There are some online conferences and webinars, and there feels like a real distance between the speakers and attendees, and you are there to listen to what the presenters want to talk about.
Therefore, we went with Zoom, but I recommend using the platform that suits your company and the objectives of your show the most.
Encourage Live Q And A
With SEO Office Hours it’s really the people who submit questions and watch live that make the show.
We are watching the live chat, and the audience’s expressions (sometimes puzzled looks, really engaged, usually lots of nodding) dictate whether we explore a topic further/ something might need clarifying, or move to the next question.
The audience is a mixture of stressed marketing managers, frustrated business owners, and SEO pros who work alone. SEO Office Hours is their chance to see what’s working for others, to bring up the problems they are having, or just to chat with others doing what they do.
For us, running the show, it’s important that the audience feels heard and seen – and that if they have a question, it’s likely we will chat about it. We think Zoom or Google Meet naturally assists with this format.
During the live hour, it’s very rare for attendees to drop out, and that may be because they feel just as much a part of SEO Office Hours as the special guests answering the questions.
How To Manage Those “Awkward” Live Questions/Answers From The Audience (And Sometimes From Guests)
If there are these awkward live questions, you can do one of three things:
Wait for the audience to answer the question.
Ask the person to clarify what they mean.
Answer the question (the host and co-host with special guests).
Sometimes, spam questions are asked, and then if not answered, they are asked again.
Most of the time, in 37 episodes (up until August 11th), we have not had too many awkward live questions.
Where To Find Speakers Even If You Have Not Met Or Been In Touch With Them Before
This was the third time I had run a show and so I contacted some people who had taken part in previous shows. Being part of communities is key to connecting with others and promoting them in the show.
There is never an excuse to have the same type of people speaking at your YouTube show.
If you do not find people outside of your circle, that is fine, but build connections with others or ask former colleagues or friends if they know others who want to be part of your show.
How To Promote
Do not be shy about promoting your show.
Since Good Signals started SEO Office Hours on November 3rd, their LinkedIn followers increased by 560, and their subscribers increased by 251 by the end of July, our 35th episode.
Good Signals has a dedicated landing page with all information (how to submit a question and sign up) where attendees sign up for calendar invites, which grows each week – this is something that people naturally share.
Initially, Mike used to include SEO office hours in the weekly newsletter, and he also used to include it in his email signature.
Along with relevant descriptions, we also tag individual videos on YouTube by relevant topics so they appear for searches and alongside popular relevant videos.
Plus, we run a small Google Ads campaign on YouTube, which means that when people see similar videos, they are shown SEO Office Hours.
We have been lucky to be featured in the SEOFOMO newsletter; thank you, Aleyda Solis.
We were invited to come on the Search off the Record podcast, where Google occasionally interviews guests on its show. We sometimes have Lizzie and John from Google come on SEO Office Hours, too.
Use The Platform That Suits Your Brand The Most
If guests have YouTube channels, they sometimes share directly on the platform with their subscribers. We tend to promote on Linkedin and sometimes Twitter. We do not share the show on Instagram.
We played with the design for the thumbnails for the videos over the first few months.
Without overdesigning, we wanted to create something that people in our networks would recognize – and it seems to have worked. When we promote the shows, the thumbnails stand out.
Be Open To Feedback
We always welcome feedback, and when we receive it from attendees, we make those changes. This means SEO Office Hours continues to improve, and therefore, more people enjoy it.
As a result, these people share it with their network, and we have more exposure.
Don’t Give Up
If, at first, you do not succeed, try a different approach.
This is the third YouTube show I have been part of. We have generated the highest number of views on videos than I have in the past.
However, the experience I gained with the previous shows has helped me with SEO Office Hours.
Most of us do not learn how to run a live YouTube show at university/college or have formal training; we learn about it on the job.
Therefore, learn from others who have been successful, and if your technique is not working, do not give up; try something different.
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