Video streaming is quickly taking off as one of the next ‘big things’ in internet marketing. This is a platform that essentially gives us the ability to watch live feeds from people all around the world, thereby becoming a ‘fly on the wall’ or seeing the world through their eyes. The potential uses are almost limitless and it’s understandably creating a lot of excitement and buzz.
This is the appeal of live video streaming and really the quality of the content is besides the point. Mostly this footage is going to be filmed on handsets, which means the resolution will probably be low and the filming will probably be shaky.
But while this is part of the charm, it can also be off-putting. If you want to provide the best content possible for your audience then you need to think about how you can improve your video quality. Here are some things to consider…
Camera
Mostly video streams will be filmed through a camera phone, or in the case of Blab a web cam. Either way, these are likely to be relatively low-quality, especially as the phone footage will probably use the front-facing camera.
However, to make your resolution a little more crisp, you can consider investing in a better camera phone with a higher resolution front facing camera. And just as important is the temporal resolution – AKA the framerate. This is more often an issue with webcams.
Sound
Think too about your sound. This will be partly determined by your camera but is also going to be somewhat dictated by the environment (how are the acoustics?) and how close you’re sitting to the microphone.
Environment
You also need to think about the backdrop of your videos. Ideally, you want to create a professional vibe around your video, so that means the backdrop should look professional and should look tidy and organized. Don’t film in your front room with washing piled up in the background!
Likewise, think about lighting. Ideally you should look for light sources on your left or right side to create what’s known as ‘Rembrandt’ lighting.
Connection
Another very important tip is to make sure that you have a stable connection. There’s nothing more frustrating than a video that keeps freezing and stopping halfway through. Make sure that you’re on a good connection and always stream over WiFi rather than a data connection where possible.
