Facebook Live, which became available to more users in February, is gaining traction.
Facebook Live videos, which are streamed to a live audience and then saved on your wall, can be a great opportunity for genuine interaction with other users.
For brands, they can help you to convey personality and build user engagement. Creating a great Facebook Live video, however, can be a little different than sharing a completed and edited video.
The following tips will help you to create interesting content and take advantage of this new format.
Promote Ahead of Time
If you want fans to tune into your broadcast, you’ll have to give them some notice. Facebook recommends spreading the worda day in advance. In addition to posting on Facebook, you may want to cross promote on your other social media profiles. If you’re planning to do a Q&A, you may want to ask for some questions ahead of time. That way you can start off smoothly and prepare a couple of answers in advance. Make sure that you make another announcement when your stream is about to start.
Plan a Structure
Live videos can be a little spontaneous (that’s part of the fun, after all), but it’s smart to go in with a plan. At the least, you’ll likely want to plan an introduction and conclusion, plus a plan of what you want to accomplish in the video. That way you’ll always know what’s up next and won’t be caught floundering.
Write a Catchy Description
Your video’s description can be a big part of attracting viewers, so write something interesting! Usually 2-3 sentences is enough.Give an idea of what your video is about and maybe some tidbits about what you think the most interesting parts will be.
Set the Scene
Your setting and equipment will have a big impact on the quality of your video.
To avoid offsetting shakiness, invest in a tripod or find a way to stabilize your phone/camera.
Often a thick book or coffee mug can do the trick. You’ll also want to make sure that you have sufficient lighting, either natural sunlight or good artificial lighting that’s in front of, not behind, you. The last thing to check for is sound quality. If you’re in a noisy area, you may need a camera to make sure the sound is coming through. It’s a good idea to record a short test video for yourself to make sure everything looks and sounds good. Of course, you’ll also want to be in an area with dependable wifi.
Go Long
For videos simply posted to Facebook, shorter is often better.
That’s not the case for Facebook Live, however. You want to give people a chance to tune in and get involved. Facebook recommends broadcasting for at least 10 minutes, and you can continue streaming for up to an hour and a half.
Buzzfeed's watermelon took about 45 minutes to explode.
Engage with Comments
Probably the most important part of Facebook Live is the potential for in-the-moment fan interaction. Facebook Live includes a live stream of comments from viewers.
Take a few moments to say help to commenters by name; it’s an easy way to make them feel involved. You should also, of course, respond to some comments and questions. If you’re part of a team, you may want to have one person looking through comments and picking out the best ones to respond to.
Finish Strong
When your stream is finishing up, use a clear sign-off to let everyone know that you’re done. Something simple like “Thank you for watching” works well. Your ending can also be a good time to insert a call to action or remind viewers to follow you for notifications about upcoming live videos.
When you’re done, press the red “Finish” button, and then wait until you hear a ping to indicate that your broadcast is officially complete.
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Written by content manager Meghan Woolley
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