Live-streaming has become an increasingly popular way to create podcast content. Unlike traditional podcast recording and editing, live streaming allows creators to broadcast content to various platforms in real time. This opens up new opportunities to expand reach and engagement. 

 

I recently had Christoph Trappe on my podcast to discuss the power of live-streaming for podcasters. Christoph is an expert podcaster and growth strategist with over 600 episodes under his belt using live-streaming as the main form for his podcast. He shared numerous reasons why live-streaming can be the best way to podcast in today's crowded market. 

 

In this post, I'll highlight the 6 main benefits of live-streaming your podcast that Christoph outlined from his experience:

1. Increased Discovery Through Search Engine Optimization

Christoph explained that the algorithms on most social platforms and search engines tend to give preference to live content. He’s seen live podcast episodes get 3-5x more traffic than an uploaded-edited episode. This effect can be explained by the fact that live content signals “freshness” and taps into the FOMO (fear of missing out) psychological trigger. 

 

Bottom line - if you want your podcast to be discovered, live-streaming is one of the fastest paths there.

2. Higher Engagement Rates 

Another major benefit of live-streaming is the ability to have back-and-forth engagement with your listeners in real time. Through comments and questions, listeners can interact rather than just passively listen.

 

As the host, putting comments on screen and responding in the moment makes listeners feel valued and engaged. This builds connection and loyalty. Additionally, all this engagement signals to algorithms that your content is interesting!

3. Flexibility of Multi-Channel Distribution 

With tools like Restream, podcasters can simulcast a live stream across multiple platforms with one click. This is a really powerful tool because you are able to go live across all of your platforms at the same time increasing traffic and engagement.

 

He can also coordinate with guests to stream natively on their channels at the same time, pulling their engaged followers in too. This “simulcasting” opens up new audiences that previously may never have discovered your podcast.

4. Authenticity and Transparency  

Speaking off the cuff on a live podcast and dealing with issues in real time builds authenticity and trust with your listeners. It’s a transparent broadcast showing your true self rather than glossy, overproduced content.

 

According to Christoph, this authenticity helps attract and retain genuine fans of you and your message.

5. Better Understanding of Audience Interests   

Reading live comments as they come in provides instant feedback about what your listeners find interesting or valuable. Maybe there’s excitement around a specific topic - that’s data you can use to create more content people want.  

 

Alternatively, silence on certain topics tells you the opposite! This real-time feedback loop is invaluable for creating captivating podcast content tailored to your listeners.

6. Faster Content Creation Process

With live-streaming you can take a segment from a live podcast and turn it into a blog post or short video clip instantly. When your content is already recorded and produced live, repurposing it for other formats becomes much easier.

 

No post-production also means you can create a lot more content and publish at a higher frequency. More content means more opportunities for discovery and monetization.  

The Future is Live

As AI and the Metaverse continue evolving, so will live-streaming capabilities. Christoph touched on a future with better integrations between real and virtual worlds which could make podcast live-streams more interactive and immersive.

 

While the possibilities still seem endless, one thing is clear - podcasters who embrace live-streaming now will have a major strategic advantage. They’ll be the ones who build audiences at scale on the cutting-edge platforms of tomorrow.

 

 

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Key Takeaways

 

1. Live streaming your podcast episodes can help grow your audience quicker since it taps into the audiences on various social platforms. It also shows your authenticity.

 

2. When live streaming, automate as much as possible such as sending reminders to guests ahead of time to prepare them. Also, build in time before going live to chat and build rapport with your guests.  

 

3. Have a clear goal, format, and topic focus for your podcast before going live. Don't overprepare scripted questions though - keep it a natural conversation.

 

4. Make sure your audio sounds good above all else - consider investing in a decent USB microphone like the Blue Yeti. Video quality is secondary but also very important.  

 

5. Repurpose segments from your live podcast into short videograms or articles to further distribute the content. Each segment can often stand alone as its own piece of content.

 

6. Encourage audience interaction through real-time comments during the live show. Feature their comments on-screen and verbally react to keep them engaged.  

 

7. There may be future potential for more interactive podcast formats leveraging VR/metaverse tech, but the space is still premature for widespread adoption as of now.

 

 

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If you're looking for a great all-in-one podcasting platform with 35 integrated modules, you can get a free trial at PodUp.com. 

 

Thanks for joining us for this episode. I wish you success as you explore the benefits of live-streaming your podcast.