Boost Your Live Stream Engagement with These Interactive Features

Have you ever hosted a live stream and weren’t totally sure how much your content landed with your audience or what they thought about it? Other than the audience count that tells you how many people are currently watching, there are quite a few different interactions you can bring to your stream that keeps your viewers engaged, empowers you to build a connection with your audience, and shows what themes or topics your audience wants to see more of.  

Not sure which interactions will work for your next live stream? We’ve got some ideas. In this article, we’ll guide you through different features that should be a staple in your live streaming toolbox.  

Think of these features the next time you stream  

Whether you’re hosting your first stream or your 101st, keep these following features in mind to boost engagement and viewership.  

Live Polling 
Imagine if you could tap into your audience’s mind to get their opinions and feedback in real-time. Live polling does exactly that. It gets your audience involved in your stream and can even raise points you can explore on the spot. This can lead to great snippets of content and a sense of community during and after your stream.  

Chat Enablement 
Introducing a chat feature lets you immediately interact with your audience in real time. It also allows them to have a direct line of communication with each other so they can stay engaged, share thoughts, and ask questions during the stream. It’s also a great way to provide more content for your audience if you record the livestream for later use.  

Automatic Captioning 
Increasing the accessibility of your stream to viewers will encourage them to stay longer and enable you to have a wider reach. Your viewers will be able to follow along with your stream anywhere they go and catch any quotable phrases you say. Just keep in mind, any typo or misheard word your audience sees in the captions could change the message you are trying to convey.  

Ultra-Low Latency 
When discussing interactivity during live streams, low latency seems to be out of place on the list. However, low latency can mirror real-time interactions and minimize noticeable delays during live streams. This allows for more natural and seamless interactions with your audience, giving them the same impression as if they were right there with you. It is also critical for the successful execution of live polling, dual-screen viewing, question-answer sessions, and other features that require as little delay as possible.  

Proactive Health Updates 
One of the worst feelings is when you are hosting a stream, and you see multiple viewers report issues in the chat box. It makes your stream feel unprofessional and compromises the credibility of your organization. Be sure to regularly perform proactive health checks that monitor your stream for any hiccups or errors. This way, you’ll be able to quickly detect, diagnose, and resolve issues before your audience is even aware of therm.   

Robust Analytics 
Streams are a perfect way to capture information about your audience, their preferences, and their level of engagement. Looking at metrics such as your viewer’s connection health, geographic information, average viewing time, and number of active viewers will help you tailor your stream to their preferences and refine your live stream strategies for maximum interaction and interest.  

The best way to learn is to go live 

Each audience you target is different and may have other ways they want to interact with you. The best way to find out is by testing these features out, and then seeing which ones your audience responds best to.  

Want to learn how you can supercharge your next live stream? Book a Warpwire Live demo here.