Congratulations on taking the first steps towards creating your debut liveblog! Now, here's the big question: how do you turn your liveblog from mere event coverage into a compelling narrative that resonates, captivates and inspires? The key lies in one word: engagement.
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Photo by Carol Magalhães on Unsplash
In part two of our blogpost series, we'll take an in-depth look at engagement strategies, why they are essential for your liveblog, and how you can use your content to build loyalty and make a genuine connection with your readers.
WHY DOES ENGAGEMENT MATTER?
Engagement isn't just a buzzword; it's a heartbeat that makes your liveblog come alive. Engaging content bridges the gap between you and the audience. By allowing your readers to interact with what you're sharing in various ways, you connect with them and create a captivating experience that keeps them hooked from start to finish. As a result, they stay on your page longer than they would on an average article. This increase in retention rates will, in turn, allow you to monetize your content. Finally, even after the story is over, if you succeeded in giving your readers an entertaining and unique experience, they will likely come back for more.
INCORPORATING MULTIMEDIA CONTENT
Including various media in your storytelling is vital. Readers are used to consuming all kinds of content due to the experience they get from social media. Even simply integrating pictures will benefit your liveblog as they make the information more digestible by breaking up long chunks of text. Additionally, you can enrich your story with videos, GIFs, infographics, emojis, and audio snippets.
In the preparation phase, find relevant hashtags or social media accounts likely to post about the event you will be liveblogging. As the live coverage unfolds, you can incorporate reactions and opinions shared on various social channels into your blog. This will allow you to bring different perspectives to the story and delight your audience with the content they enjoy.
CONNECTING WITH YOUR READERS
Transform your liveblog from a monologue into a dialogue. Turning your readers into direct participants of your coverage will foster connections and build a sense of community around your story.
🔗 Add interactive elements: Incorporate polls and quizzes to keep readers entertained and invested. For example, you can test their knowledge on a topic, ask them to predict the outcome of a game or get their opinion on an issue. You can also insert external content that leads readers to additional resources and articles to explore a topic further.
💬 Spark the dialogue: Ask thought-provoking questions of the audience to encourage discussion in the comments. Ask for their feedback, concerns, and opinions. Respond promptly to their messages in the comments and acknowledge their contributions. Your responsiveness will make your readers feel seen and heard, amplifying their investment in your content.
This approach proved highly successful for one of our clients, Stuff, during their liveblog coverage of the Taylor Swift Australian Eras Tour ticket sale. By asking readers to share their ticket-buying experiences, they garnered 252 comments covering all the drama - from the devastation of waiting for hours to come away empty-handed to the elation of managing to snag a few tickets.
📲 Social sharing: Motivate your readers to share your content across various social channels, expanding the reach of your liveblog. Create a distinctive event-related hashtag and ensure that your headlines are eye-catching and the content is compelling enough to encourage your audience to share it.
EXTRA TIPP: POLISH YOUR LIVEBLOG'S LOOK
Integrating different elements is excellent, but make sure your liveblog doesn't look too chaotic. Think about what you want your liveblog to look like in advance and let the textual and visual content support each other and look harmonious. Experiment with different layouts styles - whether it's a traditional timeline or a more original mosaic format - to discover what resonates with your audience the most.
CONCLUSION
A liveblog goes beyond mere reporting; it allows you to tell a story - any story - uniquely. Depending on how you develop your engagement strategy, it has the power to captivate, foster meaningful connections, cultivate a community, and provide an immersive experience that keeps readers coming back for more.
Two crucial steps to creating your first liveblog are now behind you. In the next part, we will discuss how to make your ready-to-go liveblog more visible to Google and readers.
However, if you are eager to stay ahead of the curve, don't miss our free whitepaper "LIVE IS LIFE" to get more insights on how to craft a successful liveblog that will expand your reach and enhance engagement.
