Facebook Live is a new way you can connect to your target audience for marketing your brand. That is, if you have something interesting and useful to say and share. However, be patient if it’s your first time going live. Not everyone is an instant viral hit. In fact, you might not get any views at all. Don’t get discouraged. Raising brand awareness and increasing brand equity is not easy if you are just starting.
To help you out, I’ve compiled a list of 5 Facebook Live tips. Hopefully it offers some help and insight on how you can go Live on Facebook and get better results.
Tell people ahead of time
Advertise and post a lot about “when” you are going to be live and maybe tease a bit about what you are going to broadcast. People don’t get every update you post to Facebook, it’s not possible with all the content creators on the web these days. So give a heads up about what you are doing and when and ask them to tune in. You could even work in a free giveaway or if they show up where you are win a chance to win a prize. What ever you do, make it known ahead of time.
Make sure you have a strong connection
The internet at your house is not like the speeds at your favorite Starbuck’s. So remember to check the wi-fi speeds where you plan to broadcast. If no wi-fi, be mindful it’s your data and service provider (AT&T or T-Mobile for example) and that could be the result of slower speeds. Having a bad connection will cause people to just not watch or interact. Worse, can they leave the broadcast. On the other hand, they let you know your video sucks and all those watching too see that.
Write a script and stick to it
Going Live is not as easy as it looks in the commercials or any broadcast situation. You still need to figure out what you are going to say and how you are going to deliver it. By not agreeing on a script, or purpose to the broadcast you could end up chasing rabbits and viewers will easily become confused as to what the chaos is all about.
Say hello to commenters and mention their name
If you get people watching, that’s awesome. But if they start commenting and you say nothing, that could be taken to be rude. Pay attention to who is online and watching and if they comment, give them credit or answer their questions. In the end a good ol’ fashion Q&A is a good thing if the topic stays on track.
Be creative
Not all live broadcasts have to look or be the same. Mix it up, or go see what other people are doing with the platform. I can’t believe I’m about to write this, but maybe a selfie stick is worth it. It will allow you to get more people in the shot if you need to be mobile.
If you can, I recommend you use more than one camera. Static positioning of the camera and never moving is boring. People like to see what’s around you. Be sure to change position a lot and the angle so that people who are watching a live broadcast can see what your surroundings are like. Also, if I’m going to have other people in the shot or do interviews, I try to include the background. Be aware that noise can affect your broadcast so you may need to move to a place that is a little more quiet so that the people watching can hear the interview.
I hope you and joy these tips on Facebook live. We’ll be trying these ourselves in the coming year. We predict the Facebook live platform continuing to grow and expand as more and more people continue to use it. If you have any tips it we’ve missed here please let us know in the comments below and make sure to subscribe to our blog. Also, we do have a newsletter you can sign up for. Just head on over to this link and fill out the form to receive the monthly What’s New in the 502!
