Live streaming is the perfect opportunity to grow your audience and gain interest in your product. It may seem daunting to see content creators with elaborate cameras and microphones, but you don’t need fancy equipment to get started.
Take stock of what you already have and use our list to evaluate some of the other basics you need.
There are a few things you need to consider before you get started:
- Visuals — do you have a quality HD camera?
- Audio — does your streaming device have a clear microphone? Or do you have an external mic (like a pair of headphones)?
- Lighting — can people see you and the product(s) well?
- Internet — do you have a strong internet connection?
- Platform — are you using the streaming platform that will help you engage with viewers and sell products effectively?
Visuals
Your first step to streaming is a laptop or smartphone with a high quality, high definition camera. You don’t need the best resolution (like 4K) or clearest visuals when you first start doing live videos, but viewers should be able to see you and the product clearly.
A tripod for your smartphone is priced around $20 and will provide a stable place for you to film from. While a tripod is not a necessity to go live, it will upgrade your live stream set up and enhance the viewing experience. If you don’t want to spend the money on that, place your computer on a stack of books or your phone on a window sill.
Audio
Most smartphones and computers with web cameras have a microphone built-in, but it is important to evaluate their quality. Studies show that viewers value audio quality over video quality. Viewers will remain engaged in a live stream if there is clear sounding audio, even if the video quality is poor.
To enhance their video quality, many streamers first invest in a 3.5mm or USB microphone. These microphones are priced as low as $15, connect directly to your smartphone or computer, and provide clear and crisp audio to your viewers.
On a budget? Use the wired headphones that came with your smartphone or a pair of bluetooth headphones (if you already have them).
Lighting
Quality lighting encourages a positive and professional first impression to your viewers. You can easily achieve this with natural light, like filming in front of a window. However, this restricts the times you can go live, as the lighting changes throughout the day and doesn’t look great after dark.
If you don’t want to be restricted by time, purchase a ring light. Ring lights range from around $30 to $100, are easy to use, and improve the quality of your entire live stream set-up.
Internet
During a livestream shopping, one of your main goals is to keep your audience engaged. If your video lags or glitches, viewers may get impatient and leave. This is why it’s important to have a strong internet connection. If you are streaming from a computer, use an ethernet cord, rather than WiFi, whenever possible. When fully wireless, restart your router to get the best bandwidth.
Platform
As you prepare to go live, you will need a reliable platform that will bring you the largest audience. eStreamly can simplify this decision for you. Not only can our platform stream to popular social media sites like Facebook and YouTube, it also allows viewers to purchase your products right from the live stream page! eStreamly is the perfect place to begin your eCommerce streaming endeavors because we’ll support you every step of the way. Join as a business or influencer today!
As You Grow
As you reap the benefits of live streaming, you will be able to further invest in your live stream equipment. Gaining an ROI from selling products and services means that you can invest in higher-quality cameras, microphones, and lighting. Some things to put on your wishlist include:
- A DSLR camera or 4K webcam will provide a higher video quality
- Multiple cameras and tripods can keep viewers engaged by switching to different angles
- XLR Microphone for ultra-professional sounding audio
- Mixing station to easily control all of your equipment
