Live blogging for elections: how to leverage your real-time coverage

Traditional journalistic coverage plays an important role in society and, therefore, needed renewal to remain relevant. 

In the last years, we have seen live blogging for elections as a new type of media coverage, able to update the audience in real-time. 

This is an approach that adapts to the new types of media and to the demands of those who read the news.

This format becomes interesting because it doesn’t have to be done only by traditional media, such as major broadcasters. 

Live blogging is something accessible to commentators, independent journalists, and various press agencies.

Whether by commenting or just reporting new facts about election campaigns, dynamic coverage engages more and increases the audience’s traffic.

It’s essential to know some guidelines to execute good real-time coverage about elections. 

In this post, you’ll learn more about the following topics:

• Advantages of using live blogging for elections
• Tips on how to do a good coverage
• 4 tools to do real-time coverage

Check it out!

Advantages of using live blogging for elections

Live blogging for elections has proved to be a recent trend of high public acceptance. 

It’s undeniable that, nowadays, those looking for news don’t check the traditional paper-press. Online coverage is on the rise for offering to the readers fresh and new information.

Streaming is an exceptional opportunity for smaller content producers to get engaged and to get traffic to their websites and blogs. 

Likewise, major media vehicles can also explore free blogging as an extra approach during elections.

Next, learn about the main advantages of live blogging for elections and how this content format can bring excellent results!

Generate interactions

Content that can generate interaction is worth gold in Digital Marketing. Live blogging is a great way to attract qualified traffic, opening a space for viewers to comment.

For that to happen, on these pages where coverage is done, you can provide a space for visitors to leave comments on the news.

Another strategy is to encourage content creation. You can use photos and videos from a User Generated Content (UGC) strategy.

Content about political rallies and marches are among the primary choices. This way, you can engage and still use these materials.

Increase traffic

Elections are an important event around the world. This is enough to attract qualified traffic and generate engagement. 

However, live content has become one of the favorites of web users.

Currently, 80% of people on the internet prefer to watch live content rather than read a blog post. 

That statistic means it’s easier to capture traffic during live blogging for elections than generating traditional news and content.

Increase average time on page

It’s always important to think about metrics. When it comes to blogs and independent journalism, being in the spotlight in the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) is necessary.

That’s why complying with SEO standards required by Google’s algorithms is essential. The average time on page is one of the most important factors to rank a page.

Those media vehicles are more likely to capture people’s attention and keep them watching their coverage when they’re live. Consequently, this affects the ranking of that page.

Become an authority on election coverage

Live blogging for elections is an excellent opportunity to turn into one main media vehicle covering news about the subject. 

Being an authority during this period can be key to building a long-term audience.

To become an authority is, foremost, to generate quality content. Therefore, more than news, original ways of interaction proposed are essential.

Tips on how to do a good coverage

Proper live blogging for elections must follow some planning, promotion, and performance parameters. 

Check out some tips that will help you reach an audience and achieve great results! 

Respect for impartiality

Elections are a critical subject, especially for journalists who need to comment on the news and the political scenario. 

Quality content needs to be impartial, bringing different perspectives to the audience.

That relates to the content quality and makes all the difference. Impartial coverage engages all types of voters and is the right thing to do in journalism, especially when it comes to decisive facts.

Set a schedule

In live blogging for elections, it’s possible to stream several content formats during the day. Therefore, the best is to set a schedule, informing on which days and times you’ll broadcast each attraction.

That helps to create a standard and a specific audience for each of these attractions. 

The chances of engaging are higher when you establish these specific approaches, defining an identity for the vehicle’s news coverage.

Promote the coverage in several channels

Promoting live blogging for elections is essential, as it’s a specific coverage that can attract an audience. 

Not always the public that consumes the content of a channel knows about all of its attractions, so dissemination makes all the difference.

Use social media channels to talk about live blogging and how the content delivered throughout the day. Also, post on these channels the schedule with all the attractions, informing days and times.

Another great strategy is to send emails to newsletters’ subscribers. Make a special release to talk about the election coverage.

Track the results from different content formats

Achieving outstanding results monitoring and adjusting strategies is critical. 

Tracking metrics related to live blogging allows you to understand more about the public’s preferences and understand some points, such as:

• attractions that have more engagement;
• interaction formats with more engagement;
• peak hours of simultaneous access;
• general metrics related to SEO.

With those results, it’s possible to generate reports and use them to make adjustments and improvements in the schedule. 

Since elections have longer coverage, there is always time to improve the content format.

Mix comments and information to achieve a complete coverage

We cannot limit good and attractive coverage to the news. It’s necessary to mix these elements with expert commentaries, real-time polls, videos related to the subject, interviews, and other content.

Live blogging for elections is a great strategy if properly planned. This means thinking about the current main content formats and posting them integrated into the same platform.

Open up a space to live Q&A sessions

Live Q&A sessions are powerful ways to generate engagement and bring audiences closer to the media vehicle. 

Opening this space allows us to solve doubts and answer questions related to electoral racing.

It’s essential to host these Q&A releases at peak hours of simultaneous access. Thus, there’s a higher chance of taking advantage of online viewers willing to interact with the streaming.

4 tools to do real-time coverage

Proper tools can help you to achieve excellent results when live blogging for elections. 

Check out some of our suggestions for an ideal setting to inform and create live content.

1. YouTube

One of the world’s largest video platforms, YouTube may also be the perfect channel to perform a proper steaming. 

Run the live blogging for elections from your YouTube channel and use the comment section to interact with the audience.

2. Facebook Live

Functional and easy, Facebook Live tool is one of the most complete and, like YouTube, is also widely used. 

Comments, reaction options, and sharing help generate engagement and capture more traffic.

3. Twitch

No matter how unusual journalistic content is in Twitch, it can be a suitable environment for live blogging for elections. 

There are many features to explore that can help with the audience interaction.

4. Live

Live is a complete platform for this content format. With it, you can explore interaction with the quizzes, keep the audience informed with the tool for polls, stream videos, and project images in a practical way.

The media coverage of important events for society is fundamental and part of journalism’s core work. 

With so much information generated all the time, vehicles that know how to show their findings and opinions stand out more attractively.

Live blogging for elections is essential to exercise quality journalism in renewed and engaging formats. This approach is more democratic and helps to turn vehicles into authorities in their areas of information.

Are you curious about how the Rock Content Engage Tool can be perfect in this election season? Learn how to use it in the best way to achieve the highest results!