You have probably heard how amazing video is for your marketing. That it is easier to connect with your audience, that you can capture their attention in the blink of an eye, and that social media algorithms favour video over all other content.
That is all well and good, but just turning on the camera and speaking does not mean you will end up with a high-quality video that automatically goes viral.
Creating good video requires some knowledge and practice. Plus, you have to work up the confidence to actually get in front of the camera. That in itself can be the biggest hurdle to overcome!
Live video is considered the holy grail when it comes to reach on social media. And the Grand Daddy of live video is of course Facebook Live.
Facebook makes it unbelievably easy to connect with your ideal client and they actually reward you for doing it by supercharging your reach.
So, let’s look into how you can master Facebook Lives…
Mastering Facebook Lives…
What Is Facebook Live?
Before we examine how to do it, I’d better clarify what Facebook Lives actually are. In April 2016, Facebook introduced the ability to record and stream live video footage from your own personal page, your business page, or into any of the groups you are a member of.
How does it work?
Well, you ‘go live’, meaning that you record a live video snippet. It can be 3 seconds long, 3 minutes long, or it can be more in depth and longer if you want it to be. Your audience can watch your live stream as you are recording it, meaning they can say hi or ask questions while you are right there to answer them.
Once you finish your live stream, the video is then saved to your profile, your business page, or the group you posted it in. That means more people can watch it and comment on your content after the fact. Facebook encourages people to watch live streams, so they give them priority in the newsfeed. Followers of your page can also get notifications that you are going live so they can tune in and watch.
This is a completely free service! Many businesses are using Facebook Live very successfully and you could be too.
Here is why you should consider it…
Why Facebook Live?
More Engagement: Facebook live videos are recorded to have 3 times higher engagement than a pre-recorded video and 5x higher engagement than an image post.
Connect With Your Audience: People like to do business with other people, so show your audience you are a real live human through video.
Prove Your Expertise: What better way to prove you are an expert in your field than answering questions on the spot? Holding a live Q & A session on Facebook gives your audience the chance to interact with you and find answers to their questions at the same time.
Showcase Your Business: Lift the curtain on your business and let your audience in. Introduce them to your workspace, your personality and even take them to events that they couldn’t attend.
Stay In Touch: People don’t mean to forget about your business, but with the information overwhelm that is the modern digital age, it just happens. Unless you stay in front of them in a meaningful way. Hint, that means providing value. You can also let them know when you are going live by putting a post on your page, or encouraging your followers to turn on their notifications.
How To Master It
It is very easy to ‘go live’. All you need to do is to enter ‘create a post’ area, write a killer description that will encourage people to watch, and select the ‘live video’ option. Then you are all set to go!
10 Top Tips For Nailing A Live:
- Have natural light: Try filming outside or facing a window
- Use the right orientation: If you are filming on your phone, make sure your camera is turned the right way so your viewers don’t have to watch sideways!
- Practice Makes Perfect: Before you rip the bandaid off and jump onto your business page, do a few practice videos on your personal profile or in a supportive online group.
- Feel The Fear, And Do It Anyway: It can be nerve wracking to do a live video, but the benefits far outweigh the initial fear. Just remember that if you have some value to offer or something interesting to say, then that is what people will be focusing on!
- Go Steady: Keep your camera shot steady by using your desktop webcam or a tripod for your phone.
- Be Authentic: Don’t try to be perfect or what you think people want to see. Smile and be authentically you, even if you do stumble on your words or the wind whips hair in your face!
- Have A Call To Action: Give your viewers something to do after they have watched your video. Ask them to comment, download a freebie attached to your mailing list, register for an event, or even buy a low priced product.
- Add Captions: Sometimes it is not always feasible to watch a video with sound on. So, reach more people by captioning your video. You can generate captions within Facebook, or you can add your own more reliable SRT file (create it yourself, or have one created through a transcription service like Rev.com)
- Maximise The Potential: Get the most mileage out of your content by using your live video in other places – FB ads, or download it and post it on your website and within your email marketing.
- Take Insight: Once your video has been up for a few days/weeks, have a look at your insights to see how it performed. When you have a couple of videos up, you can compare them to see which performed better and improve your overall live strategy.
Facebook Lives are a key component to gaining visibility for your business and getting in front of your ideal client. If you are interested in knowing how they could fit into your marketing strategy, then get in touch with me today. Here at The Marketing Baker, I’m also learning to embrace live video, even though it is not the easiest thing to make yourself do!
I’d love to share my strategy with you!