If you’ve decided on a Facebook Live to promote your business’s next major announcement or a reveal of a new product or service, congratulations! You’re using one of social media’s most versatile tools to engage with your audience.
Need a few tips and tricks to get started? Glad you asked!
- Remember, social media is about connecting with an audience. Your peeps need to know your plans well in advance of your actually going live. Pre-promote your Facebook Live to make sure your audience knows something big is coming. Don’t limit the marketing of your Facebook Live to just Facebook itself (though that’s certainly a good place to start). Use all your channels. Communicate through email. Don’t forget brick-and-mortar, too. Advertise your Facebook Live as if it were an in-person event. Nobody wants nothing but crickets out there when the camera is rolling. A good video tease of what to expect builds anticipation, so consider sharing a nugget to generate some buzz beforehand.
Bonus tip: Determine what time of day works best for your Facebook Live audience. While 11 a.m. might be ideal for you, it might not be the best window for your audience. The golden hour is often 7 p.m., or depending on your content, lunchtime is often good, too.
- Who isn’t a little Zoom fatigued these days? That’s one of the reasons why you need to make sure Facebook Live doesn’t fall into the pile of tiresome virtual event. Ramp up your level of production. Don’t expect magic to happen just because you’ve pushed a button on your phone to go live. You have to make your content compelling. One obvious tip: Make sure you’re filming horizontally. Check the lighting in advance (and be sure you’re doing so at the same time of day as you will be filming). Face a window if you’re indoors; natural light is optimal. Invest in a tripod or other stabilizing device to avoid the camera shaking in your hand. For the best sound quality, an external microphone isn’t all that expensive.
Bonus tip: If you plan on doing a lot of Facebook Lives, make a small investment in a Ring Light. You’ll find good options on Amazon for less than $30.
- Make your Facebook Live a multisensory experience if possible. If you’re introducing a new wine or food from your business, give people a chance to pick up a to-go pack so they can experience firsthand what you’re talking about. You want your Facebook Live to be an immersive experience; another talking head won’t move the needle. At the very least, consider a few props to make the experience engaging.
Bonus tip: Forgive the overuse of the word “engaging,” but that’s what a Facebook Live is all about. Make sure you remember to engage in the moment with your audience. Respond to comments. Answer questions. Use first names and tags. Acknowledge folks as they join. If the questions keep flying at you (a good problem to have), let your viewers know you will get to them all in time. You can also recruit a few behind-the-scenes folks to respond to questions as they come in.
- Testing, testing . . . A dry run is beforehand is essential. Testing your internet connection might seem like a silly step, but there’s no audience if no one can hear you. The good news is Facebook makes it easy. You can test your connection privately by setting your audience to “just me” when you go live. Tag a colleague or friend to get another opinion.
Bonus tip: Remember when you do go live, some of your viewers might not be ready at the bewitching hour. Relax and take a few minutes before you launch into the meat of your news. Make sure you introduce yourself more than once in case folks join at a later point.
- Consider Facebook Premiere, an underrated tool that allows you to upload and schedule pre-recorded videos on your Facebook page. That way you’ll have the effect of a live recording without the concern of a mishap. This can be especially helpful if you fear a spotty internet connection or you’re just not comfortable with the idea of no do-overs. When you schedule a Facebook Premiere on your page, a notification goes out to your followers and another will be sent 20 minutes before showtime.
Bonus tip: If you have a VIP club or part of “members only” part of your business, consider a private stream with exclusive content. Instead of a Facebook Live, Zoom would be a better platform for that.
See how easy that was? Now don’t forget to pin your Facebook Live to the top of your page for even more engagement and exposure.