Nearly 2 billion people have tuned into Facebook Live broadcasts. For businesses, this means there’s a huge audience out there that’s willing to engage with you over real time video. Whether you’re looking to answer questions, show off some behind the scenes shots from your office or showcase a live event, Facebook Live can be a useful platform. That’s why we compiled these Facebook Live tips for small businesses.
Facebook Live Tips
Make the most of your next broadcast with these Facebook Live tips.
Outline a Specific Purpose
When embarking on a Facebook Live session, don’t do it impulsively or without a clear vision in mind. A successful broadcast requires thought and preparation. Don’t merely go live for the novelty of it; your content needs to resonate with your target demographic.
Every session should focus on a specific topic, ensuring that your audience has clarity on what they can expect.
Draft a clear outline comprising of helpful tips or insightful information that you’ll share. This not only establishes trust with your viewers but also positions you as a subject matter expert.
Highlight Tips Before You Broadcast
Generating interest prior to your live broadcast is crucial for ensuring a robust viewer turnout. Instead of merely publicizing the basic event details, such as its time and title, intrigue your followers by providing a sneak peek into the content.
Offer tidbits of the insights you plan to unveil, striking a balance to pique their curiosity without revealing too much. A teaser can create anticipation and ensure that more of your audience tunes in with eagerness to learn more.
Start with a Private Broadcast
The unpredictable nature of live broadcasts means that sometimes, technical glitches can occur. From unflattering lighting and shaky sound quality to unexpected disturbances in your environment, many aspects could go awry.
Fortunately, Facebook provides an invaluable feature: the private broadcast. This allows you to simulate a live scenario, helping you iron out any potential hitches.
Utilize this feature to refine all aspects of your presentation, ensuring you present the best version of your content when it truly counts.
Prepare for a Lengthy Introduction
Timing is everything, especially when you begin your broadcast. While Facebook does notify your followers once you’re live, not everyone will jump in immediately.
Many might be preoccupied, while others may take their time. Consequently, it’s advisable to avoid diving into the core content right off the bat. Extend your introduction, warmly greeting early joiners by name and setting a pleasant tone for the session.
Engage them with light-hearted humor, anecdotes, or even some impromptu fun, like dancing. This ensures that by the time you venture into the main topic, a substantial portion of your audience is already tuned in and ready to engage
Re-Introduce Throughout the Broadcast
Given the dynamic nature of Facebook Live, where viewers can drop in at any given point during your session, periodic reintroductions can be beneficial. Every so often, remind them of the topic at hand and give a brief summary of what you’ve discussed so far.
It’s not about being redundant, but rather about ensuring inclusivity. A quick recap ensures no viewer feels lost, regardless of when they join. Think of it as a courteous checkpoint to keep everyone aligned with the conversation.
Respond to Questions from Viewers
According to business coach Mark Harbert, Facebook Live videos receive ten times the amount of comments as recorded videos. Since those comments are coming in at real time, you need to also respond in real time.
Have your own talking points prepared, but don’t just bury your head in a script. Remain flexible and pay attention to what people are saying so that you can provide answers or appropriately respond throughout.
End with a Call to Action
While captivating content and a large viewership are significant achievements, they are means to an end. Each broadcast should drive a specific objective. As you conclude, clearly articulate what you’d like viewers to do next.
If the session was about showcasing your expertise in a field, guide them on consultation options. If you were unveiling a new product, provide them with purchasing details. Your call to action should be clear, concise, and compelling, converting viewers into potential customers.
Promote on Other Social Channels
Relying solely on Facebook for viewership can limit your potential reach. Maximize your broadcast’s exposure by integrating it across various platforms.
Consider embedding the video on your official website, uploading it to YouTube, or sharing snippets on platforms like Instagram or Twitter.
This cross-promotion not only enhances visibility but also reinforces your brand’s commitment to engaging content, reminding your audience of your regular Facebook Live sessions.
Keep an Eye on Analytics
Crafting a successful Facebook Live strategy is a blend of creativity and analytical insight. While it’s essential to experiment with content types, broadcasting times, and promotional tactics, it’s equally critical to monitor their effectiveness.
Facebook’s in-built analytics can provide a wealth of data, from viewer demographics to engagement rates.
Regularly reviewing this data will offer actionable insights, helping refine your approach. And remember, while consistency in posting is good, always prioritize quality and engagement.
Let the analytics guide your content frequency, ensuring you maintain a balance that resonates with your audience.
While the article provides detailed insights on how to make the most of Facebook Live, understanding the core aspects at a glance can be immensely helpful. The table below highlights key facets of a successful Facebook Live broadcast, their purpose, and quick tips for optimizing each.
| Key Aspect | Purpose | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Time to Broadcast | Maximize real-time viewers. | Analyze audience activity. |
| Clear Purpose | Offer clear value to viewers. | Decide on a specific topic. |
| Tease Before Broadcast | Attract viewers to the broadcast. | Share a brief preview. |
| Private Testing | Ensure broadcast quality. | Check lighting and sound privately. |
| Long Introduction | Engage viewers as they join. | Welcome and entertain briefly. |
| Re-introductions | Keep viewers informed throughout. | Recap main points occasionally. |
| Engage with Viewers | Foster interaction during the broadcast. | Respond to questions promptly. |
| End with an Action | Guide viewers on next steps after broadcast. | Highlight next steps or offers. |
| Promote Elsewhere | Expand your broadcast's reach. | Share on other platforms. |
| Check Analytics | Improve future broadcasts. | Adjust based on feedback and performance. |
Mark Robinson of ReelSEO and Tubular Insights said in an interview,
“Many popular publishers like BuzzFeed are publishing videos at a rate of 5 or more videos per day, per page. If you are concerned that this could cause post fatigue, or over-saturate your audience, pay close attention to the “negative feedback” analytics available within Facebook. If your audience is constantly hiding your video posts, or unfollowing your page, you can reduce the frequency with which you are uploading to test if that may be a cause.”
Maximizing the Lifespan of Your Broadcast
After your Facebook Live broadcast concludes, its value and reach can continue to grow. Transform your live content into an ongoing marketing tool with these strategies:
- Repurpose Content: Edit your live video into shorter clips that highlight key moments. These can be shared across your social media platforms or used in future marketing campaigns to draw attention to your brand.
- Embedding on Your Website: Increase the visibility of your broadcast by embedding the video on relevant pages of your website. This not only enhances the content on your site but also keeps visitors engaged for longer periods.
- Email Campaigns: Include the video or highlights in your email newsletters. A compelling snippet from your live session can boost open rates and drive traffic back to your social media channels or website.
- Follow-Up Posts: Create follow-up content that addresses unanswered questions from the live session or expands on topics that generated significant interest. This keeps the conversation going and deepens engagement with your audience.
Engaging with Comments Post-Broadcast
Engagement shouldn’t end when your live broadcast does. Continue to build relationships with your viewers by:
- Responding to Comments: Make it a point to reply to comments and questions left during and after the broadcast. Personal responses show your audience that their input is valued and encourage further interaction.
- Gathering Feedback: Ask your viewers for feedback on the broadcast. This can be done directly in the comments section or through a follow-up survey. Use this feedback to improve future live sessions.
- Analyzing Engagement: Review the engagement data provided by Facebook. Identify which segments of the broadcast received the most interaction and consider how you can replicate or expand on those topics in future content.
Technical Preparation and Troubleshooting
Pre-Broadcast Technical Checklist
Ensure a smooth and professional Facebook Live broadcast by completing this technical checklist before going live:
- Internet Speed: Confirm that your internet connection is stable and fast enough to support live streaming. A wired connection is more reliable than Wi-Fi for broadcasting.
- Equipment Check: Test your camera, microphone, and any other equipment to ensure everything is functioning correctly. Consider using external microphones and cameras for better quality.
- Lighting: Check your lighting setup to make sure it flatters the presenter and minimizes shadows or glare. Natural light is preferable, but if you’re indoors, soft artificial lighting can be effective.
- Backup Plan: Have a backup plan for critical equipment. This includes having spare batteries, a secondary internet connection, and a backup recording device.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Prepare to address potential technical issues swiftly with these troubleshooting tips:
- Poor Sound Quality: If viewers report poor sound quality, check your microphone connections and settings first. If using a wireless mic, ensure there’s no interference and that it’s fully charged.
- Weak Internet Connection: Should your internet connection falter, having a mobile hotspot as a backup can save the day. Prioritize audio over video by lowering video quality settings if bandwidth is limited.
- Unexpected Interruptions: In case of an unexpected interruption, inform your audience ahead of time about a contingency plan. This might include moving to a different platform, delaying the broadcast, or providing a summary video later.
- Camera or Lighting Issues: Have someone monitor the visual quality of the broadcast in real time. If there are any issues with the camera or lighting, adjustments can be made on the fly without disrupting the flow of the presentation.
Facebook Live Tips: Key Takeaways:
- Effective Time to Broadcast: Choose when your audience is most active.
- Specific Purpose: Have a clear message and topic.
- Pre-Broadcast Highlights: Tease your audience about the upcoming content.
- Private Broadcast Testing: Ensure technical quality before going public.
- Lengthy Introduction: Engage early viewers and wait for others.
- Periodic Re-introductions: Recap essential points for new joiners.
- Respond to Viewer Questions: Foster real-time interaction.
- Concluding Call to Action: Direct viewers to the next steps.
- Promotion Across Platforms: Broaden your video’s reach.
- Monitoring Analytics: Refine future broadcasts based on data.
Image: Depositphotos.com
