Want to boost engagement with your TikTok followers? A great way to do that is by taking advantage of livestreaming! TikTok LIVE gives you a new way to interact with your audience, build a sense of community, and boost your brand’s overall engagement.
How can you get started? We’ll break it down for you in our guide to getting started with TikTok LIVE!
Related: How to Get Started on TikTok: All You Need to Know
TikTok LIVE is the TikTok platform equivalent to Instagram, Facebook Live, or any other livestreaming service. It simply provides a way for creators to stream content live to their audience and set up an interactive online environment.
Beyond helping you build a following, going live also presents opportunities to make money on TikTok for yourself and your favorite charities—making it an effective tool for brands, creators, and activists.
To start your livestream adventure, you’ll need to make sure you meet a few requirements, decide whether to stream from the app or your computer, and follow a few simple steps to record.
Streaming on TikTok is accessible from your computer, thanks to apps like Streamlabs. Simply follow the steps below, and you’ll be going live in no time.
Is your dream to get more followers? Why?
To connect on a deeper level with the followers you already have? Are you trying out a new product or feature? Are you hosting a giveaway or Q&A session?
You can make your TikTok LIVE session whatever you want, but make sure you have a clear idea of your aim before going in. This will keep you on track and your audience engaged. (No matter your livestreaming goal, you always want to increase engagement!)
Tip: If you need help coming up with original content for your livestream, try taking advantage of Copy.ai’s freestyle content generator!
Hopefully, you’re already aware of your audience demographics and trends as part of your content marketing strategy. If not, spend some time with your analytics info to gain insight into your followers’ behavior.
To maximize your livestreaming success, you’ll want to ensure you’re online when most of your followers are, so the most people are viewing your content.
The best times to stream, in general, are in the morning (6-10 a.m.) and evening (7-11 p.m.) on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
While you want quality production, there’s no need to overcomplicate things. All you should need for a remarkable livestream is yourself, your device, an environment with good sound/lighting, and any props/products you want to include in your video.
You can invest in higher-quality mics and cameras if you want, but with a smartphone and computer technology these days, there’s no need for TikTok livestreams.
You’ll want to ensure you’re front and center in your video, of course—and in front of a non-distracting background, if possible. Depending on your ideal aesthetic, you could opt for a blank wall, a greenscreen setup, or on-brand decorations.
When you go live, I’m sure you want to avoid the dreaded “We can’t hear you! Are you muted?” response from your audience. Ensure your mic is set up, connected, and working correctly before hitting record.
This is especially important if you’re using headphones or other third-party microphones. Sometimes these will have connection issues, or TikTok/Streamlabs might default to a different mic automatically.
Lighting can also make or break your livestream, so it’s worth investing in quality LED lights to set the right mood and ensure your followers can see you.
There’s no point in streaming if your internet is cutting in and out. Make sure you have a strong connection before you even start streaming so you don’t run into any frustrating technical difficulties.
There’s no point putting all this time and effort into planning and running a livestream if no one ends up watching it. While it might still be good practice, it’s not the best use of your time or resources. To avoid this, try to promote your stream beforehand.
Create some posts reminding your followers when, where, and why you’re going live, at least a few days in advance. Follow up a day, a few hours, and a few minutes before you start. Hopefully, this will help you gather a large audience ready to engage.
As mentioned earlier, you want to do everything possible to avoid technical difficulties during your stream. One way to do this is by doing a test run. Set up everything like you would if you were going live, but just do it for yourself (or a small, pre-selected audience) to ensure it all goes according to plan.
People crave real content—after all, there’s plenty of fake, inauthentic stuff out there. You are unique, and you bring your individuality to the table, so don’t cover it up! Be authentic and genuine, and your followers will appreciate getting to know the real you.
The algorithm caters to consistency, so try to do regularly scheduled livestreams to capitalize on this. Create a content schedule to keep yourself on track as you would with your other posts.
Don’t leave your viewers hanging.
Instead, leave them with an actionable step they can take to further engage with you or support your brand. Whether subscribing or following, leaving a comment, saving a video, or making a purchase, it’s totally up to you. But make sure you’re using this valuable opportunity to prompt your followers to take action.
While there isn’t a list of words to avoid, most content creators on TikTok try to eliminate swear words (especially in captions or other text) to cater to the algorithm. Also, be a decent person and stay away from any slurs or hate speech. (Do we even have to say this?)
This is a great way to get your audience to engage with you during your livestream. TikTok recently introduced this feature, and they even offer a guide to incorporating it like an expert!
You can do this one in a couple of different ways. If you have your store or products to promote, this is a great way to showcase your offerings and give potential customers an interactive tour. If you are a content creator in a specific niche, this option is a great way to take advantage of some of your affiliate partnerships or simply let your followers know what you’re currently into.
Check out this example of one way to incorporate live shopping into your TikTok streams.
Here’s a fantastic way to give your followers a look behind the curtain, if you will. Let them see your life off-screen—whether that’s an inside look into your business, home, or anything else. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look from SNL.
Running a giveaway or promotion? Do it live! This can be a great way to build a following and introduce your audience to your brand simultaneously. Here’s an example from Splattblasters.
Unveil a new product live with your followers and get their reactions in real time.
If you run a business or want people to see what your workplace is like, this is the move for you. It can be a great way to show your audience what it’s like at your company, how you structure things, what your employees/coworkers think, and more. Here’s an example from Middleton Meyers.
Collabs can boost your reach and grow your following, all while raising awareness about your brand or page. Check out this example of brands collaborating with TikTok influencers to get some inspiration.
TikTok LIVE is an excellent place to demo something—a product, a craft, a recipe, a tutorial, anything. Here’s a list of a few creative ideas to get you started:
Unfortunately, TikTok currently restricts LIVE to users with at least 1,000 followers. If this leaves you out, though, don’t worry! We’ve got a hack for that below.
Up to 60 minutes. However, you should aim to keep it shorter, with a sweet spot of around 30 minutes.
Yes. TikTok saves your LIVE videos so you can download them and make them available for replay.
Yes! Livestreaming on TikTok can help you build your following by introducing new people to your content.
Yes, you can invite someone else to co-host a livestream with you.
They simply monitor TikTok content to ensure it adheres to community guidelines. You have nothing to worry about as long as you follow the rules!
There you have it: the essential guide to going live on TikTok! Hopefully, now you’re equipped with the tools and tips you need to reach livestreaming success in no time. Make sure you meet the minimum LIVE requirements, perfect your setup beforehand, and be yourself.
And don’t forget—if you need a little help with the content piece of going live, try out Copy.ai’s free AI writing generators to help you get past that pesky creative block!
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