Don’t know where to start when it comes to scheduling your first Microsoft Teams Live Event? It’s easier than you think. Kollective Director of Channel Sales Chris Gower shows you how in this quick video.
The post How to Schedule a Microsoft Teams Live Event [Video] appeared first on Kollective Technology .
COVID-19 has changed the way world works and Live Video is now essential to maintaining enterprise communications . But how do you know if your videos are reaching the right people – and what the quality of the experience is for the viewer?
The answer to those questions and more can be found in your Live Video analytics dashboard. Here are six metrics you need to know to analyze Live Video performance.
The first metric you need to know is reach score. It is determined by summing the number of unique views with the number of anonymous viewing sessions. An anonymous viewing session is a view that cannot be determined, like if a viewing machine does not properly report play by a Globally Unique Identifier (GUID).
As opposed to solely reporting on unique viewers, reach score gives better insight into the total number of individuals reached by a Live Video. You can use this metric to evaluate the performance of your pre-event promotions: How many people showed up relative to the number invited? How does this compare to previous events you’ve hosted?
From there, you can draw parallels between lead time, invitation format, and even the business segments invited.
Analyzing average view duration is the quickest and easiest way to tell if the content of your Live Event was engaging when compared to a baseline measure. By viewing aggregate data in the event summary dashboard, you can get a general idea how your audience typically behaves. Do they stay online for the entirety of a Live Event? Or do they drop off at the end of a session when the Q&A portion typically starts? Once you have a good understanding of this, you can compare it to the most recent event data to determine engagement.
Nothing can derail a user’s experience quicker than buffering. Unfortunately for many enterprises, it’s an all-too-often occurrence when streaming Live Video to remote offices and worksites. Thankfully, QoE score gives organizers Insight into how end users experience their Live Events.
At Kollective, our QoE score is based on the time spent displaying video relative to the total time spent both displaying video and buffering – buffering in this case includes buffering before video startup and during playback. Here’s how it’s calculated:
The total time a user spends expecting to watch a video is described as:
TTotal = TBuffering + TPlaying + TStalled
Therefore, the QoE score would be equated such that:
QoE = (TPlaying / TTotal) * 100
The “good” threshold for QoE score is 90% or greater, while a “bad” QoE score is less than or equal to 70%.
A buffering video not only impacts view-ability and employee engagement. It can mean there are serious bottlenecks in your network that may be affecting business application performance. For businesses with Live Video QoE scores that fail to meet users’ expectations, an Enterprise Content Delivery Network (ECDN) can help alleviate the pressure on your network. Live video is a notoriously bandwidth heavy medium, and as the demand for it grows, you need to know that your network can reliably scale content to reach all employees.
Once you’ve implemented an ECDN, it’s easy to monitor how much bandwidth it saves during each Live Event. Bandwidth savings is defined as percentage of bytes delivered via peering. Network administrators can reference this metric to determine ECDN effectiveness and network capacity.
Now that you know how many people attended your event, what their experience was, and how much bandwidth you saved using an ECDN, it’s time to investigate where you content is being consumed. Kollective’s GeoExplorer allows you to drill down into how much content was consumed by how many users, even if there was a lag or buffering that occurred during event delivery.
This gives global enterprises the opportunity to see how messaging is received across the organization. Identify your top performing offices and those that need additional attention.
Kollective’s ECDN leverages browser-based peering to deliver Live Video. Rather than relying on a single distribution point, it uses WebRTC Technology to enable direct peer-to-peer communication for all network-connected devices in a modern workplace. Peering efficiency is the normalized percentage of bytes delivered via peering. Or, in layman’s terms, how efficiently these connected devices transmit Live Video.
Want to learn more about what great analytics reveal about Live Events? Join us for a webinar where we’ll teach you the ins and outs of Live Video reporting for Microsoft Teams.
The post 6 Metrics You Need to Know to Analyze Live Video Performance appeared first on Kollective Technology .
Public speaking is old hat to many corporate executives, but what happens when you remove the in-person audience and transition to Live Video broadcasting instead? Although most principles for a successful presentation translate well between the two mediums, Live Video requires a slightly more nuanced approach to captivate your audience.
One of the biggest challenges when switching to Live Video, is learning how to become an authentic presenter. Yes, body language and vocal intonations play a big role in how your message is received, but true authenticity comes from preparation. Here’s what you need to know.
From the moment you first appear on screen, you need to be immediately interesting to your audience. Little things like what you’re wearing, where you sit, and how you sound are all important elements that need to be considered before go-live, as they set the stage for what your audience can expect during the presentation. If you plan to present a slide deck, remember to speak purposefully, using the cadence of your speech to draw attention to the most important content.
Although looking and sounding the part is essential to authenticity, it’s the ability to build trust that is cornerstone to all successful Live Video presentations. One of the easiest ways to do so is by using story-bites. Lou Solomon, TEDx speaker and owner of Interact , describe story-bites as a morsel of information that adds imagery and understanding to an idea – like a metaphor or an analogy. Her favorite example of a story-bite in action is when Steve Jobs announced that Apple would transition to using Intel processors in all Macs. Instead of speaking solely in technical terms though, he likened it to a heart transplant. This made it much more relatable to everyday consumers and in turn, built trust.
One way to extend that trust and exert influence is by organizing your key points in a message map. A message map is a simple framework that can be used for any type of presentation or important conversation. You start by identifying the key point you would like to make. If, for example, you’ve developed an Enterprise Content Delivery Network like Kollective has, your primary message is that ECDNs scale Live Video content to the edge of your network by eliminating bandwidth constraints. To reinforce that message, you would combine a fact with a story-bite to create a compelling argument for why that is true.
Example: Kollective ECDN delivers 100% of video content at 1% of bandwidth. You can think of our platform like the ball bearings in a car. We remove friction so you can accelerate your network.
The process is then repeated until your point has been made.
Every video production – big and small – needs a plan. We recommend creating a playbook or checklist to guide your Live Event planning and preparation. Outlining the who, what, where, when and why leads you to the how, which is fundamental to an authentic presentation.
At this time, it is also essential to establish roles and responsibilities, so everyone is aligned on expectations. The event owner for example, is responsible for managing deadlines and assigning tasks. The producer, on the other hand, owns content and run of show. Other team members, like an executive sponsor, network administrator or help desk support, can be added as needed.
The final step to becoming a more authentic present is to practice, practice, practice. If you show up on the day of and haven’t rehearsed your presentation, the audience will take note. While most of us don’t like to watch ourselves on video, doing so can mean the difference between a mediocre presentation and a strong one.
With COVID-19 forcing more businesses to go virtual, Live Video is now a necessary component of every corporate communications strategy. To learn more tips on becoming a better virtual presenter, watch our webinar on demand, Learn to Present Authentically with Live Video.
The post What is the Secret to Live Video Success? Authenticity. appeared first on Kollective Technology .
Do you know the difference between planning and preparation? Although interdependent, the two are not one and the same. For example, you can plan a live event , but being prepared to host it is another story. Preparation will save your event and enable your business’ communication continuation when things outside your control happen.
These are the Live Event planning best practices you need to know to guarantee a successful live event in Microsoft Teams.
Before diving head-first into planning a Microsoft Teams Live Event, it’s important to ask the right questions regarding the what, who, when, where and how.
Defining what kind of event you’re planning and what it’s supposed to look like is the first step preparing for a Live Event. Ask:
Just as important as the what, is the who. You can’t have an event without presenters and attendees.
Establishing an event timeline is critical to ensuring its success. In addition to setting a date, consider:
Remember, short timelines mean event planning is compressed into smaller window, which may result in higher risk. When possible, build in buffers to give yourself adequate time to prepare.
Where your Live Event is held, plays a significant role in how you choose to broadcast it. Is it:
How you answer these questions will help determine what sort of support is needed to supplement your Teams Live Event.
The how is shaped by the answers to all the previous questions and will enable you to assess several aspects regarding event preparation. For example:
If answering all these questions seems daunting, remember, it takes a village to produce a Live Event. You’re not in this alone.
Just like a conference or tradeshow requires a team to make it work, so does a Microsoft Teams Live Event. As the event owner, it’s your responsibility to ensure you have the right people in the right positions for it to succeed. Here’s a quick list of actions to take to drive better alignment.
Getting everyone on the same page early, means fewer question marks down the line.
Another essential component of preparing for a Teams Live Event is testing network readiness. It must be carried out regardless of whether you’re running a QuickStart Teams Live Event or Encoder with production crew. If using QuickStart, ensure all presenters are connected using the exact same set-up as they will on the day of the live event – same room, machine, lighting, microphone or headset etc. This will help you spot any issues or areas of improvement ahead of time.
During this time, it is also important to document any learnings; that include both mistakes and things that went well. Running live events is sometimes unpredictable and, despite all your planning and preparation, something completely unexpected might be thrown your way. Whether you use these notes for yourself or for helping a fellow communicator and event owner, the insights are invaluable.
Every Microsoft Teams Live Event is unique, which means the planning and preparation will vary with each. While you can develop guidelines to help guide your preparation for a Live Event, there is no set blueprint to ensure success.
To learn more about the ins and outs of Live Event planning and preparation, watch our webinar, Live Events in Microsoft Teams Made Easy.
The post Prepare to Succeed: Microsoft Teams Live Events Best Practices appeared first on Kollective Technology .
