Here at The Peg, every once in a while we sit around the table usually with a plate of cheese, to help get the creativity going, and brainstorm ideas for blog posts. As I’m sure everyone has lately, I’ve been hearing and seeing more and more about Facebook Live videos and really wanted to write something about them. I wrote down the idea on an index card and tried to let the idea develop in my mind before writing a full blog about it.
For weeks, the index card on the bulletin board mocked me, until I finally got the chance to try Facebook Live out for myself.
At an event for one of my clients, the opportunity presented itself in the form of a ribbon cutting ceremony for Joe’s Next Door (If you want to see the video, you can find it below). In the time since making and posting that video, I’ve learned a lot about the Live feature and now I want to give you some tips and tricks to get more out of your own Live videos
Plan Ahead
Tell your Audience
To my surprise, right after I hit the record button, Facebook let me know it was alerting all of my friends. I love the feature and it did help me spread the word to my Facebook fans about the video, but only if those friends happen to be on Facebook at that moment. Preparing with a few posts in the days leading up to the event would have let my audience know to be on Facebook looking out for the video at a certain time.
Put Some Ads Behind It
Facebook has been pretty loud about the fact that their algorithm prefers live video. Capitalize on the organic reach Facebook is already giving you with paid advertising. Plan some Facebook ads leading up to the event promoting the live video. The more people tuned in, the farther the reach will go. Pull aside some money from your monthly ad budget and give your video a little boost.
Get a Good Shot
Facebook Live videos don’t have to be perfect and people don’t expect them to be. With that said, it doesn’t hurt to go for the best shot you can get. People are more likely to watch your whole video if it’s interesting and clear to see what’s going on. Try your best to limit big sweeping movements or jostling the camera.
Follow-up with Likes and Comments
This is still social media after all. You need to be present with your audience after the video ends. Contrary to what a lot of people think about Facebook Live, the video doesn’t vanish into thin air when it ends. It stays on your page with a running counter of how many people watched it live and since it aired. The live videos also let you know at what point in the video people comment. This doesn’t seem like much, but looking at the results, it was clear there was a cut off time for people’s attention span. Pay attention to these data points and use them for the next video. Did people leave around the two-minute mark? That’s a good goal for the next video.
Bring a Friend
This is a little more difficult if you run your own business and promote via social channels yourself, but two people managing your social media is better than one. Live tweeting, posting photos to Instagram and posting a Facebook update all take just a few moments. As soon as the post is up, you can move on to the next one, or tweet someone back. The downside of Facebook Live is the time demand. You have to keep the video recording through the event which leaves no room for any other social interaction.
Grab someone you trust, connect your social media account to their phone and have them do some of the liking, retweeting and posting for you while you record. If you’re going to do an event ‘live’ the interaction needs to be live too.
We’re all still learning about Facebook Live, but all signs point to social media hedging their bets on live content. Try to create a live video for an event at the office, or a holiday party. These videos don’t have to be professional level, people just like seeing what your business is up to in real time.
Roundpeg is an Indianapolis content marketing firm.