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Stephanie Liu Welcome to Lights Camera Live.
And this? This is gonna be amazing because we're talking about remote live producer and why brands love us as far as - as far as it comes to like growing and building your brand online, especially with live video.
I've got an amazing human being for you today - like, she cracks me up. Let me tell you this whole green room experience with her has just been ridiculous.
Everyone, go ahead and say hello to my good friend, Yifat.
Go ahead.
How are you?
Yifat Cohen
Hi, Stephanie. How are you?
Stephanie Liu
I'm doing absolutely amazing.
You guys. Let me tell you how amazing and brilliant she is. Okay, so first off, I met her because Mike Allton was like this is the person that you need to know - because she's absolutely amazing.
In fact, she is one of the first 100 people to be invited to Google Plus, if you remember Google Plus, right?
Because she built her entire brand with one show on that platform and get this: they had actually reached out to her and then they hired her. Like, how often does that happen? Not very often.
So they - they hired her and flew her around the world to train their own team to speak at their offices, which they don't do very often. It's only for the best, for the elite. And that is exactly what I have here for you today.
So she's worked with the City of Austin. She's been featured on radio shows, big stages and live events. And yes, yes, now she's here on Lights Camera Live.
She is one of the most connected people out there. She's helped her clients generate over $250,000 in 10 days from an email list that was just like completely on its deathbed. And it's all because of her amazing engagement strategy.
So having said that, you, guys say what's up?!
Yifat Cohen
This is so -
You know, it's like you and I were sitting there, tinkering with the keys and everything. And being the producer that I am, it's so weird for me not to flip and go, and move stuff and just stare at the camera, and just hear you share that. So, thank you for that experience.
Stephanie Liu
It's always fun when you're a guest on someone else's show because then you don't have to do much, right?
Because I've been a guest on other people's shows. I'm like, I get to just like kick back and relax.
But then like today -
Today, as we were preparing, I was like, okay, let's fix our camera. Let's do this. What's the size of your head? What's the size of my head and all of that stuff? Right? So it's always fun when you have another live streamer on the show.
So, Yifat, welcome.
Yifat Cohen
Oh, I am. Are you feeling a little bit disturbed...
And kind of like a little bit in the internet connection and bandwidth here, or is this just on my end?
Stephanie Liu
It looks like every now and then, the camera on your side freezes. So, I'm like, every now and then I will flip it back over to me just to keep the show going.
Yifat Cohen
Just so we know. Okay. Fantastic.
So, thank you for having me. And I'm excited to actually geek out with another live streamer. That doesn't happen very often.
Stephanie Liu
No, it doesn't. It doesn't
So, tell everyone how you first got started, because you did this way back in the day. You're like one of the live streaming legends, which is why I absolutely wanted you on the Leap Into Livestreaming Bootcamp.
So, tell them a little bit about you and what it is that you do.
Yifat Cohen
Thank you.
So I started, like you said. Just today, I went back to see when was my first stream, and it was back in 2012. Som it's been a moment.
And I think, you know - I was one and I don't think I know - I was one of the first people to get privileges for Hangouts on Air.
And so, I started interviewing people that I really geeked out about, and that's where the name came up from. I'm that geek because I was just talking about things that interest me.
So with the senior vice president of Walt Disney, we talked about how the Muppets came to be. And with the youngest president of the NWCP, we talked about him being a journalist and black, and you know, almost dying for a story.
With a former ambassador to the UN, we talked about him coming back from the killing fields of Cambodia, all the way to the White House.
And then I was also interested in SEO and internet marketing, and all that other jazz. So, none of it really connected to each other except me being the one geek that really cared about all that stuff.
And so, I started doing a show, and I always say, like, one show on one platform that most of the world couldn't care less about,right?
That built my entire brand. And because of that -
Because of that connection, and because of that, you know, visibility, I was able to work with Google, with Steve Austin, to speak on stages and all that stuff.
And then, Google decided that they don't feel like having Google Plus anymore.
Stephanie Liu
So, what do you do?
I mean, at that point, you know, what do you do when the platform that you've been building your audience on goes away?
Because so many people are now jumping on Facebook or Instagram or LinkedIn.
What did you do to pivot in your business?
Yifat Cohen
Yeah, so I now say don't build your home on rented properties.
Because just now, right?
Before our interview began, Facebook locked me out for a second. And so, if I relied only on Facebook, I would be left. It wouldn't be a nice experience. And so, you don't want to build your home on rented properties.
What you want to do is you want to leverage social media and you really want to build an audience - not just traffic, not just views. You really want to build an audience.
And that's what I've been preaching for two years now. And finally, people, you know, because of Corona, the world has to stop. And finally, they're coming in and they start engaging, rather than just like, broadcasting.
So, Hallelujah!
Stephanie Liu
Hallelujah. That is the truth.
And shoutout to Mike Allton, who says, Yes, do not build your audience on rented platforms.
So, you guys, you know, I also -
I also feel like restaurants are feeling that pain too, right?
Because a lot of the restaurants where I live have shifted over to takeout or to delivery. And, they're relying so much on social media, which we know sometimes, doesn't always get the message out there. But, if they had an email list...
Yifat Cohen
But even better, you know, Stephanie.
If you're looking at what Gary Vee is doing right now, he's getting everybody's cellphone numbers.
Cellphone numbers are not going to change. And every time you get a message, we're kind of like muzzle of dogs, right like -
What happened? What happened?
So, if you can get into the back pocket of your audience, that's a bigger plus, right?
And so, if you're watching Gary right now, he's going live only on two platforms, which is interesting to me, only LinkedIn and Facebook.
But, he's taking calls, he's taking questions not in the chat. He's taking questions by text. He's like, hey, text me.
Stephanie Liu
Oh, that's so clever. I like that. Okay.
See ya guys? This is why I love talking to her like -
The first time that you and I had met, we're like, hey, let's first hop on a zoom call to see if, like, you know, we're the right fit.
Yifat Cohen
Testing the water with each other?
Stephanie Liu
Yeah, we're like, would you be a good guest of my show?
This is - this is like real life of live streamers. Right?
You have to vet your guests. And so like, our phone call was supposed to be like, 30 minutes, and it probably went to an hour because we just clicked and like, we totally got it. It made a lot of sense.
And every time I feel like you talk to her, you walk away with new ideas. So yes, if you haven't pulled out your notebooks yet, get them. Okay.
So now, let's talk about remote live producer.
Because this is something where a lot of people are jumping on to live video and they're like, how do I even get started? There's all this tech I don't even know where to start.
But you - YOU’RE the expert.
Yifat Cohen
Thank you.
So yeah, there are two different - two different ways to look at remote live producing, right?
So, are you doing it for yourself? Or are you doing it for someone else?
So let's talk about it for a second. How difficult it is to be the host and the producer at the same time.
I mean, like, how long have you been doing this? Stephanie?
Stephanie Liu
Oh, gosh, three years - four years, maybe? Yeah.
Yifat Cohen
Right. And like, and just now - I believe, when was it?
In the last two weeks, YouTube completely removed the events from YouTube itself.
So, you can't schedule events in the same way. So, the entire interface has changed. And now, you have to look for keys in different settings in a different, completely new layout.
So, if you're not really techie and you don't love keeping up with the trends and the changing technologies - because they change from moment by moment by moment - then, you would probably benefit from having a remote live producer.
Because they love the tech and you can be the star - the person on the couch, interviewing, having conversations and not worrying about anything that can go wrong.
Because just now, before we started, there was like, what's going on with Skype?
Stephanie Liu
Oh, gosh.
Yeah, like, like true confessions of a live streamer, right?
I've never had this issue before. But for some reason, Skype was not pulling in my video.
And luckily for me, because I have relationships with Ecamm, I was like, ready to send Glenn a message and be like, yo, what's happening? How do I figure this out? I got five minutes. And in five minutes, you could do a lot, right?
Yifat Cohen
Yeah, yeah.
And you know -
And it's totally different than what most people are used to, because most people have done live. And so, when you have to troubleshoot on the fly, when you have a livestream going on, if you just dream from one or more than one location, then it's a lot of pressure.
And so, I used to teach these to people and then they're like, you know what, I get overwhelmed. Can you just do it for me?
And so now, we're doing it for people.
But if you want to become a remote live producer, then what I suggest is start by producing your own shows, right?
Like, tinker with the tech. There are so many things out there. I think you, Stephanie, named OBS the IKEA of live streaming.
Stephanie Liu
Yes, OBS is exactly the IKEA of live streaming. You just -
You hardly get any instructions. I mean, I was hanging out on Reddit with gamers for way too long. I was like, I need - I need to get out of here.
Yifat Cohen
Yeah, right? And finally went to like a paid solution that supports you and can actually deliver the product the way that you want to deliver it.
And most people, when they start with live streaming, they're like, okay, what's today? What is the cheapest option? The easiest option? How can I go and get that done?
So the cheapest and easiest is this -
Yeah, pull up the app, click. Probably you know, go live and you're live.
And that's it! You don't need anything major. That's the cheapest and easiest.
Now, if you want to become a little bit more like what Stephanie and I are doing, then you need a lot more tools. And now, you're messing with sound, with light, with multiple audiences or guests, with comments coming in, with different streams and different platforms -
So you really need to log the things you want to put into it.
Stephanie Liu
You know, I always think of live streaming as improv - you just have to roll with it.
And even when you're the producer of the show, you have to be quick with your fingers as far as like - I need to mute this. I need to switch the screen. I have to do all this stuff.
But definitely, I would say improv is at the very, very top. Be flexible. Nothing is ever going to be perfect.
Yifat Cohen
Ever, right?
Like Gary Vee today was freezing.
So it happens. I mean, stuff happens. And you have to be like-
Hopefully the people that you work with, understand that stuff happens as well.
And it happened, you know -
Like webinars, you know, they will not go live. They're on - they're off. Like this.
Technology always has some stuff.
So, if you want to become a remote live producer, make sure that you really, really love it.
The other thing that you really need to make sure is having a very strong system.
So first of all, you have to have super fast internet connection. You have to be hard wired.
And I was thinking, even though I'm sharing my screen and doing a little test, speed test, just to see like, hey, let's compare numbers, geeky.
How much is your upload? How much is my upload? You know.
Stephanie Liu
You know, on average, I would say that it's probably like some 38, upload.
What is -
What's yours? Is yours like 100, or something?
Yifat Cohen
Hold on.
Stephanie Liu
Timeout while we geek out real quick.
And so, while she's looking that up -
So sometimes, when I'm traveling, and I go to a hotel for a conference - my internet upload speed is like - one? I’m like -
Yifat Cohen
I know. Yeah, hold on.
Stephanie Liu
If you guys know what your internet upload speed is, especially as you're live streaming, let us know in the comments.
I'd be so curious to hear what it is because here in San Diego, last time I remember, Yifat, it was like 38 or something like that.
Yifat Cohen
Okay, so can I share my screen in Skype?
Stephanie Liu
Go for it.
Yifat Cohen
Let's see. Ah, stop recording. Stop saying something. Where's my share screen? This is it, that’s not it.
See, I'm not used to that? Okay, I'll just say so my download is four or five. My upload is 417.
Stephanie Liu
What? That is insane!
Yifat Cohen
Isn’t it? I was telling this to my son's dad. And they're both like - what? your ping is five milliseconds, what? They're like, hell with it. I'm getting fiber.
So, here's a shoutout for fiber. If you want to go live on all platforms at once and have a really good internet connection, get fiber.
I mean, we're paying a lot but you kind of got that.
Stephanie Liu
That's interesting ‘cause Mike says that he always checks mine and his - he gets 650 down and 25 up.
Yifat Cohen
Yeah. You can't beat me.
Stephanie Liu
You guys, we are all like Internet snobs.
Like when we're networking we should have a button and it's like, oh, this is what my upload speed is.
Yifat Cohen
My upload speed is better than yours. This is women talking about numbers and tech.
Stephanie Liu
Yeah. Okay.
So, we talked about remote live producer. I feel like there are different levels of it. Because I've also spoken to Kimberly Flowers, who does the same thing, and some people, you know -
Some people are just like, I will only produce the show. That's it.
And then, there's some people who are like, well, I will promote your show from A to Z. I will even repurpose the content, and give you all of that stuff.
Can you use shed some light on the services that you offer?
Yifat Cohen
Yeah, so we do, we do.
All right, so we can only produce the show, and we can repurpose some of it. And we can do the entire gamut, which is - talking to the guests, creating emails, creating SMS, creating Facebook messages -
I think the biggest thing that people need to kind of wrap their head around is -
When you do a show, you get amazing, amazing content in just one hour, right?
And now, you can take that and turn that into user-generated content, like very quickly, but you need to have a good video editor. You need to have a copywriter. You need to have a graphic designer. You need to have a web, you know, web design site, web person to put it on your website. You'd have distribution. You need to have emails in processes.
You need an entire team to actually help you with - with repurposing, distributing, creating all that stuff. So, it's two different skills - one of them going live. Another one is taking the live and actually turning it into content that people care about.
So, we do everything from A to Z, but it really depends on what you guys need.
Like, you already have a team? Fantastic. Just run the show.
You don't have a team? You need someone to do it? Do it.
Guests - and I think you'll agree with me - guests are the hardest part of this entire equation.
Stephanie Liu
Very, very true.
I've had like when I was doing remote live producer for another event, right?
Talking head for the client. She had everything down as far as like - the DSLR, the lighting - all of that was good. And then, the guests came in. And then, the guests came in on a mobile device in the middle of a conference with people walking around, and I was like, What are you doing? Why of all times? Did you do that?
I feel like sometimes, when you're bringing in a guest - It's like, we need a checklist.
Yifat Cohen
You are fantastic at this. I might say you are very, very organized, and everything is very laid out quickly.
I'm assuming people still can mess it up.
Stephanie Liu
Sometimes. Yeah.
So sometimes, you know, it's - I've actually had -
Okay, confessions of a live streamer. This one time, the show was going really good. It was going really great. And, in the middle of the show, the guests was like, Oh, well, let me show you how I connect my camera, and then, she just unplugged the camera.
I was like, we’re live. I can't edit that.
But yeah, you know, it's really funny, but I feel like even during these times right now, what's helpful is that people are now starting to learn like the do's and don'ts of being on camera. Like I've seen a ton of hilarious videos of how people are just working from home and failing at it.
Yifat Cohen
They're like - There should be like a YouTube blooper kind of thing, right? Like home failure.
Oh the girl! They call her the girl in the bathroom. Have you seen that one?
Stephanie Liu
Yeah, yes.
Yifat Cohen
I was like, you know, I love the comments because all the comments were like go mess up your teammates who put this online.
How asinine of them to go and put this online. But, woman? Really?
Yeah, I’ve had people joining in from their bedroom with their bra hanging out on the closet.
Stephanie Liu
Okay, that actually happened to me once.
Because you know, like you, all of us that are working from home we're just like, Yay, don't have to worry about it.
And I usually hang it behind my chair - like this is a true story. And so, then like I'm, you know, talking just hanging and I was like, oh my god.
Yifat Cohen
Hopefully that's your sexy one - not your period one.
Stephanie Liu
If I'm able to run this show without laughing or crying, we will be surprised. Alright.
So, for those of you that are just tuning in, we're talking about remote live producer. What does it mean to actually be a raw live producer?
We've also talked about the different services that remote live producers offer. There are those that will only do the show.
Or they're amazing people, like Yifat who are just like - everything, everything as far as pre-promotion, getting your guests ready, writing the marketing materials for it, repurposing it - like all of that is like the whole spectrum of what remote live producer has to offer. And so, do you find a lot of people signing up for that?
Yifat Cohen
You know what? It's really interesting.
I am very grateful for the corona coming up. Because up until then, you had to pull teeth and convince people that live streaming can actually be a good thing for them.
And they're like, no, we're doing live events. No, we were meeting in person.
You know, and now, hallelujah. By far or so I thought, you know, everything I've been preaching for the past eight years is coming to fruition, and I hope - really, really hope that people will continue doing this, and not going back to the traffic jams and you know, messing up the air and all that other stuff.
We have courts now working with Skype. Have you heard that?
Stephanie Liu
You know, I have a really good friend. His name is Mitch Jackson. He is the Live streaming Lawyer. And he's taught, you know -
He's talking about like, how lawyers can now have conversations with their clients, you know, remote.
Yifat Cohen
Yeah, do we really need the world to shut down for the world to understand in-person bonding and video bonding is the same? We have research that shows this, that people will bond over video just as they will face-to-face.
Because you see the macro expressions, you get the vibe, you get the feeling, you know -
It's exactly the same. So I don't need to drive to my accountant anymore. Thank you.
So now, we can actually socialize, you know, and come together. Not just work environment, but just just to socialize. Just, Hey, let's have coffee, have the conversation around the cooler, you know -
Have some human touch because we need it and leave the work for work, right?
Like we can save so much with remote.
Stephanie Liu
Yeah, it's interesting because I've had, you know, different employers in the past where they're like, No, no, no, no, no, no, we can't do remote because then it's a breakdown in communication and blah, blah, blah.
And now they're realizing, wait, we made things a lot harder than they should have been.
Because, you have these amazing tools, like Slack and others. There are project management tools that make it a lot faster. So, people are learning a lot.
And because you and I have been doing remote live producer for so long, we have that streamlined workflow. We're just like, and this is how you transition it to be online.
Yifat Cohen
And it's not difficult for us to push the button, you know. Not that hard. Make sure the bra is not on the chair.
Stephanie Liu
That should be on the checklist.
You know, actually I think that would be really funny to see if your guests are actually reading the checklist. You just got to put something crazy in there. It's like, remember to brush your teeth. Try not to drink a green smoothie right before you go on, which I've actually had before.
And I'll say something. Yeah. You know, it may seem kind of funny.
Alright, so here's a question.
For those of you that are tuning in, you know, if you offer remote live producer services, how did you actually figure out how you charge for that?
That's a really good question. Would you agree?
Yifat Cohen
Yeah. And so at the beginning, I charged very little. And because I came back from Google Plus, I'm like, Dude, this is easy. Everybody can do this.
Turns out, everybody can and don't want to do it. Yeah. So right.
And so, then, I would be charging by the hour. But then, I still like the results that I was giving, you know. So we're working for 10 days, you're making a quarter of a million dollars. I should be paid by the value that I produce, not by the time it takes me to do this.
Stephanie Liu
Oh my gosh, I need you to say that again. Go.
Yifat Cohen
I should be paid by the value that I - that I provided not by the time that it takes me to do this.
Why? Because it took me eight years to know what I know right now. Do you want to pay me for eight years? Or do you just want to pay for the results?
And, at the end of the day, all you care about is the results that you're getting. So, let's find out what is the value of the results that you're getting? And let's charge according to that.
So, I used to take a percentage. And now, a lot of people are asking for rev share. And when they do ask for that, then, what I want to know is that they really have an audience right?
If they really have some revenue to share. And if not, we just do it, you know, flat fee.
Stephanie Liu
Yes. I love the fact that you said we'll do they actually have revenue to share, right?
Yifat Cohen
Right. I had someone call me. God bless her soul. And I was like, if someone else tells me that they're gonna give like 30% of their business to whoever is going to build their business, I'm going to shoot them because it's like -
Why would I build your business for 30%? And I'd build my business for 100%. Right?
Like, where is the idea, the notion of like, Oh, you just build this and take 30% but it's my business.
So obviously, you don't know how to build it. How would you be able to afford to pay people to do that?
Stephanie Liu
Stop being cheap. Okay, so for those brands, right, because I and I can't tell you how many phone calls I've been on. Like the last two weeks where you're like, Okay, so now, now we want to do live streaming. But Stephanie, can you send me articles -
I’m like...
Yifat Cohen
Articles about what?
Stephanie Liu
Articles of how to get started.I was like, I can, but no, no, that experience matters. Right?
And this goes out to other brands, too, where they're just like, well, we could hire someone else. Or, like, what are three questions that brands should be asking before they hire someone out?
Yifat Cohen
Yeah, great question. So, I think the first thing is that you really want to know that the person has experience.
Because everybody, like we said, can press the Go button, or the ‘go live’ button. But what happens when there's technical issues where you can't hear anyone, or something,or someone didn't come in, or the video is blurry, or the stream’s supposed to go live and it's not going live, or something happens in the middle -
You need to have someone with experience.
Three years is fantastic, right? I've been doing this over and over again. So, they kind of like they know how to troubleshoot on the fly. This is not podcasting. So, you can't re-record.
I mean, you could re-record but you're live. So, you need someone who actually knows what they're doing. So, that's the first one.
Second one, I actually would look at the equipment that they're using. Do they have high speed uploads?
Because if not, then how can they bring you in and stream you? Their system, their CPU is going to crash and the CPU is the brain of the computer.
So, if that doesn't process fast enough, everything won’t be great.
So, that's one and then, I would really ask to see how they do things. I mean, there are hiccups with everything but in general, can they hold a show?
Can they run a show? And if they can, and again -
So we didn't talk about this but it's very important you were asking about brands doing this. And so, as a brand, you have a face, you have an image to keep, right?
So you could go with your neighbor next door, but you're not going to look like a brand. There are things that, you know, brand look like. And yes when any celebrity goes live for like 30 seconds on Instagram or Tiktok - and that's like a really quick video. That's cute. That's authentic. That's great.
But that's not a conversation that you see on TV or Ellen or Gary Vaynerchuk or whoever, right? Like you're not seeing them running like, full hour on-conversations from their mobile devices. Gary has a team of 20 people lining up their hand with cameras and videos, and editing, and all that stuff.
So, if you want to be at that level, then you need to have a team behind you. And if you want to have a team behind you, then how do you choose the team?
We'll look at what the team is producing right now for themselves and other clients. And that will allow you to, like, decipher what's working and what's not.
Stephanie Liu
That's true. Yeah. Because some people who only produce one show, and this isn't a knock at all. But this is advice, right?
Like if you want to be a remote like producer, it's nice to have your portfolio right? Just as you would if you were a graphic designer. You don't just show one brand, you show different ways that you could present a brand.
Also having ideas about like, it doesn't have to be like this dual thing right here. You know, it could be something where you're showing like - I could do intros and outros and bumper videos, I could do different overlays - because no one wants to have the same show that has the same overlays as another show.
You're like, Wait a second.
That's the whole branding purpose, right?
Yifat Cohen
Right. Right. And you need a strategy. If you don't have a strategy for your live streaming, then might as well just do it from your phone. Just go live, talk to people,and stuff.
But if you have a strategy behind that, then it's usually people with some experience that go like, look, we've been doing this for a while. Here's what's working, here's what's not working.
And the beauty with live video is that it's dynamic, and it's fluid, and it changes all the time. You can start doing live videos, kind of read what the audience - how the audience responds to that and then pivot. Unlike many other things where, no, we have a content calendar and here's the content for the next three months. Disaster happens.
You know, that happened to Digital Marketer. Have you seen Ryan Deiss? His post?
Stephanie Liu
I haven't been following them because I would get like daily emails like all the time, but what happened?
Yifat Cohen
So, they completely messed up because they set up a lot of things way in advance content, calendar and emails - and all that stuff. in And Coronavirus broke up, and they sent totally insensitive emails to their readers. They get some, you know, hate back then changed it or changed the date on the fly, and resend it, and kind of save the day.
But, if you are working with a content team that is producing content for you for the next 60 or 90 days, and that's the content that is set up in HubSpot or something to go out, and all of a sudden something happens…
And you look like, you know, like you don't even care online. So you have to be a little bit more flexible and dynamic - and live video does that.
Stephanie Liu
Yeah. And that's actually - That's actually a good point because I just helped out Jennifer Watson, because they wanted to say like, how do social media and PR teams respond to a crisis? And one of the things that we had talked about was like, have a kickoff meeting.
Take a look at all of your pre-planned content. Shift gears if you need to, but you know, take a look at what you have pre-scheduled throughout your entire social media ecosystem. So that makes a lot of sense. That makes a lot of sense.
Cool.
So for those of you that are tuning in, we've been talking about remote live producer. We've talked about everything like, how much to charge, what kind of services people offer, and why brands should hire people like us who have been doing this for so long. And if you wanted to become a remote live producer, what are some things that you should show?
First off, it's going to be like - It's going to be about your knowledge, your depth of knowledge, especially when it comes to tech. Right?
As far as like - how do you brand a show? Because no one wants to have the same show that was somebody else's show, right? Like, look at hers. This is her setup, and I absolutely love it.
What’s so funny...
What was funny was because when you have another live streamer on the show -
We are so proud of our designs that I was like, okay, you thought well, you have this over there, and maybe I could move this around because you want to honor their brand, right? Because they've worked so hard on it.
I don't know, if you hired a graphic designer. You're smart. You probably did it yourself.
Yifat Cohen
You know. So this one came back from my -
I think was it the first month or six months into Google Plus? And I was like, wow, Google Plus is like the matrix.
You know, if you don't, you have to experience it to get it. And, it was connected to everything. So, it was connected to YouTube, in Maps and Gmail, and you know, search and everything.
I was like, well, maybe I'm kind of like the keymaster. You know, because the depot's go-to gal. So, I met a guy. And I was like, Hey, can you create a little avatar for me, and she'll be the key master.
And he did.
And I was like, yeah, maybe I’ll be Trinity.
So, here's my Trinity, which is a little bit more cooler than the key master in The Matrix. But she stuck with me since then, and I haven't done much with her since then, because I can't create any more positions and poses for her.
So, she's my only little Trinity right there.
And you’re showing my site.
Stephanie Liu
Yeah.
Yeah, I wanted to show them how amazing your site is because here's the cool thing that you also do.
I remember when I was checking out your other website, you had -
You had a dedicated ‘watch live now’ because the way that you promoted your show was that you were actually -
Instead of someone like me, where I drive people to Facebook to interact and be a part of the show, you're driving them to your website and I thought that was so brilliant.
Can you can you give a little explanation of why you decided to do that?
Yifat Cohen
So, don't build your home on rented properties. Please, if anything you take from me, please don't build your home on rented properties. Your site, for example -
Right now, when you search for the name of any of my guests, my website comes up. Facebook cannot shut my website down in Google.
I mean, Google, I guess can denote me, but Instagram will not shut it down. And so, if in your brain every time you want to go and see me, and interact with me, you think about going to imthatgeek.com. Then, I have a room in your mind that you hold there, right?
So, if you think about me, you don't think Facebook. You think I'm that Geek. You don't think YouTube, you think I'm that geek. You don't think LinkedIn, right?
You find me. Where? I am in my house.
And so, as things change, Google Plus is gone. Hangout is gone. Myspace is gone. Blob is gone. Periscope is kind of like there, right?
Things change and move - and all that stuff. Instead of me moving you from one platform to another platform, I want to have one place, one home - my virtual property on the internet. And that is my site.
And so, what happens is when I bring you to my site, a few things happen.
A) you're not distracted by everything else that's happening. There's no notification that pop up and kind of like, steal your attention - like you are in Facebook, or in YouTube, or in LinkedIn. So you can completely immerse yourself in the state and really benefit from that.
Another thing that happens is that I control the layout. So, I can put up any calls to action, or I can put affiliate promotion, or I can put resources that help you. That's my landscape. So, I can design it however I want.
And the last thing is when you come to my website, that's how you can come and engage with me face-to-face, and actually be part of the conversation. Because I'm very big on connecting with people, right? Action over information.
And so I want you to come in and get used to like, moving from Facebook to the website. I'm clicking in and I'm having a conversation face-to-face with her to see if she's full of shit. Or she really knows what she’s talking about.
Stephanie Liu
Oh my god.
Alright, so this is kind of like what I was talking about, because you have this button up here, where it says, like, watch live.
Yifat Cohen
If you’ll scroll down, you'll see it. I need to change that right? Yes.
Stephanie Liu
Yes.
Live now, but then it's cool because she embeds it in here, and then ‘click here to chat in real time.’ I thought it was so brilliant.
And this is one of those things where I'm just like, this is probably something that you're able to quickly, easily build out for your clients too, right?
Yifat Cohen
That's what we do for them. Yes, we build them up. We call it a dedicated Web TV platform, right? And it looks exactly the same as their website.
Nobody even knows that they flipping sites.
So if you build your own beautiful, custom made website, when you come and you do live shows, it looks exactly the same. I just don't touch yours, because I don't know how you build it.
And so, what happens is exactly the same thing that happens with podcasts. And that, like that's another thing that kind of bugs me - everybody wants to do podcasts right?
But it's like, instead of like -
They're doing show notes, and they're, you know, putting all that information, like really laboring over getting the content on their website, and then they send people to Itunes to listen. Why?
Stephanie Liu
Oh, that? Yeah. I mean, that's a really good point.
Do you think that people do that? And this is just putting on like the sponsorship app? Because they could say this is how many downloads I have. Do you think? And I don't know if you know the answer to this, do you think having downloads versus site traffic is more important?
Yifat Cohen
The podcast plugin will track the listeners on the website as well. So you get the same thing. So what people are doing is they're like, come listen to me on iTunes, and buy gear.
And on the podcast at the end, they're like, if you like, to come to my website, send them to your website.
Have all the buttons and everything on the site, if they want to listen to you on iTunes, on Stitcher, on wherever, right? All the traffic should come to your site, because that's your money making - that's the moneymaker.
You want to promote your money maker.
Stephanie Liu
I felt like you wanted to go and just like do a little shimmy real quick. I was like, Are you okay?
Yifat Cohen Well, but the microphone is on the way.
Stephanie Liu
That's the thing, right? That's the thing about mics. It's like, I used to have my mic right here, but because I talk a lot with my hands -
It's like - boom. And I was like, well, there goes the gong.
It is what it is.
Alright, so you guys, for those of you who don't know, there is an amazing three-day boot camp called Leap Into Live Streaming Boot Camp. And of course, of course, you know that I have her. I got her on there.
So can you tell them what you're going to be talking about?
Because I know that my audience has not met you before and they need to know you. So tell us a little bit about what you're going to be sharing with us on the Leap Into Live Streaming Boot Camp?
Yifat Cohen
Yes.
Actually, I think you guys are really going to do it because we're going to be talking about influence and the best person who wrote the book about Influence is Cialdini.
He created the Six Principles Of Influence. And I'm going to show you how you can use live streaming to have all the six principles in one show.
And why would you want to do that is because, I think everybody wants to be a little bit more influential - whether with your relationship with your partner, your kids, your job - online influence is always great.
If you want to sell something or just like, win a debate, or an argument or conversation, you need to have a little bit of influence.
And so how do you encapsulate all those six principles into one live show? That's what I'm going to be talking about. So, hopefully you’ll join me.
And if you have any questions about this, send them to Stephanie because I would love to answer them. Stephanie, I'm giving you more work.
Stephanie Liu
No, I absolutely love it. Just even the fact that you know, Cialdini -
Like everyone knows that I love psychology and human behavior. And having influence, knowing how to increase your influence, especially with a live video is going to help you get on that fascination fast track, and there's no other person that I would love to have on this summit but her. Because here's the thing, I was very, very particular about the speakers.
I was like, I don't want people that have just been on every other summit just doing the thing. I want to have it structured in a way where like, if you're shy or reluctant, and you're scared about being on camera - cool! Ian Anderson Gary, he's going to help you out with that.
If you need a system - If you need a system to streamline your workflows, Yvonne Heimann, she is going to show you how to do that. If you need to figure out how to repurpose your content, Mike Allton, he's gonna help you out with that.
But if you want to increase your influence and your impact, as well as your income, because you know, you know that she's making a lot of money, right?
Then, she's the one that you definitely want to tune in.
All right. Cool. So if you guys have any questions about remote live producer by, by all means, now's the time because we're going to go ahead and start wrapping things up.
But honestly, we've talked about so much. We've talked to about what is remote live producer, why brands need to hire us, how to tell if you're hiring the right one - right?
How to test them out, right? So you basically want them to go to like, I need you to go on to speedtest.net right now and let's see.
Yifat Cohen
Let's see. Let's see if I can share. Let's see.
Hold on. Okay. So yeah, as you're grabbing all the questions, all the questions -
Stephanie Liu
Yes. So while you do that, let me go ahead and drop a promo video real quick about the Leap Into Live Streaming Summit. And then, as that's playing, you guys, go ahead and type in your questions, okay?
Faster. Alright, so what is it? What's your upload?
Yifat Cohen
Speed? Oh, can you see it? I don't know if you can see it.
Stephanie Liu
I could see it on Skype, but I can't see it on the screen.
Yifat Cohen
Okay, so it's 28143 download and 37520 upload because I care more about the upload than the download - because we're streamers, right? We need to, you know…
Stephanie Liu
How do you - how did you feel when you heard that - that Facebook, Netflix and YouTube are now, you know, cutting back on the bit rates on the videos. And now, they're going to standard.
Were you just like, wait a second?
Yifat Cohen
Wait, but that's only in Europe, isn't it?
Stephanie Liu
No, they actually -
I think they did it in the US too ,because I saw the Facebook one, and I put it in the Social Media Strategists Group...
Yifat Cohen
Because I saw it only in Europe, because all of the Europeans are staying at home.
But honestly, like, do you feel a difference? Do you feel different today?
Stephanie Liu
I haven't. I haven't seen a big difference. But I do know that a lot of live streaming friends were having trouble going live just on Facebook yesterday.
Yifat Cohen
So here's the beauty of being live everywhere, right?
If you have a problem with Facebook, come see me on my website where there are no problems, and it's smooth, and it's fine. All right.
So that's the challenge with - it's really -
You know what? So, one more thing for remote live producer - as I adjust my -
Stephanie Liu
Oh, and we're gonna go ahead and refresh that real quick.
Yifat, I think you're doing - I think you're doing a lot of speed testing on your part. So then, it froze a little bit.
But, for those of you that are asking questions -
Philip is saying, Hey Stephanie, what camera is that?
So the camera that I have is the Lumix GH 5 and I've connected it through Camlink so that's how it works. effect.
How are you doing right now?
I think your neighbors are now on the internet. Okay, so we lost Yifat. Let me go ahead and see if I still have her over on Skype. Okay.
Unfortunately, she bounced out just as it was getting really good. But, if you guys have any questions about remote live producer, by all means, go ahead and leave a comment and I'll have her jump back in. She could go ahead and answer those questions.
But also, also remember that there's Leap Into Live Streaming Boot Camp. It's three days teaching, you guys, on how to actually go live on multiple platforms, right? It teaches you everything as far as like, how to structure your show, how to overcome being shy on camera, how to get sponsorships - all of that is in the Leap Into Live Streaming Boot Camp.
So having said that, Mike says, That's what happens when you brag about your speed.
You know what? I think it was just like karma. Karma jumped back in. But all right, you guys, let me see if I could dial her in right now.
Hello, let's see if I could get you back in. Let's see. Oh, you know, it's not coming in.
Oh, wait, there you are.
Yifat Cohen Yeah.
Stephanie Liu
One second. Let me switch this real quick. There you are.
Yifat Cohen
We're just boasting about speed and everything. It's like Skype freezes. And look at you troubleshooting in real time. High five!
Stephanie Liu
Yes, right. That's another reason why you guys need to have a stream deck, right? Because this is how I'm able to control all of those different screens. So whenever she's speaking, I can go ahead and switch the screens and just recover pretty quickly. Like, what do you use to switch your screens?
Yifat Cohen
I actually use hotkeys. But I love yours. I want to get one of those. That's my next Christmas gift.
Stephanie Liu
Yeah, you know, what's funny is that my husband actually got this for me - like two years ago on Christmas. And then, for an entire year, I didn't even touch it.
And he was like, You know what, I'm just gonna take it back. And then because he took it back, I was like, No, no, no…
Yifat Cohen
This is the same thing with me. And like three monitors. I'm like, why do I need three monitors?
And now it's like, I can’t work on a laptop. There's only one monitor.
Stephanie Liu
That's right.
That's right. All right. So Yifat, thank you so much, you've been absolutely amazing.
You guys, I know that you absolutely love her too, because she was dropping knowledge bombs left and right. And because I've learned from her.
We're gonna repurpose this video. We're gonna put it everywhere - like confetti. And then, you'll also see her at the Leap Into Live Streaming Boot Camps.
So stay tuned for that. All right, you guys thanks so much. Bye.
ABOUT THIS EPISODE
With live video making waves on almost every social media platform including affluent platforms like LinkedIn - just imagine how much exposure you can tap into with live streaming.
Now as a brand, what if you don't have the time or the resources to learn all of the live streaming platforms?
What if you could just sit comfortably in front of the camera and focus on your message while someone else manages the production?
Fellow live video producer, Yifat Cohen, will show you how a Live Video Producer is quickly becoming the go-to solution for building your brand online.
What is a Live Video Producer?
A Live Video Producer is a professional who facilitates the technical implementation and broadcast of a live streaming video on behalf of a brand or business.
The Live Video Producer may or may not be part of the live streaming video itself, and may be acting on behalf of another brand. Such an engagement may include, but is not limited to, pre-production, tech selection and recommendations, guest prep, event promotion, live video execution, post-production and repurposing.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN
🎤Who Remote Live Producers Are
🎤3 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Remote Live Producer
🎤How to Become a Remote Live Producer
ABOUT YIFAT COHEN
One of the first 100 people to be invited to Google+, Yifat has built her entire brand with one show on one platform that most people didn't even care about. Google hired Yifat and flew her around the world to train their own team and speak at their offices (which they hardly let a non-Googler do). She worked with the city of Austin, was featured on radio shows, big stages and live events... all because Yifat understands one thing: In our overly connected world, we are starving for connection. And when we provide that connection we are rewarded with referrals, loyalty and $$$. Her clients have generated over $250,000 in 10 days from a dead list because of my engagement strategy. Others have made over $100,000 in that same span of time, while others saw 40% conversions and high ticket sales from cold audience. Today Yifat provides that service to companies who have more leads than clients and helps them add an additional 10%-20% to their bottom line without paying for more leads.
viralconnectivity.com
How did you get your start with live video streaming?
Yifat launched her first live stream way back in 2012. By then, she was one of the very few people who got access to the full features of Hangouts on Air.
During those early years as a live streamer, Yifat admitted that her shows then didn’t adhere to a theme, because the topics she discussed with her guests “never really connected.”
She explained this further by recalling some of her most memorable interviews:
When she interviewed the Senior Vice President of Walt Disney, all they talked about was how the Muppets came to be.
She also talked with a former ambassador to the UN. However, their topic then was all about his experience in the killing fields of Cambodia, and how he transitioned all the way to the White House.
But still, Yifat’s show and the unusual variety of topics thoroughly discussed by high-profile guests somehow established the foundation of her brand.
According to her, her live streams didn’t only enable her to establish connections with people, but they also helped her business gain massive online visibility. As a result, a lot of excellent opportunities opened up for her business, including a chance to work with Google directly and to speak at conferences frequented by high-profile business people and entrepreneurs.
Don’t build your your home on rented properties.
When a platform that you’ve been building your audience on suddenly goes away, what can you do about it? Is there a way to pivot your business?
Yifat emphasized how online platforms could quickly come and go. So, when it comes to online businesses, the wisest thing you could do is to build virtual properties that don’t rely on any platform to survive.
“Don’t build your home on rented properties,” Yifat reminded everyone.
Instead of renting virtual space, entrepreneurs can focus on building a website they could call their own. On top of that, Yifat highly suggests leveraging social media, not just for the sake of traffic or views, but also to build a dedicated audience and online community.
Yifat agrees that building an email list is good, but right now, the trend could be leaning towards something else. She also mentioned how Gary Vaynerchuk does things a little differently with his community.
According to Yifat, GaryV only goes live on two platforms, LinkedIn and Facebook. But, he leverages the power of text message to encourage engagement and participation within his community. What she finds fascinating is that GaryV himself encourages his audience to text him for any questions.
Yifat thinks this is a brilliant idea because, unlike email addresses, cellphone numbers rarely change, so no matter how online platforms shift, GaryV can still connect with his audiences over the phone.
How can someone start a career as a Live Video Producer?
“There are two different ways to look at live video producing - will you be doing it yourself, or are you going to do it for someone else?” says Yifat.
She explained that if they’re producing videos for themselves, they could get started with the cheapest and easiest option there is - and that is, live streaming through their smartphones.
However, Yifat cautioned everyone that doing live video producing for others takes more than just an internet connection and a smartphone. And, there’s certainly more to a professional live video producer than just pressing the ‘go live’ button.
“A professional Live Video Producer must love tech. ”
Yifat emphasized how unpredictable technology could be at times. For the inexperienced, it could quickly get overwhelming, too. Therefore, a live video producer must know his way around troubleshooting tech - that he must know how to troubleshoot on the fly even when the live stream is ongoing.
Aspiring live video producers could improve their tech skills by tinkering. Also, it would truly help if they could start producing their own shows to get a feel of how it truly is to be a live video producer.
To progress further in the remote live streaming industry, aspiring producers will have to tinker with production sets, like lighting, sounds, multiple streaming platforms, later on.
What can a Live Video Producer offer in terms of services?
“We do everything from A to Z, but it really depends on what you guys need,” says Yifat. She further added that her services are flexible. She and the rest of her team can do pre-promotion, production, repurposing, and everything in between.
Remote live video producers, who offer services from A to Z just like Yifat, require two different skill sets - one is producing the actual live video stream, and the other is turning it into content.
The second skillset is challenging on its own because it requires a strong support team that consists of at least: a good video editor, a copywriter, a graphic designer, a web designer, and a whole system for promotion and marketing.
How do you charge your clients when it comes to live video production?
Yifat admitted that at the beginning, she used to charge very little because she thought live video production was easy - that anybody could actually do it. However, eventually, she realized although people are capable of doing live video production on their own, they simply don’t want to do it.
Yifat mentioned that she used to charge for her professional services by the hour. Eventually, she realized that what truly matters most is the quality she delivers. Now, she insists on being paid by the value that she produces, and not by the time it takes her to do the job.
She added that her live video production skills took her eight years to develop, and it’s that extensive experience that enables her to deliver fantastic results. Therefore, it’s only fair for her to charge according to her results.
Yifat also mentioned having clients who asked for a rev share or a percentage. However, she only considers that kind of arrangement when she sees some potential in their business.
What qualities should brands look for in a live video producer?
As mentioned previously, Yifat thinks that troubleshooting is very crucial in any live show. She explained further how tech could go wrong in so many ways. Tech issues, like audio problems or video problems could arise at any minute the live stream’s running.
So for brands who are considering hiring a live video producer, they should make sure that their producer has sufficient experience.
“Three years of experience is a good baseline for live video production. People with this kind of experience have a solid understanding of what to do. ”
Second, live streaming takes up significant bandwidth. So, it would be wise for brands to hire producers who are fully equipped with robust hardware and high-speed internet uploads - because, if they have very minimal internet speeds, they might not be able to run a show smoothly.
Third, brands should look at how producers produce live shows for themselves and their other clients. Do they present each brand differently? Do they express creativity through a variety of overlays?
Yifat also emphasized how important it is for any brand to keep up with their brand image, and that alone is a feat that not just any remote live producer can pull off.
Fourth, the ideal live video producer should know how to strategize and be able to pivot the whole show if they need to. Live video is dynamic, and it changes all the time. To make a show a success, a professional live video producer must know how to assess the situation and take advantage of it. They must be flexible enough because there could be instances when they will be required to shift gears.
You have a dedicated ‘Watch Live Now’ button on your page. Can you give a little explanation of why you decided to do that?
Yifat once again emphasized how important it is to have a home that’s not hosted on any rented platform. She explained that having a virtual space that you could call your own prevents other platforms from shutting you down. Should mainstream platforms, like Instagram, Facebook, or Youtube, suddenly decide to shift, your business is safe in your own virtual space.
“There’s no need to go from one platform to another just to survive,” she added.
Also, according to Yifat, having her own virtual space gives her more flexibility and freedom - because she can do anything she wants with her ‘home.’ She has full control over the looks and features of her space, and that ‘Watch Live Now’ button is just one of the many things she could do.
Yifat also mentioned how her own space allows her audiences to get fully immersed in the experience her site has to offer. In her website, there are no unnecessary notifications or other forms of disruptions, and this allowed her to communicate and engage with her audiences effectively.
Can you tell us a little bit about what you’re going to be sharing with us on the Leap Into Live Streaming Boot Camp?
What is that one thing that helps you win arguments, sell products, strengthen relationships, and help you land a job?
Influence.
According to Dr. Robert Cialdini, there are Six Principles of Influence that you can leverage to be successful in any aspect of your life. And according to Yifat, these principles do wonders in the virtual space, too.
Yifat encourages everyone to join the Leap Into Live Streaming Bootcamp as this is where she will reveal her secrets on how she leverages all of Cialdini’s Six Principles of Influence during her live shows.
The Leap Into Live Streaming Bootcamp, which is available to stream on demand now for free until June 1, features 40+ live streaming experts, including Yifat. So, if you’re seriously planning on starting a live stream or taking your live streams a level further, the Leap Into Live Streaming Bootcamp could be the perfect resource for you.
Need a Live Video Producer to produce your virtual event?
Feel free to contact me directly here for more information on our Live Video Producer services.
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