Connect with Audiences Through Facebook Live

Oct 11, 2017 | B2B, Branding, Digital, Public Relations

Educate and engage audiences: It’s no easy feat in a noisy market, especially on social media platforms. Rather than throw your hands in the air and abandon the ever-changing landscape, there’s no better time to dig in — especially on Facebook and through Facebook Live. Pew Research Center reports 68 percent of all adults use Facebook, and 76 percent of those users check in daily.

In a world with ever-decreasing attention spans, it’s now estimated that 84 percent of Internet traffic will be video by 2018.

It’s no surprise, then, that when Facebook introduced Facebook Live in 2016, it became a popular avenue for brands and individuals alike to broadcast live video directly from their mobile devices. Facebook reports people spend more than 3X more time watching a Facebook Live video compared to other video content.

Across industries, we’ve seen success with Facebook Live for clients in education, law, health care and nonprofits.

What does that mean to you as a business owner?

It’s time to invest in your live video strategy.

Tips & tricks to prepare

If you’re working with an agency like Gavin, you’ll have two to four individuals on site with you as you’re broadcasting your Facebook Live video: A moderator for discussion, an individual behind the camera, and one or two individuals monitoring for comments or asking questions.

But even on your own, it’s best to have at least two individuals — one on camera, and one behind the scenes. Once you have your talent in place, prepare with a few tips and tricks:

  • Practice!
    It doesn’t have to be a script, but you should develop a loose outline of speaking points and the content you want to review. If it’s a live tour of a new building, what information can you share about its vision or progress? If it’s a Q&A, what topics do you want to be sure to hit for your audience?
  • Advertise your event in advance
    It can be as simple as a post to your Facebook page encouraging individuals to tune in at a specific day and time, but be sure to provide advance notice, especially if it’s a more targeted Live video like a Q&A session. If you want to dig further into pre-promotion, consider sharing information on other relevant social media pages or channels. For example, if you’re discussing breastfeeding, is there an active mommy group in your area?

On site, keep this in mind

Once you arrive at your location, your equipment might be minimal — after all, part of the benefit of broadcasting Live through Facebook is that it’s less costly, less involved and more immediate than a full-scale video production. A few key details will ensure viewers are engaged and not distracted by quality issues.

  • Proactively address sound quality
    Minimize external noise by shutting the door and silencing all cellphones and desk phones. (Or, in one specific client instance, remembering the train schedule for the tracks next to the building!) In quiet environments, your phone’s internal microphone should suffice, but an outdoor event or an environment with lots of background noise may require external equipment. Either way, stand as close as possible to your subjects.

Always, always test your audio quality before going live. A simple way to do this is to broadcast a Facebook Live video from your personal page but set the post privacy settings to “Only Me.”

  • Consider background visuals
    Are your two subjects sitting in front of a beige wall? Time to spruce it up. Take advantage of the opportunity to create a scene. For a health care provider, maybe this means broadcasting from an exam room. At the very least, signage or visuals that reflect your brand will help viewers place you quickly and easily as they open your video or scroll through their feed.
  • Hop on Wi-Fi
    If you’re out in the field, relying on your data connection might be the only option. But where you can, opt for a solid Wi-Fi connection to ensure the most stable connection for broadcasting your video Live.

Leverage content across platforms

Once you’ve completed your Live video, Facebook allows you the option to keep your video and post it to your page. This allows users who weren’t able to catch your Live video to still engage with the content after the fact. Don’t forget to adjust your description as needed to ensure it’s still relevant — for example, from “Join us LIVE now…” to “Take a look at…”

But don’t invest time into a Facebook Live video and leave it on Facebook. Consider crafting a blog post relevant to the content, sharing to additional social media platforms, or distributing through email marketing to key audience segments.

After all, content is king — but what you do with it after it’s created is just as important.

Curious about how to get started with Facebook Live? Drop us a note.