How To Turn Live Streams Into 'Evergreen' Content

Live video is an intrinsically ‘in the now’ form of video content, offering audiences an authentic and real-time view of brands or individuals. Actually though, if done right, live video can become evergreen, offering value and relevance to viewers for all time.

What is ‘evergreen’ video content?

Any video that can be watched multiple times and at any point in time whilst still retaining all its original value and relevance for your brand can be classed as evergreen. Basically, if your videos stay fresh and continue to bring in views and attention over the years rather than dropping off and becoming stagnant, you’re getting it right. 

Some examples of live video content that lend themselves to becoming evergreen are conferences, debates, Q&As, webinars, e-lessons, and more. If your live streams are focused on a topic that will never become outdated or irrelevant to your target consumers, you can’t go wrong. 

While this type of content is brilliant and can have huge benefits for brand awareness and conversions, it’s important to note that not every live stream will lend itself to being evergreen. Don’t force it. For example, your company may rightly create video content that contributes to a current internet craze or viral trend to boost your brand awareness, but this won’t stay relevant forever. Think about the types of live video you put out and mix it up, so you’re providing both current and value-led content.

Zidivo’s professional live streaming and video hosting platform is designed to suit businesses of all sizes. Whether you have an extensive video strategy in place that requires significant storage or you are a start-up looking to get stuck into the world of live video. Their HTML5 video player allows professionals to embed any current or old live streams anywhere onsite at the highest quality. 

How to create ‘evergreen’ live streams:

In general, when filming live videos with the intent for them to become evergreen, relevancy should be at the forefront. Will your target audience still be interested in your content a couple of months or years down the line? Will there be continued demand for the information that your video is providing? Aim to optimise your video so it never becomes outdated or uninteresting. 

1. Provide genuine value. 

One way to create an evergreen live stream is to ensure that you offer viewers genuine value and educate them in some way. Live video can be used for a range of purposes like providing quick updates or daily vlogs, but it has to be utilised in the right way to become evergreen. The types of videos that provide real value are how-to’s, explainer videos, product demonstrations or reviews, and webinars. Why not show people how to use your product or explain how your services work? Humans thrive off learning and are always seeking an education of some kind. Any live stream that teaches your audience something useful that they won’t find anywhere else, is sure to be a success for years to come. 

If you don’t have any valuable lessons to provide your audience, showing viewers a ‘behind the scenes’ view or introducing your team is also always bound to spark interest. If you’re a professional or brand, your audience will always be intrigued about how your company really works. Putting faces to your brand through live and authentic content is guaranteed to consistently generate attention.

2. Don’t restrict your content.

Setting goals and drumming up interest for your live streams is essential, but it’s important not to limit your content. Building an audience for your videos is the key to a successful stream, but if you place too much emphasis on the date and time of your content in the promotion, you can end up limiting the chances of your video staying relevant in the future. 

Rather than titling your live streams with dates or times, opt for themes and topics. Make it clear when marketing your streams that you tell your audience the value you’ll be offering. People are far more likely to tune in at the time and at a later date if you highlight how and why your live content will be profitable for them. 

3. Repurpose your streams.

If you have any past streams that are jam-packed with valuable and informational content, repurposing is another productive way to create evergreen content. Breaking longer streams up into smaller videos will encourage views, engagement, and can provide far more potentially evergreen material. The shorter and more concise your videos, the more likely people are to stick around and watch. If your live videos are particularly long, creating highlight reels to make sure your viewers get all the important information can be highly effective. 

4. Avoid ‘current’ topics. 

There is always some kind of viral trend or internet craze going around. Engaging with these is a great way for brands to show their relevancy and humanity, however, if you plan to create evergreen live content, they’re dangerous territory. As quick as things can go viral online, they can also drop off the face of the earth. Try to avoid referring to current trends in your live content and instead relate to ongoing worldwide issues that are relevant to your brand.

If your brand plans to create a live video strategy with content that lasts a lifetime and really makes an impact, you will need a reliable video hosting platform to support you. Zidivo’s range of features offers businesses the opportunity to host all their live and on-demand video content from one place using a user-friendly interface for embedding. Get in touch with the Zidivo team today to learn more about the platform’s features, or start your free 30-day trial now!