Have you tried Facebook Live?

If yes – good for you!

You went Live, chatted with your audience, and it was fun. But you didn’t see a huge benefit to your business.

Facebook Live has been around for a while, but most marketers still aren’t using it successfully.

For success, you need more than just showing up. You need a strategy.

No worries! Here are the key Facebook Live tips to help you succeed with Live content.

How to go Live on Facebook

Let’s start with the basics – how to go Live on Facebook.

The simplest way is to click on the status update on your News Feed and click the three dots.

Click Live Video and write something about it, then live ‘go live’ at the bottom.

The process is the same to go Live in a Facebook group.

Going Live from a Page

Going Live from your Facebook Page is a little different.

Here, click the ‘Live’ option next to ‘Create’. Then use ‘use stream keys’ below ‘get started’ and select ‘camera’ to choose your web camera.

In the left menu you can decide if to go live now or schedule a Live for a later time.

Then add the title and description. There are options for a location or even a feeling or activity. You can also decide whether to cross post to other Pages you own.

Hit the ‘go live’ button and you are on!

How long can a Facebook Live video be?

Technically, you can go live for 8 hours – but there aren’t many people that use that feature!

Ideally, a Live should be at least 10 minutes long. The longer a Live is, the more the algorithm seems to like it. More people see it as a replay, too.

The minimum recommended Live is 3 minutes. So if you have a quick update and just want to get something out there, aim to make it at least 3 minutes. – or it may not be picked up by the algorithm.

Facebook Live: horizontal or vertical?

Another big question is whether a Live should be horizontal or vertical.

The reality is that no matter what you choose, the result will end up being boxed and square.

But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take a moment to think about it. If you are in horizontal mode, it’s easier for people to read comments.

Sometimes you might not even be in the Live yourself if you are using the rear-facing camera to show something.

How to pin a comment on Facebook Live

One of the newer features with Facebook Live is the ability to pin a comment.

This means once you have finished the broadcast, if you want to promote something or mention a link you talked about, you can create the comment.

Then simply select the option to pin it in the Live and it will stay there. It will be the first thing people see when they view the Live.

What equipment can make your Live better?

One of the great things about a Live is that it doesn’t need to be TV-quality. People expect it to be a little off-the-cuff rather than ‘produced’ and smooth.

But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take it seriously. In addition to planning what the Live is about, having the right equipment plays a big part.

Tripod

Whether you’re using a camera or a smartphone, a tripod is a key part of your set up.

Tripods let you lower and raise the camera to get a comfortable (and flattering!) angle for the shot. You can also move it if you want to show something in your surroundings.

A tripod can easily work as a selfie stick too. With a rotating head, if you need to switch to a different position or location, this is easy to do.

If you are using a smartphone to broadcast, you will also want a mount. This is a c-shaped bracket that attaches to the tripod and clamps around your smartphone.

Portable lighting

If the lighting in your office or room isn’t great, then portable lighting is important.

You want people to be able to see you clearly as this is what makes that personal connection.

There are loads of different portable lights. Some are desktop stands, some can just rest on whatever is around. Some can even clip to a monitor.

You can even get ring lights that attach to your phone to boost the light levels.

External microphone

As well as seeing you, your audience needs to hear you – and some devices don’t have the best microphone.

That’s where an external microphone can come in. Styles such as shotgun microphones can be ideal, capturing the sound in front of them. Desktop style microphones also work well, while some have clip-on styles that attach to your computer.

Can software help with Lives?

Facebook Live is a ready-to-go software option within the app, but it doesn’t do everything you might need. That’s when third party software might be worth considering.

For example, if you want to switch from talking to sharing your screen, Facebook doesn’t handle this. You can only choose one or the other.

Here’s another issue. You can bring someone else into the Live to do a joint Live, but it can be tricky. They need to be on a smartphone for starters.

That’s where third party options can come in. Some are free, some paid, and most have a mixture. A few examples include:

• Streamyard – free and from $25 a month
  • works on both Mac and PC as well as other social media platforms
  • lets you switch from screen sharing to person
  • up to 5 guests on the free plan
• Ecamm Live – $15 a month
  • multiple platforms
  • high quality recording
  • integrates with Skype to bring guests
• Live – free for 3 shows a month, $24.99 a month upwards for more
  • screen and photo sharing
  • split screen
  • multiple platforms
  • 1 guest on the free platform
• Zoom – free and upgraded options
  • share screen
  • record the broadcast to use elsewhere
  • chat features
  • multiple platforms

11 Facebook Live tips

So you have your idea, the right equipment, and any software you need. You are ready to go Live!

But before you do, check out these tips to help you make the most of the whole process.

1.     Practice privately before you go Live

Going Live might be a natural thing for you, or it might be a source of terror.

Whatever the case, it never hurts to have a dry run and practice first. Set up a Live as above, but when you reach the settings, select ‘more’.

This opens up more options including an ‘only me’ setting. This is perfect for testing your Live without anyone else seeing it.

2.     Promote before and after

While people will get a notification when you go Live, it’s good practice to let them know what you have planned beforehand.

Add a couple of status updates, ask a question, or offer a teaser about what’s coming. Tell them when and where.

Then after the broadcast, pick out a few highlights to post about and link back to the Live. It’s an asset that you can use it in lots of ways.

To create a clip of a previously live video:

• Go to Creator Studio and navigate to the ‘Posts’ tab under the ‘Content Library’ section.
• Check the box next to the previously live video you want to clip and select the ‘Edit Post’ button.
• Select ‘Video Clipping’ under ‘Subtitles & Captions’ on the right side of the pop-up screen.
• Set your clip start and end points.
• Select ‘+ Add Clip.’
• Add a title to the clip.
• Select ‘Save.’
• After you create your clip, you can find it in the Clips tab within the Content Library section of Creator Studio. From here, you can publish the clip to your Page and add it to any relevant playlists. source

3.     Be clever with when you go Live

Choosing when to go Live is about when you are available. But it should also be about when your audience is around.

Insights are your friend here, telling you about your audience and when they are most active on your Page. This is a good time to go Live.

Also watch out for bigger events that could steal your audience. Sports events, popular TV shows, anything like that can cause your numbers to drop, so avoid those times.

4.     Prepare what you’re going to say

People love Lives because they aren’t too scripted and formal. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t prepare.

A note of your main talking points that are easy to spot when you are Live will help avoid those blank moments.

Plus you can prepare any stats, images, or even slides to share to go with what you’re saying. A Live doesn’t just have to be you talking to the camera!

5.     But don’t be afraid to add spontaneous elements

While a good plan is crucial, don’t be afraid to be spontaneous.

If someone asks a great question, stop your plan, and go with answering it. Have a quick chat with a repeat viewer to help build rapport.

6.     Have a tab ready to grab links you mention

If you plan to refer to blog posts, articles, websites, or anything else, have a tab open with the links.

Then as you talk about each one, you can grab the link and drop it into the comments. People can instantly click there while still having you Live on their existing tab. Or they can check it out later.

That element of the unexpected is what makes live content so popular, so embrace it.

7.     Ask viewers to share with their friends

During the Live, prompt people to share it with their friends or simply to react to it.

Tell them who to share it with – their friend who also has a business, their own audience who can use the content. Try to be a little specific to get suitable viewers.

Also call out for them to like or react to the content as you go. This helps boost its overall engagement. It also lets you know that people are involved with the content.

8.     Answer questions as they come in (and use people’s names)

It can be weird, getting comments with questions without being able to see them. But it is a key part of a Live.

So when those questions come in, answer them as best you can. Use the person’s name when you do as this makes it feel more like a two-way conversation.

And remember to pause for a second for people to type a reply. Not everyone is a speed typist!

9.     Do a quick re-introduction during the course of the Live for newcomers

Keep doing a quick re-introduction as you go through the broadcast for newcomers.

One example is to introduce yourself at the start. Then do a quick re-intro at one minute in. A few minutes later, give another quick recap. Then again around the 15-minute mark, just say a quick hi and remind them what you are talking about.

They don’t all need to be the same, but you want to say who you are and what you are talking about.

10.  Have a call to action as your sign off

Every Live needs a call to action, and this is best done as your sign off.

It might be to check a new blog post, sign up for an email freebie, or watch something on a YouTube channel.

Whatever it is, thank everyone for watching as a natural send off. Then add your call to action so they know what to do next.

11.  Do some post-Live tidying up

While a little stutter or pause during a Live is just fine, you can also tidy this up afterwards.

Once the video is complete, click on the date stamp to access the URL for the video. Then click on options and select ‘edit this video’.

You can do a little tidying up, including:

• Write a longer description.
• Change the thumbnail.
• Make minor edits.

To trim the beginning or end of your previously live video:

• Go to Creator Studio and navigate to the ‘Posts’ tab under the ‘Content Library’ section.
• Check the box next to the previously live video you want to clip and select the ‘Edit Post’ button.
• Select ‘Trimming’ on the right side of the pop-up screen.
• Select your start and end points, and press ‘Save.’ source

Don’t forget to check analytics afterwards

As with everything in marketing, checking analytics to see what worked is always important.

In Insights on your Facebook Page, there’s a section for video to see how many minutes viewed. You can also see how many quick 3 second views you have had.

Also, in the video itself, you can see a range of metrics including people reached, video views and reactions, comments, and shares.

Use this to make informed decisions going forward about timing, length, and content.

Use these Facebook Live tips for success!

Once you start to use these Facebook Live tips, you will get a system in place to create top quality, useful Live content. Your audience will love it!

Have you ever tried going Live? Tell us about your experiences!