By Stephanie Woollerton
In today’s day and age, people do not always have to buy tickets to go to events and concerts since live streaming and live tweeting has become easily assessable through social media and different streaming services like Periscope.
These tools are most effective to be able to reach an attendance goal and reaching new audiences. For example, e-gaming has become popular and this is because of the streaming service Twitch. Twitch has been able to give access to the gaming fans to watch their favorite gamers play live games. Twitch also gives the opportunity for people to discover new gamers since they have different categories depending on the video game being played and popularity. Live streaming has changed the way we receive and view information and entertainment.
Live streaming and tweeting works with any field. They can range from entertainment to business seminars. Being a member of Hawk Communications, Montclair State University’s student run public relations agency, has given me the opportunity to live tweet and stream for the NJ Ad Club and Montclair State’s School of Communications. Working on live streams and live tweeting can be hectic at times, but the knowing that people were able to enjoy and tune into the events is a great feeling.
When live streaming and live tweeting for a client, the most important factor is to know the company or event’s target audiences and what messages they want to get across. When I have worked for clients, I would have multiple meetings and phone calls to make sure I know their needs and goals.
When I worked for the NJ Ad Club, I live tweeted for a seminar on creating a brand for a business. Before the seminar, I met with the head of communications and took a tour of the area and asked more about the company’s goals. During the seminar, there were multiple professional speakers on various aspects on branding. I visited every speaker and make a post their topics and background with the same hashtag. There were constant posts on Twitter and Instagram stories. The most important aspect of live tweeting that I learned about working this event was that live tweeting is a great tool to bring in a bigger audience, current or new, since it creates engagement that can spark an interest in a possible public.
Live streams and tweets are becoming more relevant. In recent times with COVID-19, live streaming has become even more important to connecting people through conversations and information. If we did not have live streams, people could not attend classes, work from home, and educate themselves on what is the latest news on COVID-19 to stay safe. Whether it is news or entertainment, live streams and tweets will always be a part of our lives.
I am thankful that I was given the opportunity to be able to see how this technology is changing conversations is amazing and I can only thank Professors Keith Green and Mark Beal to guide me through this opportunity.