Live streaming is a powerful tool that can drive video views and social media engagement by essentially bringing into “the room” viewers who otherwise might not be able to attend or participate in the event being streamed.

Live Stream Options

There are two ways to approach a live stream. The first, is to keep it basic with quick amateur video captured through a smartphone. The second approach is to make the live stream a more advanced, professional production that utilizes professional equipment and staff expertise—requiring the work of 2-4 communications staff members. To be effective, each stream on the simple-to-advanced scale should include thorough planning and the level of complexity intentionally chosen to match the unique aspects of the event being streamed. The College Communications team encourages all social media managers to consider live streaming as a powerful communications tool to drive online engagement with Davidson. The purpose of these guidelines is to help outline how and when the College Communications team will be able to step in to assist with a advanced/professional live stream events using Davidson’s main institutional social media accounts as opposed to aiding and training managers to offer basic live streams through department-level social media accounts.

Selectively in Which Events are Live Streamed

While College Communications embraces live streaming as a powerful engagement tool we are selective in which events are live streamed to the college’s institutional social media accounts given the additional considerations for video, audio, and live streaming equipment, lighting, staging, staffing, and the much needed involvement of event organizers in the production.

Live Stream Event Plans

Requests for advanced/professional live streams must include detailed event plans covering every aspect of an event and how the event will engage with an external audience and encourage audience participation as part of an event. Audience engagement can influence and impact the broadcast—it can help increase retention, reach and lead to more engagement from the viewers. The decision as to what events will be live streamed on the primary Davidson College social media accounts rests with the College Communications team and with the college’s Chief Communications and Marketing Officer.
  • This lecture is being broadcast tonight live on the Davidson College Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube channels
  • Thank you for joining us live, please share the live stream with your network to encourage others to watch
    • the key to getting increased viewers on a live stream is to get viewers to share the stream to their audiences and networks during the live stream itself.
  • There will be a question and answer session at the end of the presentation—if you are watching live please submit your questions as comments during the live stream and we will try to answer them as we are able.
  • Communicate to the live stream that after the conclusion of the live stream that an archived version of the video will be available online on the Davidson College Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube channels as a recording.

Start on Time

  • Advanced/professional live streams will be scheduled in advance.
  • If the event starts late the number of viewers online could drop dramatically.
  • Facebook requires that a scheduled live event start no later than 10 minutes after the scheduled time.

Promote a Hashtag

  • Tell both the audience in the room and online to take pictures, screenshots, video and recordings and share their content using a preplanned hashtag.
  • If no hashtag is in use ask the audience to tag @DavidsonCollege and/or any supporting department-level accounts.

Two-to-Five Minutes to Grab Attention

  • The first two-to-five minutes of the live stream are vital in grabbing the online audience and convincing them to remain watching throughout the duration of the event.
  • The first 15-30 seconds are crucial to engage users who will watch the recording of the live event.

Repetition

  • The vast majority of the social media audience will only watch a small portion of the live stream event so it is a best practice to repeat the main talking points a few times throughout the event.
  • Repeatedly engage the social audience and remind them to like, share, and engage on social media.
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  1. Contact your department administrative assistant. All administrative assistants have received training on how to update academic department website content, including faculty webpages.
  2. Submit requests to the College Communications digital staff. Updates can be submitted by email to digitalstaff@davidson.edu.
  3. Submit content update requests using a quick and easy online form at davidson.edu/web-requests.
Please note: Academic department chairs are considered the “owner’ of department website content. Please copy chairs on any department content update requests.

Website Questions or Need Assistance?

Questions or requests for assistance can be directed to the digital communications staff at digitalstaff@davidson.edu or 704-894-2242.

Special Content Areas 

Masthead Photos/Sliders, Slideshows, and Right Column Callouts

A few areas on department websites can only be updated by digital communications staff. These include top of page masthead photos/sliders (slideshows) and right column callouts.
Music Department masthead slideshow

Masthead Slider

Example of a Right Column Callout featuring Study Abroad Photo

Example of a Right Column Callout

These component areas typically involve multiple publishing steps and require the selection, resizing, and optimizing of high quality photos in Photoshop. To maintain high quality and visual webpages, and to streamline the process for content authors to easily update the content in the main content area of webpages, these areas were removed from the editing workflow. Right column callouts typically include a photo and short teaser text and highlight college and department hallmarks—research and scholarship, study abroad, outcomes (internships, careers, and graduate school), student opportunities, what you can do with a major (specific to how Davidson prepares students), and related links and resources.

Need a Masthead or Right Column Callout Added or Updated?

Contact the digital staff with your request at digitalstaff@davidson.edu or 704-894-2242.

Content Management and Training

 The college uses the Ingeniux content management system (CMS), a browser-based Web application, to manage content on academic department websites.

CMS Training

Each department can designate up to two staff or faculty members to attend CMS training. Departments are limited to two trained staff or faculty so the digital communications staff can focus training and support around a manageable number of CMS authors. All administrative assistants have received CMS training and are available to make content updates to department websites. More than 125 faculty and staff from across the college have received CMS training. The training lasts two hours and covers how to use the CMS, website best practices, and college standards and style guidelines. Completion of training is a prerequisite before access is given to the CMS and department websites.

Need CMS Training?

Departments can have up to two people trained to use the CMS. If you would like to be trained how to use the CMS, talk with your department chair about your request. Questions or requests for assistance can be directed to the College Communictions digital staff at digitalstaff@davidson.edu or 704-894-2242.

Website Target Audiences

The primary target audiences for academic and administrative department websites are prospective students, current students, and parents. There are secondary target audiences, including faculty, staff, alumni, other colleges, friends of the college, among others, but much of the Davidson website is directed at an external audience that is less familiar with Davidson College than members of the internal campus community. We have a limited amount of time to capture the attention of prospective students and parents, so content on the Davidson website, including academic department pages, needs to be relevant, current, and easily found and scanned by target audiences.

Importance of College Websites to Prospective Students

In a recent Ruffalo Noel Levitz E-Expectations Survey, 80 percent of prospective students said schools’ websites influenced or highly influenced their interest in specific colleges or universities.

Faculty Webpages  

The primary target audiences for faculty webpages are 16-21 year-old prospective and current students and their parents. Each faculty webpage should feature the following content:
  • Faculty education – education and degrees (undergraduate, post-graduate)
  • Faculty biography – short biography written in the first person (no more than 300 words). The biography can be broken up into sections: Background, Research, and Teaching. Bios should include information about a faculty member’s specialty and discipline, their passion for teaching, how they involve students in their research and scholarship, and how they mentor students in producing original work. Bios should be done in a short, narrative format and be conversational and welcoming in tone.
  • Faculty contact information, CV, and link to personal website – Every faculty webpage right column includes a faculty member’s contact information: Professor name, title, department name, box number, city/state/zip, office phone, fax, office location, office hours (optional), link to curriculum vitae posted as PDF, and link to personal website (optional).

What Not to List on Faculty Pages

Faculty pages are written in a narrative format. Posting content as long, comprehensive lists should be avoided, including listing out awards, presentations, papers, books, research projects, grants, etc. Faculty are strongly encouraged to highlight detailed accounts of professional experiences and accomplishments in a CV attached to their faculty webpage and/or provide a link to personal website whether hosted by Davidson College or external host.

Academic Department Website Navigation

Standard Department Navigation  

The following pages are found on department or program websites. Deviation from navigation standards typically requires approval from Academic Affairs.
Example of department homepage accordions featuring news, events, and social media

Example of homepage accordions – news, events, and social media.

Department Homepage – short paragraph or two covering the focus of the department Department pages can also feature masthead photos and sliders at the top of the page; news, events, and social media accordions in the center of the page and department contact information Major(s) – information about major and major requirements
  • College Catalog – just a link to the major listed in the catalog
  • Honor Program – information about the department’s honors program and honors requirements,
Minor(s) – information about minor and minor requirements Interdisciplinary Minor(s) – information about interdisciplinary minor and requirements Courses – general course listing for the department pulled from Banner.
  • Spring Courses / Fall Courses – spring and fall semester course listing pulled from Banner
  • Course Schedule Planning – departments provides additional information about future courses
Faculty & Staff – listing of faculty and staff within a department and headshot photos. Includes 1-3 sentence bio written in first person.
  • Individual faculty and staff pages (see Faculty Webpages section for more details)
Research – general overview of the kinds of student and faculty research and scholarship that is happening in a department. This is a generalized narrative overview and not a listing of past research papers. Study Abroad – marketing information covering department-sponsored programs, information about the value of study abroad, and highlights of past study broad experiences, outcomes, etc. Internships, Careers, and Graduate School – focused on student outcomes and opportunities for graduates and provided in a narrative format. Student Organizations – information about student organizations and activities commonly available to students. Depending on the department, other standard department links include: facilities, facilities and equipment, among others.

Archive Pages

Archive pages are considered non-standard pages and will eventually be removed from academic department websites. These include: current and past event pages in the CMS (all events are managed and archived in the EMS master calendar), pages featuring long lists of past student theses, past student awards, past student research projects and papers (featuring links or attachments), student outcomes included in a list format, etc. These types of pages receive very little website traffic and divert the attention of departments from focusing their time on top-level department pages.

College Digital Standards and Policies

The website is the Davidson’s virtual window to the world and is the college’s most important communications and marketing vehicle viewed by millions of visitors each year. Like any publication that is updated by many authors, having a common set of standards, guidelines, and policies in place ensures consistency across the website.

Department Website Style and Content Guide  

Purpose: To ensure the look, language, and tone of all departments is cohesive, clear, concise, and appealing in structure and voice. Audience: Primary target audiences are prospective students considering Davidson, their parents, as well as current students contemplating a major. Narrative:  Tell visitors why a major, department, field of study, and the Davidson experience are uniquely compelling. Voice: Conversational in tone. Address target audiences in second person using “you” instead of “students” wherever possible and reference the department in the first person plural “we.” Individual faculty bios are written in first person singular. Word Count: Webpages should trend more toward *highlights* than encyclopedic knowledge, and website visits tend to be extremely short. So the word count goal—in general—is for pages to contain 250-300 words or less (or slightly more) when possible and multiple subheadings to break up text to make content easier to scan.
Basic live streams can be run directly through any college social media account with little to no direct involvement from College Communications. If you are considering undertaking a live stream for your program or event, College Communications is happy to meet with faculty and staff and provide training and the skills and knowledge needed to undertake a basic live stream on your own. Anatomy of a Basic Live Stream Basic live streams are up close, personal, and high action. These types of streams are ideal for up close and personal live videos taken just feet away from the action. Low-tech, Lower Quality, Minimal Staffing
  • Because these streams follow the action very closely, these basic live streams are typically taken by one user with a mobile device or smartphone.
  • Typically, these live streams depend solely on a mobile data plan or wireless internet connection.
  • A minimum upload speed of 3-8 mbps is necessary to complete a basic live stream to sites like Facebook Live, Twitter/Periscope, Instagram, or YouTube Live.
Lower Quality does not mean poor quality and/or unplanned production
  • A few basic preparations and tools can transform shaky and unprofessional “in the moment” streams into well planned and high quality live videos while maintaining the “in the moment” social media feel.
Best Practices for Basic Live Streams Typically, when recording or going live via a smartphone, it is ideal to use the same best practices used for professional videography. You can find some best practices, tips, and tricks on the Davidson website, including in the College Communications Marketing Toolbox.
Advanced/professional live streams are carefully planned productions that result in a professionally produced video feed that is broadcast via an encoding device direct to multiple social media accounts, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube. Given the complexity and the large number of staff needed to produce professional live streams, College Communications is very selective in Professional live streams cannot be completed by one individual with a smartphone. These streams require the direct involvement of 2-4 College Communications staff (1-2 videographers depending on camera setup, camera switch operator if using more than a single camera, a live stream producer, social media manager for monitoring social media conversations engagement and to pass along questions and issues to event liason, and an additional person for remote monitoring/assistance). Professional live streams also require the assistance and availability of faculty or staff from the event organizer or department. Professional live streams are:
  • Professional videographer(s) using professional video equipment to capture and stream higher profile events.
    1. High tech, high quality, high manpower
    2. This is not a stream that can be produced by one person with a smartphone.
  • Equipment involved
    1. Professional lighting
    2. Professional audio
    3. Professional video equipment
    4. Fully reliable internet (dedicated wifi or hard-lined Ethernet)
  • The minimum number of people involved include:
    1. Event speaker(s)
    2. Event manager/coordinator
    3. Videographer(s)
    4. Producer
    5. Onsite social media manager
      1. Producer and on-site social media manager may be completed by the same person depending on complexity and needs of the event.
    6. On-site or off-site social media monitoring and response
  • High quality means highly planned and well produced
    1. These types of live streams should be well planned out so that a high quality, professionally produced video is ultimately shared to the online audience.
    2. Advanced planning is a must to include:
      1. Logistics/planning meeting
      2. Event scheduling
  • Justification for the advanced/professional live stream vs simple live stream
  1. Identification of individuals to fill roles
  2. Obtaining speaker permissions
  3. Integrated real world and digital marketing plan
  • Includes promotion leading up to the event and day of communications (text/copy to go in the live stream social media posts)
  • Site selection/visit
    1. On site video/audio/reliable internet check
  1. Setting up system for live internal communications plan during event
    1. Text, radio, slack, email
Before moving forward with any professional live stream plan, the following factors must be considered:   Do we have the staffing? It takes a minimum of three, preferably four, staff people from College Communications to do a “complex” live stream:
  1. Videographer(s)
    1. Responsible for operating the professional camera(s) equipment to provide a professional quality video production from start to finish.
    2. Responsible for planning ahead to ensure quality audio and video feeds from start to finish.
      1. Includes working with venue A/V to ensure audio and video logistics are set up.
      2. Agrees to complete an on-site visit in advance of the event.
    3. Will be on site, at minimum, an hour before each streaming event, remaining 30 minutes to an hour after the event.
  2. Producer
    1. Responsible for taking the raw camera and/or audio feed(s) and sending it out to the social media streams via Wirecast or another encoding device. This may include the addition of items like lower thirds, intro/outro graphics, slides, recorded video and other relevant media.
    2. Responsible for gathering or creating all additional media content for the live stream in advance.
    3. Will be on site, at minimum, an hour before each streaming event, remaining 30 minutes to an hour after the event.
  3. Social Media Manager on Site
    1. Responsible for making the decision as to when to start/stop the live stream and for monitoring the quality of the live stream through the duration of the event.
    2. Works with venue and/or ITS to ensure reliable internet is available on site.
    3. Coordinates with videographer, producer, event planners and College Communications in general to ensure seamless operation for:
      1. Advanced planning
      2. Obtaining agreements to live stream
  • Promotional integrated real world and digital marketing plan
  1. Day of / LIVE operations
  2. Post-event real world and digital marketing plan
  1. Coordinates with social media monitoring and response team member to ensure comments and questions are responded to in a timely and appropriate manner.
  2. Will be on site, at minimum, an hour before each streaming event, remaining 30 minutes to an hour after the event.
(depending on the complexity of the live stream, the producer and social media manager roles may be accomplished by one person)
  1. On site or off-site social media monitoring and response
    1. Closely coordinates with the social media manager to monitor social media traffic, comments, and questions and providing responses on social media when appropriate.
    2. Works with the event manager and social media manager to feed appropriate questions and comments to the event speaker for a response.
    3. Will be on site (or available to monitor offsite) at minimum, 30 minutes before each streaming event, remaining 15-30 minutes after the event.
    4. This position may come from College Communications or be provided by the hosting department if the department is able to provide someone experienced in social media monitoring and has access to the departments social media accounts.
It takes a minimum of two people, from the department hosting the event to complete a “complex” live stream:
  1. Event Speaker(s)
    1. The primary event speaker(s) must all agree to permit the live stream.
    2. The event speaker will be encouraged to engage the social media audience when appropriate to:
      1. Recognize/refer directly to the audience during the live stream
      2. Encourage the social media audience to share the live stream and to comment
  • When appropriate, Respond to questions, comments or other engagements from users on the social media live streams.
  1. Uses their own social media presence to share the live streams through promotional content in advance of the event and sharing the stream live during.
  1. Event manager
    1. Communicates directly with the event speaker(s) and College Communications to ensure that the speaker(s) agreement/permission is obtained before the live stream event is planned or advanced and coordinates how the speaker will engage with the social media audience during the event.
    2. Participates in advanced planning including aiding in a site visit.
    3. Supports and helps design the promotional marketing plan.
    4. Agrees to use their department’s social media presence to share the live streams through promotional content in advance of the event and sharing the stream live during.
    5. Will be on site, at minimum, an hour before each streaming event, remaining 30 minutes to an hour after the event.
Do we have the Technology and Logistics to Support the Live Stream? In order to professionally pull off a “complex” live stream production there are a number of logistical and technical requirements that must be met specifically regarding the venue.
  • Audio
    • The venue must be able to provide a reliable “house” audio feed and if this is not possible, the venue must allow the videographer(s) appropriate access to ensure all speakers and elements are picked up clearly via microphone. This includes any question and answer session or other unique audience engagement elements involved in the event.
  • Video
    • The venue must allow for a camera (or cameras) to be placed in a location that will be able to pick up all the elements of the event. This must take into consideration distance from the speakers, mobility of the speakers (are they sitting/standing/walking etc) lighting, presentations/props/slideshows and how the studio audience will show in the shot(s).
  • Internet
    • The venue must provide reliable hard-lined internet that can handle the bandwidth of a live stream. If hard-lined Ethernet is not available, the venue must have access to dedicated Wi-Fi that is set up specifically for the live stream and is not accessible by other users at the event.
      • Minimum internet speeds must be 5-8 mbps upload for 720p and 1080p HD.
      • Verizon or other mobile-data networks should be avoided for a “complex” live stream. If wireless data is required, significant testing should be completed to ensure that a quality signal is maintained even when a large crowd of additional users are in the area pulling data from the same cell-towers via their own phones and other devices. Often there may be sufficient data to pull off a stream when no one else is in the room, but once 50+ others join the signal strength may be severely impacted.
Do we have Permission? For any event involving a speaker, particularly a paid speaker, permission must be granted by the speaker(s) before the live stream can be planned and promoted. Any event involving music may involve copyright concerns. Care shall be taken to obtain permission to broadcast the music during the live stream. Do we have advanced notice? Barring exceptional circumstances, a minimum of two weeks advance notice is needed to plan a complex live stream. The ideal advanced notification time is a full month out. Anything requests inside a month will likely be turned down simply due to manpower concerns. Is this a good event for live streaming on the primary Davidson College accounts? Just because an event may be an ideal event to stream for any given department does not necessarily mean it is an event that the College can or should live stream to the broader Davidson College community. Factors to consider include:
  • Student sponsored vs College sponsored?
  • Popularity of speaker and event theme/topic?
    • Will this speaker/topic engage viewers online for more than 30 seconds?
  • Does the event raise the reputation of Davidson College on a national level?
  • How many people will attend in person?
    • If you can’t fill the room, is there another justification to live stream the event?
  • What audience does the event interest? Does this include an audience that cannot make it to the College campus?
    • Students, Alumni, Parents, Faculty, Staff, Other Schools, Niche Audiences
  • How is this event being advertised?
    • The hosting department must show an interest in proactively advertising the event, including the live stream, via their own social media platforms.
  • Is the President’s Office involved?
    • Are the President or other high profile Davidson personalities attending?
  • Is the event in agreement with the values of the College including the Statement of Purpose and Honor Code?
  • Are there opportunities, and is the speaker(s) willing, to engage the social media audience via Q/A or other means?
  • Are their visual elements to the event beyond just a podium and a speaker?
  • Is this a “named lecture” recognized by the College?
Communications Plan The department requesting the live stream event must commit to working closely with the College Communications team to develop a comprehensives marketing plan around the live stream. The plan will include:
  • Month out notice ideal
  • Minimum two-weeks notice
  • Integrated real world and digital marketing and promotion plan
    • Scheduling of live event
    • Promoting the live event through email, social media, fliers, word of mouth, mailers etc.
    • Copy developed for use during the live stream
  • Live, during the event, communications plan
  • Text, radio, email, slack
  • Run sheet
  • Post-event real world and digital marketing and promotion plan
  • Team debrief – lessons learned

Advanced/Professional Live Streaming

professional live streams are carefully planned productions that result in a professionally produced video feed that is broadcast via an encoding device direct to multiple social media accounts, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube. Given the complexity and the large number of staff needed to produce professional live streams, College Communications is very selective in Professional live streams cannot be completed by one individual with a smartphone. These streams require the direct involvement of 2-4 College Communications staff (1-2 videographers depending on camera setup, camera switch operator if using more than a single camera, a live stream producer, social media manager for monitoring social media conversations engagement and to pass along questions and issues to event liason, and an additional person for remote monitoring/assistance). Professional live streams also require the assistance and availability of faculty or staff from the event organizer or department. Professional live streams are:
  • Professional videographer(s) using professional video equipment to capture and stream higher profile events.
    1. High tech, high quality, high manpower
    2. This is not a stream that can be produced by one person with a smartphone.
  • Equipment involved
    1. Professional lighting
    2. Professional audio
    3. Professional video equipment
    4. Fully reliable internet (dedicated wifi or hard-lined Ethernet)
  • The minimum number of people involved include:
    1. Event speaker(s)
    2. Event manager/coordinator
    3. Videographer(s)
    4. Producer
    5. Onsite social media manager
      1. Producer and on-site social media manager may be completed by the same person depending on complexity and needs of the event.
    6. On-site or off-site social media monitoring and response
  • High quality means highly planned and well produced
    1. These types of live streams should be well planned out so that a high quality, professionally produced video is ultimately shared to the online audience.
    2. Advanced planning is a must to include:
      1. Logistics/planning meeting
      2. Event scheduling
  • Justification for the advanced/professional live stream vs simple live stream
  1. Identification of individuals to fill roles
  2. Obtaining speaker permissions
  3. Integrated real world and digital marketing plan
  • Includes promotion leading up to the event and day of communications (text/copy to go in the live stream social media posts)
  • Site selection/visit
    1. On site video/audio/reliable internet check
  1. Setting up system for live internal communications plan during event
    1. Text, radio, slack, email
Before moving forward with any professional live stream plan, the following factors must be considered:   Do we have the staffing? It takes a minimum of three, preferably four, staff people from College Communications to do a “complex” live stream:
  1. Videographer(s)
    1. Responsible for operating the professional camera(s) equipment to provide a professional quality video production from start to finish.
    2. Responsible for planning ahead to ensure quality audio and video feeds from start to finish.
      1. Includes working with venue A/V to ensure audio and video logistics are set up.
      2. Agrees to complete an on-site visit in advance of the event.
    3. Will be on site, at minimum, an hour before each streaming event, remaining 30 minutes to an hour after the event.
  2. Producer
    1. Responsible for taking the raw camera and/or audio feed(s) and sending it out to the social media streams via Wirecast or another encoding device. This may include the addition of items like lower thirds, intro/outro graphics, slides, recorded video and other relevant media.
    2. Responsible for gathering or creating all additional media content for the live stream in advance.
    3. Will be on site, at minimum, an hour before each streaming event, remaining 30 minutes to an hour after the event.
  3. Social Media Manager on Site
    1. Responsible for making the decision as to when to start/stop the live stream and for monitoring the quality of the live stream through the duration of the event.
    2. Works with venue and/or ITS to ensure reliable internet is available on site.
    3. Coordinates with videographer, producer, event planners and College Communications in general to ensure seamless operation for:
      1. Advanced planning
      2. Obtaining agreements to live stream
  • Promotional integrated real world and digital marketing plan
  1. Day of / LIVE operations
  2. Post-event real world and digital marketing plan
  1. Coordinates with social media monitoring and response team member to ensure comments and questions are responded to in a timely and appropriate manner.
  2. Will be on site, at minimum, an hour before each streaming event, remaining 30 minutes to an hour after the event.
(depending on the complexity of the live stream, the producer and social media manager roles may be accomplished by one person)
  1. On site or off-site social media monitoring and response
    1. Closely coordinates with the social media manager to monitor social media traffic, comments, and questions and providing responses on social media when appropriate.
    2. Works with the event manager and social media manager to feed appropriate questions and comments to the event speaker for a response.
    3. Will be on site (or available to monitor offsite) at minimum, 30 minutes before each streaming event, remaining 15-30 minutes after the event.
    4. This position may come from College Communications or be provided by the hosting department if the department is able to provide someone experienced in social media monitoring and has access to the departments social media accounts.
It takes a minimum of two people, from the department hosting the event to complete a “complex” live stream:
  1. Event Speaker(s)
    1. The primary event speaker(s) must all agree to permit the live stream.
    2. The event speaker will be encouraged to engage the social media audience when appropriate to:
      1. Recognize/refer directly to the audience during the live stream
      2. Encourage the social media audience to share the live stream and to comment
  • When appropriate, Respond to questions, comments or other engagements from users on the social media live streams.
  1. Uses their own social media presence to share the live streams through promotional content in advance of the event and sharing the stream live during.
  1. Event manager
    1. Communicates directly with the event speaker(s) and College Communications to ensure that the speaker(s) agreement/permission is obtained before the live stream event is planned or advanced and coordinates how the speaker will engage with the social media audience during the event.
    2. Participates in advanced planning including aiding in a site visit.
    3. Supports and helps design the promotional marketing plan.
    4. Agrees to use their department’s social media presence to share the live streams through promotional content in advance of the event and sharing the stream live during.
    5. Will be on site, at minimum, an hour before each streaming event, remaining 30 minutes to an hour after the event.
Do we have the Technology and Logistics to Support the Live Stream? In order to professionally pull off a “complex” live stream production there are a number of logistical and technical requirements that must be met specifically regarding the venue.
  • Audio
    • The venue must be able to provide a reliable “house” audio feed and if this is not possible, the venue must allow the videographer(s) appropriate access to ensure all speakers and elements are picked up clearly via microphone. This includes any question and answer session or other unique audience engagement elements involved in the event.
  • Video
    • The venue must allow for a camera (or cameras) to be placed in a location that will be able to pick up all the elements of the event. This must take into consideration distance from the speakers, mobility of the speakers (are they sitting/standing/walking etc) lighting, presentations/props/slideshows and how the studio audience will show in the shot(s).
  • Internet
    • The venue must provide reliable hard-lined internet that can handle the bandwidth of a live stream. If hard-lined Ethernet is not available, the venue must have access to dedicated Wi-Fi that is set up specifically for the live stream and is not accessible by other users at the event.
      • Minimum internet speeds must be 5-8 mbps upload for 720p and 1080p HD.
      • Verizon or other mobile-data networks should be avoided for a “complex” live stream. If wireless data is required, significant testing should be completed to ensure that a quality signal is maintained even when a large crowd of additional users are in the area pulling data from the same cell-towers via their own phones and other devices. Often there may be sufficient data to pull off a stream when no one else is in the room, but once 50+ others join the signal strength may be severely impacted.
Do we have Permission? For any event involving a speaker, particularly a paid speaker, permission must be granted by the speaker(s) before the live stream can be planned and promoted. Any event involving music may involve copyright concerns. Care shall be taken to obtain permission to broadcast the music during the live stream. Do we have advanced notice? Barring exceptional circumstances, a minimum of two weeks advance notice is needed to plan a complex live stream. The ideal advanced notification time is a full month out. Anything requests inside a month will likely be turned down simply due to manpower concerns. Is this a good event for live streaming on the primary Davidson College accounts? Just because an event may be an ideal event to stream for any given department does not necessarily mean it is an event that the College can or should live stream to the broader Davidson College community. Factors to consider include:
  • Student sponsored vs College sponsored?
  • Popularity of speaker and event theme/topic?
    • Will this speaker/topic engage viewers online for more than 30 seconds?
  • Does the event raise the reputation of Davidson College on a national level?
  • How many people will attend in person?
    • If you can’t fill the room, is there another justification to live stream the event?
  • What audience does the event interest? Does this include an audience that cannot make it to the College campus?
    • Students, Alumni, Parents, Faculty, Staff, Other Schools, Niche Audiences
  • How is this event being advertised?
    • The hosting department must show an interest in proactively advertising the event, including the live stream, via their own social media platforms.
  • Is the President’s Office involved?
    • Are the President or other high profile Davidson personalities attending?
  • Is the event in agreement with the values of the College including the Statement of Purpose and Honor Code?
  • Are there opportunities, and is the speaker(s) willing, to engage the social media audience via Q/A or other means?
  • Are their visual elements to the event beyond just a podium and a speaker?
  • Is this a “named lecture” recognized by the College?
Communications Plan The department requesting the live stream event must commit to working closely with the College Communications team to develop a comprehensives marketing plan around the live stream. The plan will include:
  • Month out notice ideal
  • Minimum two-weeks notice
  • Integrated real world and digital marketing and promotion plan
    • Scheduling of live event
    • Promoting the live event through email, social media, fliers, word of mouth, mailers etc.
    • Copy developed for use during the live stream
  • Live, during the event, communications plan
  • Text, radio, email, slack
  • Run sheet
  • Post-event real world and digital marketing and promotion plan
  • Team debrief – lessons learned

Basic Live Streaming

Basic live streams can be run directly through any college social media account with little to no direct involvement from College Communications. If you are considering undertaking a live stream for your program or event, College Communications is happy to meet with faculty and staff and provide training and the skills and knowledge needed to undertake a basic live stream on your own.

Anatomy of a Basic Live Stream

Basic live streams are up close, personal, and high action. These types of streams are ideal for up close and personal live videos taken just feet away from the action.

Low-tech, Lower Quality, Minimal Staffing

  • Because these streams follow the action very closely, these basic live streams are typically taken by one user with a mobile device or smartphone.
  • Typically, these live streams depend solely on a mobile data plan or wireless internet connection.
  • A minimum upload speed of 3-8 mbps is necessary to complete a basic live stream to sites like Facebook Live, Twitter/Periscope, Instagram, or YouTube Live.

Lower Quality Does Not Mean Poor Quality and/or Unplanned Production

  • A few basic preparations and tools can transform shaky and unprofessional “in the moment” streams into well planned and high quality live videos while maintaining the “in the moment” social media feel.

Best Practices for Basic Live Streams

Typically, when recording or going live via a smartphone, it is ideal to use the same best practices used for professional videography. You can find some best practices, tips, and tricks on the Davidson website, including in the College Communications Marketing Toolbox.

Web Requests

If you need assistance with a website content update or other Web-related project, complete our project request form and a digital communications staff member will contact you.
Submit a Request