7 Ways to Broadcast Effective Facebook Live Videos

Facebook Live presents a number of benefits to brands. Some of these include the following, to mention a few:

• Boosting engagement – Facebook Live videos generate 3x more engagement on social media than typical videos.
• Expanding brand reach – A Facebook Live video is estimated to garner an average of 64 million views a day, and according to Facebook, the daily watch time for live broadcasts grew 4x in just a year.
• Amplifies brand exposure – Audiences watch Facebook Live videos 3x longer than pre-recorded videos. 

All things considered, it’s important for brands to implement a solid strategy for Facebook Live. 

Here are tips on how to broadcast effective Facebook Live videos to help you make the most of your video marketing strategy:

1. Ensure the quality of your live videos

While the content of your live videos is essential, the quality of the broadcast goes hand in hand with that too. In fact, 90% of users report that quality is the most important aspect of a Facebook Live video.

A few things to consider before going live:

• Investing in the right equipment 
  Luckily, today’s smartphones have a more-than-decent camera quality. If you have room for budget, consider also investing in a good DSLR camera for both your professional video and photo needs. At the very least, invest in a tripod and a gimbal to stabilize your shots.
• Consider the lighting 
  As much as possible, make use of natural lighting by shooting outdoors or in a well-lit room with huge windows. However, as we embrace the new normal and take most things indoors, consider investing in a good camera lighting kit or an LED ring light.
• Consider audio and acoustics 
  When shooting indoors, make sure that the room does not produce echoes. For outdoor shots, minimize background noise by using a microphone. Consider investing in a clip-on microphone or a USB mic for your smartphone to get better audio quality.
• Ensure that internet connectivity is stable 
  A stable and strong internet connection is hugely important for live broadcasts. Check your upload speed prior to broadcasting—a speed of at least 3Mbps is ideal. It’s also best to connect to Wi-Fi for live videos. If you’re shooting outdoors, consider an area with good reception or invest in a wireless repeater to boost stronger Wi-Fi signals.

2. Choose a topic that your target audience is interested in

It’s always best to offer content that you know your target audience will love. The best way to do this is by social listening—monitor brand mentions on social media and see what people comment on your posts.

You can also initiate a poll on social media and ask your audience directly what they want to see in your Facebook Live video.

Some live video content is also more popular than others. Some of these include:

• Live events
• Live interviews or ask-me-anything (AMA) sessions
• Behind the scenes content
• Training seminars
• Contests
• Product launches

3. Plan your content

As much as it’s important to be spontaneous, it’s also equally important to provide structure to your live broadcast. 

Plan your content outline beforehand to guide you. Address each point in a logical order so that your audience won’t get confused.

Set also a time limit for each outline point so that you stay within your allotted time—it’s best to keep the broadcast within a reasonable length, depending on your audience’s preferences and needs. 

There’s no hard-and-fast rule as to the ideal length for a live broadcast, but Facebook says it prioritizes longer live videos and you can even stay live for as long as 8 hours! 

However, it’s also important to set aside a few minutes for each subtopic to accommodate questions and addressing comments. More on this later.

4. Promote before going live

This is what many brands fail to do: promoting the live event. It’s important to generate interest in the topic of the live session to boost viewership. 

For example, let your audience know a week in advance about your live broadcast. At the very least, let them know what you will be talking about and the time that you will go live. Make a follow-up post a few days before the event, a day before, and even an hour prior to build up some hype.

Of course, it’s important to space out your promotional activities so as not to annoy your audience.

5. Prepare an optimized headline and description

Facebook allows you to craft a headline and description for your live video prior to broadcasting live. While you can edit this later, it’s best to prepare an optimized headline and description beforehand.

A few things to consider:

• Headline – It should succinctly describe what the topic is about. Choose a primary target keyphrase and include it in the headline. 
• Description – This is where you describe how audiences will benefit from your live session. Include a call-to-action to prompt audiences to take an action—for example, “Join us,” “Drop your questions in the comments,” etc.
• Hashtags – Boost the discoverability of your Facebook Live video by including relevant and branded hashtags. 

6. Engage and be interactive with your audience

Facebook Live videos are all about engagement! Here are a few tips to make your live video more interactive and efficient:

• Greet audiences and introduce the topic 
  At the start, be sure to have an introduction of what your topic is about and a high-level flow of the subtopics to help guide your audience.
• Address questions in the comments as they go 
  Don’t wait until the end of the broadcast to do Q&A; otherwise, it defeats the purpose of the live session. Of course, it’s also best to choose the most relevant questions and to answer the frequently asked ones instead of answering every question repeatedly.
• Provide context regularly during the broadcast – Do brief recaps from time to time to provide context to audiences who join in mid-session. Ten-minute intervals in between recaps will do.

7. Be natural and relaxed

Lastly, stay relaxed. Audiences look for authenticity in brands, and live videos give you the opportunity to show that to them. Keeping things natural (that is, ditching a formal script) and smiling often during the live session will greatly help.

Another way to foster authenticity is to leave some room for spontaneity. That is why it’s recommended to address questions and comments in real-time—doing so makes it more interactive as well!

Need help with your video and social media marketing?

Getting started with video marketing and social media can be overwhelming, especially when you’re just starting out. 

If you’re doing Facebook Live for the first time, check out Facebook’s step-by-step guide.

Ilfusion can also lend you a hand with your videography, social media, and digital marketing needs.

Just give us a call at 888-420-5115, or send us an email at [email protected].

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