) by reading now…

🎶On an island in the sun… 🎶(classic Weezer to start your Monday right).

Sorry, our friends over at Stone Temple are comparing content marketing to islands and it’s getting us carried away. Anyway, forget about those visions of frozen cocktails and get back to business.

There are two types of content marketing islands: Brand Island and Prospect Island. The two islands have the ability to connect, but it takes some work.

Brand Island represents the core of your business, everything from branding to marketing. All for-profit brands have one common factor: gaining new customers. But HOW do you consistently do this?

Here’s what not to do: solely talk about your company. Yes, you’re awesome and probably create an amazing product, but is that the best way to attract new customers? Most likely not.

Meet Prospect Island, aka where all of your possible clients vacation. Your mission (should you choose to accept it) is to bring all of these vacationers from Prospect Island to Brand Island

How the heck do you make that happen!?

Take a page from the City of Bridges’ (Pittsburgh, our home!) book: build a bridge between the two. Those on Prospect Island may see life on Brand Island, but how are you going to get them to you?

Here’s how:

1. Establish your #goals. If you don’t fully understand why your business exists, it’s time to. It’s a large key in building the foundation of that bridge.
2. Figure out your prospective clients. Don’t assume that you know these people. This is an example of when doing your homework actually pays off. Study your current customer base and find out why they choose you.
3. Discover the missing link(s). The last step in your bridge-making! What about your business links to the desires of your prospective clients? Their needs? Their hopes?

And hey, don’t just take it from us. Stone Temple Consulting originally came up with this idea. Get the full scoop from them ↓

So what does it take to be a police officer?

Obviously, you need a drivers license. Tattoos on your hands and face are a no-go. But a tattoo of your hands and face on your back is okay…strange, but allowed. And there may (or may not) be a paranormal division.

New Zealand recently released this ad to recruit more people to their police force. It’s refreshingly comical.

We might not be able to sign up (’cause we don’t live in New Zealand), but we like where this ad is going.