On Tuesday 20th August, we had the delight of being invited onto a livestream with Scott's Inverts and Kris's Zoo on Wheels.
We've had a few invites before, but unfortunately due to my work commitments I'd been unable to do this. As soon as I committed this time, I was instantly anxious — livestreaming is something I'd always thought about doing but never had the platform or the confidence to actually do.
Getting Ready
Luckily for me, Scott sent over the streaming link so I could practise. I planned to stream from my laptop while also using my phone to show close-ups of some of the many isopods I have for sale on my website. Having both screens running gave me a way to demonstrate animals properly while still being on camera myself.
Easing Into It
I was quite surprised at how quickly I eased into the podcast — but this was mainly due to how welcoming Scott and Kris were right from the start.
Honestly, I didn't have a plan as to which isopods to show during the livestream. Instead I chose to let the people watching pick which isopods we should showcase. That worked properly well — kept things spontaneous and let viewers shape the content.
During the podcast we showed a wide variety of isopods, including Cannonball Isopods, Pineapple Isopods, and of course Rubber Ducky Isopods. The variety reflected just how much breadth the UK isopod hobby has these days.
The Discount Code Idea
Scott had a great idea pre-show — to add a custom discount code that ran for the duration of the podcast. I want to say a proper thank you to all the subscribers and viewers who made purchases during the livestream. It was very appreciated, and it made the whole experience feel like a genuine community event rather than just a chat.
We even had the opportunity to send our first-ever birthday card to a lady called Amy who made a purchase during the livestream. Small moments like that are what make running PostPods feel properly rewarding.
Thank Yous
Alongside Kris and Scott providing constant support and reassurance during our conversation, I'd like to say thank you to everyone in the chat who joined to show support — including some of my work colleagues and friends outside of the hobby. I even had some members of my family join the livestream and comment, which meant a lot.
The Quality Issue (and the Upgrade)
For the recording I used my laptop for talking and my phone for the close-up isopod shots. I wasn't very conscious of the quality issues until towards the end of the livestream — at which point it was a bit late to do much about it.
Luckily this week I purchased a much-needed new laptop. The one I'd been using was a MacBook Air I got for my 21st birthday over ten and a half years ago — properly past its useful life for video work!
Round Two
Then on Friday 30th August I joined Scott and Kris again, this time with Ling and others, for Kris's livestream where he pairs tarantulas. I was able to test out the new camera, which Scott commented on the improved quality of — so going forward, all podcasts and livestreams should be better quality.
My friend James also recommended a new tripod with a built-in ring light, which I'll be receiving in the next few days. Hopefully I can use that on the next livestream too.
Would I Recommend It?
Although I'd put off doing a livestream for a long time, this was honestly an amazing experience — hence being so quick to do another one less than two weeks later. If anyone reading this is thinking about doing a livestream in the future, I'd strongly recommend giving it a go. The community is properly welcoming, the format is more relaxed than it looks from the outside, and the connection with viewers and customers makes it genuinely worthwhile.
If you'd like to watch the livestream, it's still available on Scott's channel: view the recording here.
Thanks again to Scott, Kris, Ling, Amy, James, and everyone in the chat who made this such a positive first experience. More to come soon.
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