Are you thinking of going live on Twitter but don’t know how? In just a few easy steps, you can be broadcasting your content to all your followers in real-time.
In this Twitter marketing tutorial, we are going to show you how to go live on Twitter step by step.
Can you Do a Live Stream on Twitter?
Yes, Twitter allows you to do a live stream and broadcast audio and/or video content. But you need the Twitter app on your device as you can only go live via the iOS or Android app and not the Twitter desktop website version.
Twitter users can view as you broadcast the live stream as well as after the broadcast. They can also interact by sending a heart emoji or typing in the chat section of the live stream.
Twitter has been offering live video streaming, and it’s been a great way to connect with followers in real-time. Live videos are perfect for promoting events, Q&As, product launches, and more.
How to Go Live on Twitter?
Here is how to go live on Twitter:
- Install the Twitter app on your device
- Once you have it installed, open it up and allow permissions for the Twitter app to access your camera and microphone
- Sign in to your account and start a new tweet
- Add the text that you want to appear on your live stream
- Tap on the camera icon located below the text you’ve entered
- To begin the live stream, tap on Live, then Go Live
- You can disable the video display for an audio alone live stream by tapping on the microphone icon before you click on Go Live
- Click the red X if you want to end the live broadcast
Go live on Twitter using third-party hardware or software
- Open your application or hardware settings and select Custom Streaming Server
- Choose Twitter from the options and authenticate the encoder with your Twitter account
- Sign in to the Twitter account you wish to direct the live stream to, and then accept the permissions
- Start the live stream
What Happens to Past Twitter Live Streams?
When you’re done live streaming on Twitter, the live stream is saved on the app. The past Twitter live can be viewed from the initial tweet containing the video.
If you need to edit the past broadcast:
- Open the tweet containing the live stream, and click on the video
- Click on the section written Edit Broadcast and make your adjustments. You can change the title as well as the start and end sections of the video
- Click Save Changes and give the app some time to make the changes. This can take up to 15 minutes.
If you need to delete a live stream, just delete the tweet that contains the video. Please note that all these capabilities are only available on Twitter iOS and Android apps.
Periscope vs. Twitter Live – What’s the Difference?
Periscope is the app that powers the live stream feature on Twitter. It’s a broadcasting app with more enhanced search discovery features than Twitter.
However, it won’t function as Twitter or need to be downloaded on your device for Twitter live stream to work – it’s already built-in.
That said, Twitter and Periscope accounts are similar, and a broadcast on one account goes live on the other.
Can’t go live on Twitter
There’re two main reasons why you’re unable to go live on Twitter:
Twitter account set to protected
The live stream feature is only available to users who have accounts set to public. If your Twitter account is set to protected, then you won’t be able to broadcast a live stream.
The reason for this is that Twitter wants to make sure that only people who are authorized to view your account can see your live stream.
Twitter app not granted permissions
If you don’t grant permission for the Twitter app to access your camera and microphone, you won’t be able to go live on Twitter. You will get prompts to allow permissions for your Twitter app when you first set it up.
How to Run Effective Twitter live streams
Twitter live streams are incredibly popular for users as well as brands. Here are a few tips for running successful Twitter live streams and making the most out of them:
- Make sure you have a strong internet connection.
- Plan ahead and have everything you need ready to go.
- Start with a short introduction, and let your viewers know what to expect.
- Be interactive and engaging! Answer questions from viewers, and make suggestions as you stay live.
