Want to make a big impact on Facebook? Facebook is also giving priority placement in users News Feeds to Facebook Live videos when it comes to organic reach reaching viewers and gaining popularity fast among users.
However, if you’re a camera shy business owner, creating a video for a live audience online can be even scarier.
Whether this is your first video or you’re looking to practice and improve, here are 10 Facebook Live tips for your social media marketing that will get you live streaming like a pro in no time.
1. Lighten Up
Be sure to have plenty of ample lighting without overdoing it. You want your face to be visible without washing it out due to too much light, but you want to make sure have enough light so people don’t think you’re filming the next episode of Ghostbusters. Think like a photographer. If you’re outdoors, early morning or early evening offer softer glows and more forgiving tones on the skin.
2. Volume Please
Just as important if not more important is volume. If you can, find a place quiet place indoors such as a home office, living room, bedroom, or studio is ideal. If outdoors, try to avoid places with a large vocal crowd. If you have to live stream with a lot of noise in the background, consider keeping your phone close enough to see and hear you (perhaps 2 feet away). Some video stars will even use an external microphone like a lapel mic attached to their phone or a Bluetooth mic even.
3. Get Connected Fast
Always test your wi-fi connection before doing a live stream. If you are streaming via wi-fi, you’ll want to make sure that the connection is stable and quick. Note: some wi-fi connections at office buildings or commercial establishments will limit the amount of transmitting you can do and then cut off your video (which you obviously would not want).
If you are using a mobile signal (like 4G or LTE), you want to make sure you have good reception (i.e. more than just one bar).
A really good website for testing your speed connection for free is speedtest.net. From what I have seen, having an upload speed of at least 5Mps (megabytes per second) is sufficient.
4. Don’t Do Anything You’ll Regret
Facebook Live along with other live streaming apps allow many of us to have larger audiences than ever before. That said, I have seen it to start bringing out more voyeuristic, inane, and clueless videos as well. For example, I have seen live videos of people live streaming while driving. Crimes have even been committed before a live audience on Facebook Live (e.g. the murders in France of police officers, as well as the broadcasting of copyrighted movies in a theater in India). Remember that not only will your audience be watching, but you may happen to have the good fortune of an off-duty (or on-duty) police officer watching.
Like I say to all my clients, “Friends don’t let friend do dumb things on Facebook Live!”
5. Be Yourself
It’s okay to rehearse a few lines or segments so that you know what to say. Yet remember that you’re not filming the next blockbuster movie (unless you’re already of Hollywood fame in which case you’ll probably gain notoriety regardless). Remember that people watch live videos to connect to realness which also means real people, not completely contrived or scripted. This is Facebook LIVE, not Facebook REHEARSED.
5. Choose Your Surroundings
What do you want to use as your background or backdrop? If you are creating a business coach video, perhaps you may use a background of your computer desk. If you are Facebook Live streaming fitness, perhaps a gymnasium. If you’re a vintner, perhaps a wine tasting room. A chef? Obviously your kitchen.
Also be sure to make sure your background is not filled with distractions such as lots of people or other objects that may take away people’s attention from you (however, if you use a beach like this Facebook LIVE stream from IHop, for me it’s pretty hopeless no matter what you do. My attention is in paradise. )
6. Promote Before and After
As more and more people play with Facebook Live, attention will become divided and competitive just as it is for regular Facebook posts. So get people to mark their calendars by letting your audience know in advance when you plan to go live. Broadcast it out on as many social media channels as you can – Twitter, Yelp, Instagram, etc. Let people know about your video after the broadcast as well for those who missed it due to other commitments or simply could not attend. That way you still get the views and allow for the possibility of follow up afterward by some viewers. You might even consider doing a Boost Post to create a sponsored post in Facebook users news feeds to get even more views by people who might have not otherwise seen your video.
7. Business or Personal?
As with posting other types of content, if you are doing a Facebook live video of your business, you will want to stream from your business page if it is related to your business and from your personal page if it is more personal or intimate in nature. After all it may be hard for potential clients to watch a live video about your business if you are streaming it from your personal page where you may not be friends with the viewers.
8. Be Interested and Interesting
Pick a topic that about which you are passionate and which you think is interesting. Chances are you will have a much better video if you choose a subject at which you are an expert and that you are passionate about. I can’t tell you the number of inane, pointless live videos I have started seeing pop up on Facebook by people seemingly looking for attention (after all this is about live events, not a live chat room).
9. Shout Out to Your Audience
Well, not literally. What I mean is reward your audience for viewing your video with interactions. Say “hi, ___” or “Welcome, ___” when new viewers connect and join your live video. You will usually see the name of the individual joining on the screen. If possible have a laptop or other device available nearby to answer user questions/comments as you go! People may have questions while you’re on the spot (on location) and this allows for more interactivity with your audience which means more subtle engagement and connection and future loyalty to your future videos. Give shout outs where you can in your videos.
10. Test and Measure
Ok, congratulations! You now have done your first (or newest) Facebook live video! But before you award yourself a moon man, how many people actually watched the video or even better, interacted with it? Be sure to test and measure using the analytics provided by the Facebook app. How many views did the video get while on the air? How many people watched the video afterward? How many viewers reacted using Facebook Reactions?
Remember that most live videos will get the majority of their views in replay mode. So don’t fret if your live video wasn’t headline news.
Need additional help with creating Facebook Live videos for your organization or business? Contact me for a free consultation. I offer additional video marketing consultations including helping you film Facebook live videos at your business and can help create both a strategy and video with you.
Leave a Reply