It is amazing when you think how Facebook has changed and developed over the last 15 years. A social media platform where all you were able to do was like and comment on a friend’s picture, now allows you to love and share posts, upload videos as profile pictures and promote your business. But over the past four years, one asset that has completely changed the way companies can interact with their clients is Facebook Live.
Recently we have been managing hour long Facebook Live sessions for one of our clients and it is something that I, personally, really enjoy. So, here are a few tips to producing a good Facebook Live.
- Familiarise yourself with the technology
It is preferable to do a Facebook Live on a mobile phone, however it is possible to use a laptop or desktop so long as you have a webcam. Make sure you familiarise yourself with what technology you are using. On the Facebook App, find out where the live button is and what is required, so you are comfortable and know what you are doing when it is showtime.
- Do a practice run
Before having a practice run, it is good to remember that a personal Facebook page is different to a business Facebook page. This means that you will be able to change the setting on your personal account to private and only you will be able to see your practice run. On a business account you are unable to do this – however you can Live Stream to specific groups. More on this can be found at the Facebook Help Community.
To change the settings on your personal account, start a new Facebook Live session and before going Live, click on the Globe icon with ‘Public’ next to it, you can then change the settings to ‘Just Me’. Remember to switch it back before your official Live starts.
- Rotate your phone correctly
It is best to set your phone up landscape, but make sure the screen rotation lock is off. Otherwise your Live will appear to viewers as if it is sitting on its side. One way to check it is set up correctly is to make sure the screen you look at rotates and the video description sits lengthways across your screen before you start.
- Promotion
To help increase your viewing figures and notify your followers that you are hosting a Facebook Live, it is always worthwhile putting some money behind a post informing people when the live is happening. Make it clear in the post when the Live is taking place and what the session will focus on. It is also beneficial to do a reminder post a few days before hand and on the day.
- Watch the time
Timing is important when implementing a Facebook Live. Not just the time of the day in which you host the session but also the length of time it runs for. Knowing your target audience is crucial, for example, if you are aiming it at the equine community, be aware that many followers may be with their horses in the morning or early evening. The length of time the Live runs for is also important, you want your audience to be engaged.
- Exciting topics
A Facebook Live will work well if the speaker engages with the audience. If it is a Q&A session and you are encouraging viewers to post questions, the presenter will need to talk directly to the camera as if having a conversation with the person who posted the questions. Make sure all content draws the audience in.
- Caption this!
If you think about it, your followers will scroll though Facebook everyday and see hundreds of posts on their feed, you need to think of a good caption that will entice them to click on and watch your Facebook Live and this is the same for the announcement and notification post – make them want to watch it. Think of key selling points and the language that you use, what will draw them in? Why are you different? It is also a good idea to make the post short and snappy, so when scrolling your followers can read it quickly.