To grow your business, there are two key areas you need to get right: reaching the right audience and converting them into customers. Running online events, webinars, and meetings is a proven strategy to achieve these goals. Not only does it reduce costs, but it also allows you to extend your reach across borders and tap into wider, global audiences.
However, even with a perfect marketing process in place, your reach may still be limited by how many leads visit your site. That's where live streaming to platforms like YouTube and Facebook Live becomes essential. It’s one of the best ways to extend your reach beyond your platform and attract new potential customers.
What is live streaming?
To "stream live" means to broadcast an event or meeting in real-time, making it available to an audience outside of your usual platform. By using social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube, you can broadcast your webinars, meetings, and events to a broader audience, taking advantage of their established user bases and global reach.
When you live stream to Facebook and YouTube, you are essentially extending your audience beyond your own website. You're meeting your audience where they already are, allowing them to engage with your content in a familiar setting. By using Digital Samba, you can also record your live streams, screen share, and deliver high-quality broadcasts that engage and capture the attention of viewers across the globe.
Whether you're conducting a marketing webinar, teaching an online course, or broadcasting a business pitch, live streaming offers an easy and effective way to grow your brand.
How to live stream on Facebook
With over 8 billion daily views and 1 in 5 videos watched being Facebook live streams, there is no denying the power of Facebook for increasing the visibility of your events. It’s no surprise that live streaming to Facebook is a popular choice for businesses and educators looking to engage a wider audience.
To stream live on Facebook using Digital Samba, follow these steps:
- Ensure you have the right account: Make sure you're subscribed to the Digital Samba Pro Plus account, which includes live streaming functionality.
- Start the streaming process: From within your Digital Samba room, click on the Live Stream icon in the menu bar. This will prompt a pop-up with a dropdown menu. Select Facebook from this menu.
- Get your Facebook Live stream key:
- Go to your Facebook page and click Live in your post box.
- Copy the live stream key provided.
- Enter the stream key in Digital Samba: Paste the Facebook stream key into the "Live stream key" field in the Digital Samba pop-up.
- Start streaming: Click Start stream in Digital Samba, and your live stream will be connected to Facebook.
- Go live on Facebook: Once connected, head back to your Facebook page and click Go Live to begin your stream.
- End the stream: After your event concludes, click End Live Video on Facebook to stop the broadcast.
How to live stream on YouTube
Live streaming to YouTube is an excellent way to increase your event’s visibility, especially when you're targeting a global audience. According to a recent study by Statista, YouTube reaches more than 2 billion logged-in users each month, making it a prime platform for your live broadcasts.
To live stream on YouTube via Digital Samba, follow these steps:
- Start the streaming process: Just like with Facebook, the first step is to click the Live streaming option in your Digital Samba room and select YouTube from the dropdown.
- Find your YouTube stream key:
- In the upper right-hand corner of YouTube, click your profile picture and select YouTube Studio.
- From the left menu, choose Other Features and then Live Streaming.
- Click the Reveal button under the Encoder Setup section to find your stream key.
- Enter the stream key in Digital Samba: Copy and paste the YouTube stream key into the "Live stream key" field in Digital Samba.
- Start the stream: After clicking Start stream in Digital Samba, your YouTube live stream will go live.
- End the stream: When your event is finished, click End Stream on YouTube to close the broadcast.
By following these steps, you can easily broadcast your events to YouTube and Facebook, leveraging their huge audiences to enhance your brand’s visibility.
Stream to YouTube and Facebook at the same time
Many businesses are now exploring the option to stream to YouTube and Facebook at the same time, which opens up the possibility of reaching two massive audiences with a single live stream. This is called multistreaming.
Does YouTube allow multistreaming?
Yes, YouTube allows multistreaming, but there are some important guidelines to consider. While YouTube does not explicitly prohibit multistreaming to other platforms, they do require that any content streamed on YouTube must not be simultaneously streamed on YouTube's competitors. As long as your broadcast is within these guidelines, you can stream to YouTube alongside Facebook, LinkedIn, or any other platforms.
Using Digital Samba makes it easy to youtube multistream, allowing you to broadcast simultaneously on both YouTube and Facebook without complex setups. This means that no matter where your audience is, they can tune in to your event and engage with your content.
Why multistreaming works for your business
By streaming to multiple platforms simultaneously, you are significantly increasing the potential reach of your content. You can engage with audiences across Facebook, YouTube, and even other platforms like LinkedIn or Twitch—all at the same time. This is ideal for businesses aiming to maximise their event attendance and generate more leads.
As digital marketing expert Neil Patel puts it: “The more platforms you broadcast on, the wider your reach. It’s a no-brainer for anyone trying to get the most from their content.”
Conclusion
Live streaming is a powerful tool for businesses looking to expand their reach and grow their audience. Whether you’re streaming on Facebook, YouTube, or both, Digital Samba makes the process seamless. And now, with the ability to stream to YouTube and Facebook at the same time, your content can reach even more people, increasing engagement and driving new leads to your business.
