Top Tools for your Live Video Toolbox
Confident Live Marketing Podcast
Episode 5
Episode Theme: Tech & Gear
June 21, 2019
In my previous episode (#4) I covered some of the tools that you can use in order to stream your live video on one or multiple platforms. Make sure you check that one out – it’s called: “How to Choose the Perfect Live Video Tool”.
In this episode, we are looking at the other tools that you can use to help you with your live video journey.
Content 10x is sponsoring this podcast – they are a service that takes your content and repurpose it into a plethora of social media content for all the different platforms to help them to promote the original content.
In this episode I cover:
- Graphics
- Video editors
- Testing your internet speed
- Help with promotion
- And repurposing
I’m not covering the “gear”, like microphones or cameras etc, in this episode. I will be covering those in a separate podcast (still to come).
As well as using the live streaming tools I discussed in podcast number 4 (Ecamm Live, or OBS Studio etc) – there are a few additional tools you can add to your live toolkit. Please don’t feel like you HAVE to get these tools, they are really something you will add to your own toolbox, over time.
These are the more geeky tools you can use to help you go live more effectively and counteract any problems that you have.
Tools for your Live Video Tool Kit
Speed Checker
Speedtest.net
The one that I recommend is Speedtest.net. There is a web version as well as a mobile app (which helps when you are out and about). You want to really aim for an upload speed of 4mbps, but ideally more like 10mbps.
When you have a problem with your internet connection, then at least you can do something about it – BEFORE you go live. (Like don’t go live, change location, or try to hook up directly to your internet hub with an ethernet cable).
Bandwidth Optimizer
It is important to optimise your bandwidth before you go live – so try to remove as many internet-connected devices as possible (for example – if you have kids watching Netflix downstairs – then you need to get them off…sorry!)
Tripmode
Now, what you could do is use an app like Tripmode (Mac & PC) which is a bandwidth optimiser – it restricts the number of apps that can access the internet on your computer. You can decide which apps you only want to be able to access the internet while you go live. If you can close down as many apps as well anyhow to help your computer out then do. Syncing apps like Dropbox, Google Drive and the like will also be using up your processing speed and internet connection – so pause those too.
Extra tip - also try and do a quick restart on your computer as well which will help mitigate any slowing down of your computer when you go live.
Switching Off Notifications
This is an important one. There is nothing more annoying than getting notifications coming up on your computer screen while you are live. It is very distracting. I have two suggestions here for you.
Muzzle (Mac)
Will silence notifications on your computer while you are live.
Parallels Toolbox (hide desktop / free memory)
My friend Justin Brown suggested this. They have a toolbox that’s available for Mac and Windows – they give you the ability to hide your icons on your desktop, as well as silence notifications, change screen resolution, or free up memory.
Cameras
Here are some options you can look into for different cameras to go live with, from your computer:
EpocCam
It turns your iPhone or Android phone into another webcam (they have really good cameras). I haven’t tested this – but I’ve heard good things.
Webcam Settings
I always recommend downloading a webcam company’s software, because it gives you extra settings for controlling your webcam. If you are on a Mac – I suggest something like Webcam Settings. Then you can do things like zoom in and out and turn off autofocus. The Logitech webcam settings app (for Windows) are pretty good – so whether you have the C920, C930 or BRIO – they are still good.
Promotion Tools
Social Media Management Tools
This is a tool that tries to publish posts, engage with your comments /mentions, manage your audience and provide you with reports and analytics.
Agorapulse
I am a brand ambassador for this tool. I love it and its one of the best tools out there. It allows you to go through all your comments across the platforms (also your Live comments – including LinkedIn Lives…it is one of the only tools at the moment that can do that).
It also has what they call an Inbox Assistant – it’s a feature that allows you to automate a response to certain messages. (Like when someone tweets “Thank you for following me” – I can set to archive these, so I don’t need to see them to answer those.
Sendible
UK based accompany that works with all the different networks, has a social inbox (like Agorapulse, but not as good as Agora’s).
I constantly keep my eye out on tools and do some pretty detailed blog posts all about the pros and cons of many of them. Feel free to check my blog for these.
Social Media Scheduling Tools
Publishing or scheduling tools, which have basic reporting. You won’t be able to respond to comments etc like with Agorapulse or Sendible, but they are great to just get your scheduling organised. I recommend:
Buffer
It is a lot cheaper than Agorapulse and Sendible, mainly because it only focusses on doing a few simple things. But they also have some add-ons you can look at as well.
SocialChamp
Very similar to Buffer. It does have a few little extras like it works with RSS feeds (so you can then schedule out those to your social media accounts).
Social Media Planning Tools
These are what you can use to plan your content – you could be using an excel doc or even paper. As long as you have a process – that’s great! But, if you would like to use a tool for planning out your Live, Blog or Podcast content, then I have a few recommendations:
ContentCal
Puts a calendar at the centre of this tool. It is really simple to use and particularly good if you have a team. Team members can go in and pin ideas to pin board and you can collate and go back and forth, and then make it into a post. Then once it’s approved you can schedule it (like you do in Agorapulse).
ContentCal is now part of Adobe Express.
Kontentino
Works similar to ContentCal, but is particularly good for Facebook Ads, you can draft the creative and be able to see what it will look like before it goes out. The analytics are also really impressive – if you are an agency, I would highly suggest looking at this one.
Chat Bots
These are really helpful tools to have, to work alongside your Live. The one I would suggest looking at is:
Manychat
A Facebook Messenger tool which allows you to create messenger bots for your Facebook Live and standard posts. You can get people to comment on your Live, and then they are subscribed to your bot mailing list and then they can get some messages you’ve put together for them. Also – you can remind them about the next time you are going to go live.
You can also make sure of a trigger word – that you can ask them to use to comment during a Live, and then you can send them something automatically with the bot.
Email Marketing Tools
These are tools that give you the ability to let your list know when you are going to Live and also to let them know after you have gone live to go and listen or provide the show notes to.
MailChimp
A good starting point for anyone who is just starting out with email marketing. It’s simple to use, and the free version will “do the job” to get you going.
ActiveCampaign
I particularly like this one – it gives me more power with lots of automation options, and I can use to also build my membership site.
ConvertKit
It is simple to use, many of my friends us this one. It does do similar things to Active Campaign (just not as powerful and not as many geeky options).
Sendtric (email countdown timers)
Very cool tool which allows you to send out a timer to your list, with ticking down numbers until you are ready to go live. Sending this out a few hours before you go live is pretty cool.
Audio
Loopback (Mac Only) - software
“Cable free audio routing for Mac”. This is a tool that I use when I’m recording my podcasts while I am going live. It’s a way of separating your audio from Skype, your Mic, and other devices or apps and route it into the software for your Mac into different channels.
Elgato Stream Deck – hardware
This is a device, but it also has a bit of software with it. Basically, it’s a little tablet with buttons on it and gives you the ability to set-up a bunch of different audio clips/sound effects and scenes for your Lives into easy to click buttons (where you can tailor the icons on the buttons). The software is really cool – and you can programme it to send out tweets to let people know you that your Live is out and other little nifty features.
Video Conferencing
Images & Graphics - Overlays
These are for creating graphics for the lower third of your Live show, or for using to create images to help promote in your social media posts.
Canva
Create really engaging images for your social posts with pre-set dimensions, and in the paid version you can also create PNG’s with transparent backgrounds, which are really good for your overlays / lower third graphics for your Live.
Easil
Similar to Canva, an alternative for graphics and images.
Images & Graphics - Comments and Titles
NewBlue Titler Live
This works perfectly with tools like Wirecast. Allows you to create professional graphics with unlimited layers. Requires a lot of setting-up and will require a lot more work. If you have a producer that works with you – then this is the tool to go for.
Images & Graphics - Video Editor
Wave.Video
Online (browser based) video editor and is one that I use all the time for my social posts and Live video promotional posts. It has stock video and imagery that you can build into your videos. There are different levels to your Wave subscription, but you get a lot packed into even the lowest level of subscription.
Screenflow (Mac only)
Video editor that you download on to your Mac to use and then edit video that you have already created or shot. This is particularly good for How-to Videos.
Camtasia (PC and Mac)
Video editor, again, that you download to your computer to use. You will then edit video that you would upload into the software.
Guests & Audience
These are tools to help you manage your guests who come onto your Live show.
Nimble
This is my CRM tool. Allows me to keep on top of all the people I can connect with on social media, lets me know when I need to get back in contact with someone. I can integrate my Google account and Office 365 and all my different social media accounts. It keeps me up to date with all my contacts.
Calendly
This is a tool that I use to help book appointments with people. It integrates with my calendar (knows when I’m free), sends reminders before the meeting/appointment time and if anyone needs to change anything about the appointment, it’s all handled in the tool.
Repurposing Tools
These are tools that you would look at using after you have gone live. What can you do with your live show, after it's been broadcasted?
I always recommend getting your captions sorted out (so that your video can be watched when the sound is muted) and also have a transcript from your video so that you can create a blog post (like this one) for your show notes.
Transcriptions
Rev
This is really cost-effective ($1 per minute). They have real human beings who listen to your live videos and do your captions for you. They provide you with an SRT file (or Word doc) afterward, which you can then upload to YouTube or Facebook – and it will give you your captions for your video. I find the quality really good.
Otter.ai
This is a tool that uses artificial intelligence and algorithms to listen to your audio or video and will transcribe that into a Word doc (and a caption file if you need it). Not as good as Rev.com, but if you aren’t needing something with too great a quality, then I suggest having a look at this one.
Repurposing Tools
There are a few other tools which will help you to create more content (driven by your original piece)
Headliner
This tool takes your live videos and podcast and it creates a wave audiogram, a sound wave animation of yours and your guests’ voices. You can video, audio and some text for call to actions. There is a free plan and the paid plan is not very expensive.
Repurpose.io
An automation tool which will take your YouTube and Facebook Live videos and repurpose them for the different platforms and you can create different workflows. For example: it can take your Facebook Live videos and automatically publish them to your Dropbox account or LibSyn account for podcasting (can strip out the audio). Works with Facebook Live, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Disadvantage: it will take your WHOLE Live video...it’s the ‘lazy way’ (so, not edited, or shortened clips).
SimpleSocialPress
This is a WordPress plugin which ‘listens’ for when you have a new Facebook Live video and then when it sees you have a new video, it will take that video and create a blog post on your website. It will take in all the comments which you received during the show and it will embed the video into the shownotes.
Content10x
This is a business (not a tool!). They are a sponsor of this podcast and are real human beings who will repurpose your live video for different platforms and help with promoting the original content for you.
Which of These Tools Will You Use?
I know I have gone through a lot of tools here, but I don’t want you to feel overwhelmed – so do reach out and ask me any questions. Remember, my goal is for you to just get going with your Live strategy and, over time, to use tools to make your life easier step by step.
Until the next episode - I hope you can level up your impact, authority and profit by using Live Video.
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About Ian Anderson Gray
Ian is the founder of the Confident Live Marketing Academy and is the host of the Confident Live Marketing Podcast. He helps entrepreneurs to level up their impact, authority and profits by using live video confidently. He's a geek, husband, and dad to two kids, and trained as professional classical singer. He lives near Manchester in the UK. Find out more
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