Facebook is the biggest social network and you can find lots of potential customers for your business with it. Using Facebook Live events is a great way to connect with your audience.
Most businesses do not use Facebook Live because they don’t appreciate the benefits of it or they think that it is too complicated. By using the techniques in this guide you can get ahead of your competitors and use Facebook Live to your advantage.
You will learn what you need to do and what you need to avoid here so be sure to read it all and implement what you learn. We have worked hard to provide you with everything that you need to know to use the Facebook Live platform to boost your brand and drive more leads and sales.
You will learn proven techniques to get the best results with Facebook Live. Engagement with your audience is essential and this guide will show you how to achieve that. Other businesses have tried using Facebook Live and failed.
We do not want you to make the same mistakes that they did so follow the steps in this guide and you will maximize your chances of success. Facebook is the largest social media website in the world. At the time of writing, Facebook has 2.7 billion users and every month it receives around 25 billion visitors.
Most of these visitors have Facebook accounts..
The reason for sharing this with you is because a proportion of those Facebook users would be ideal customers for your business. It is easier to find potential customers on Facebook than with other platforms. You can target people by their age range, their income, their location, their gender, their interests and more. So in this guide we will show you how you can leverage the power of Facebook and in particular.
Facebook Live to promote your brand. What is Facebook Live?
In April 2016, Facebook launched its streaming video service called Facebook Live. With this service you can hold a live event with your target audience through your business page on Facebook.
Although Facebook Live has been around for over 4 years, few businesses take advantage of it to boost the awareness of their brand. There could be a number of different reasons for this but the bottom line is that they are missing out on a great opportunity.
Facebook users like live events. All Facebook Live events are recorded and after the event these become available on your Facebook page. So if any of your followers missed the live event they will be able to view the replay. When a Facebook Live event has started, notifications of the event can appear in the news feed of your followers. This can also occur once the vent has finished.
This is a really good feature as some people will forget that they intended to attend the live event. It is also helpful to those followers that were unable to attend for some reason. Facebook has made a number of changes to its algorithm to give Facebook Live events a higher priority.
So now there is an even greater chance of Facebook users seeing your live video streaming event. Is Facebook Live worth it?
Yes it certainly is! Video marketing is a lot more effective than text based content. People like to watch videos online. Only YouTube has more video views than Facebook does. Video is a great way to establish and promote your brand. But it gets even better.
Ad week have data to prove that a Facebook Live event receives three times higher engagement levels than an event video that has finished (a recording or replay). Ad week also states that the engagement levels for Facebook Live videos are five times higher than they are for an image post.
So if you are looking to give your brand a boost, get more leads for your business and make more sales then Facebook Live is a great way to do it.
If you have been reluctant to make videos before and show your face on camera then you need to get over this. With Facebook Live you can really put your brand on the map.
Facebook Live on any
It doesn’t matter if you use a desktop computer like a laptop or a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet, you can create a Facebook Live event.
There is a simple process to go through depending on what device you want to use. With a laptop or desktop computer just use your Internet browser (Chrome, Firefox, Opera etc.) and login to Facebook as you would normally.
At the top of your news feed you will see a box with “What’s on your mind” so click on this. Then choose the “Live Video” option.
There are Facebook apps available for both Android and iOS powered mobile devices. You can easily find these at the Google Play Store or the Apple Store.
Download the app on your device and install it. With an Android device you will need to tap on “What’s on your mind” and then tap on “Go Live”. With an iOS device it is slightly different.
Find “What’s on your mind” at the top of your feed and then tap the icon for video recording that will also say “Live Video”. Whatever device you use you just follow these steps now.
You will need to give your live event a name and provide a description about it (this is optional but recommended). You can also upload a video thumbnail. The next step is to choose the audience for your Facebook Live event. Click or tap on “Next” and when you are ready to go just click or tap on “Go Live”. You need to be aware that there is a 4 hour time limit for Facebook Live videos. This is more than enough time for your event.
Nobody is going to want to sit through a 4 hour Facebook Live session no matter how good it is. We will discuss this in more detail in a later chapter. In the next chapter we will discuss the benefits of using Facebook Live for your business…
Businesses all over the world are experiencing good results with video marketing. Surveys suggest that businesses that use videos to promote their brand and their products and services experience nearly 50% higher revenues than those that do not use video. One survey revealed that nearly 60% of their participants stated that video marketing provided them with the best return of all content marketing types.
In the same survey 78% of the participants said that they preferred live video as it enabled a deeper connection with their audience. Main Benefits of Facebook Live Here are the main benefits for businesses to use Facebook Live as we see it. There are others too and we will discuss the benefits in more detail:
• You can reach the largest audience in the world using a website that they use all of the time – Facebook
• Facebook Live has some excellent audience engagement features including two unique ones which are live reactions and commenting real-time
• Businesses can use Facebook Live for internal meetings or external meetings with customers etc • Video performance analytics provide excellent insight
• You can use paid Facebook ads to boost your live events to reach more potential viewers When you use Facebook Live to connect with your audience you bring a real human touch.
You are not a faceless organization where customers and potential customers do not know the people behind it. This is very important for developing trust and establishing credibility for your brand. A Facebook Live event provides a “face to face” opportunity that text posts and image posts cannot achieve
. You can have a single host or introduce other members of your business to your audience. Questions and Another benefit of holding a Facebook Live event is that you can hold a real time question and answer session. This will boost your engagement and it is a good idea to let people know that there will be a Q & A session prior to the event going live. People like to ask questions.
It is likely that a lot of the people attending will have their questions answered by other attendees asking the questions. This is fine as not everyone feels comfortable about asking questions on a live video stream. You can either take questions as they come up or request that people wait until the end of the event and you will answer all questions then.
By waiting until the end, you will increase the chances of your followers watching the entire event. Some businesses set up recurring Facebook Live events where they take questions as they arise. Recurring events are good if you have a lot of content to share with your audience. It is best of the content is different each time and not a repeat of what you have presented already. Great during a
Pandemic At the time of writing this guide, the world is in the grip of the Covid-19 pandemic. Some countries and states are in total lockdown so they cannot attend physical events. So the interest in your Facebook Live event is likely to be higher in this scenario.
Applications like Zoom have seen a significant increase in users over the past few months. So attending a live event on Facebook will not be a problem for most people. After the pandemic we estimate that the demand for online events will remain strong so the time to get started is right now.
Share Product or Service updates A Facebook
Live event is a great way for you to share the latest information about your products and services. Do you have a new product or service? Have you made enhancements to existing products or services? Are there any special discounts that you are offering right now? In some industries things change rapidly. If this applies to your business then you can let your followers know about the changes with a Facebook Live event. Your audience will appreciate you keeping them informed and will spread the word for you.
Behind the Scenes People
want to know who is behind your business. They want to see faces and know the names of your team. If it is possible (pandemic permitting) you can shoot a live event during your opening hours and give your followers a tour of your business. Interviews with other employees are a good tactic as well. Your audience can see that your team is totally committed to providing them with the highest quality of service. All of this will help to establish you as a brand that truly cares about its customers.
Facebook Live is well
These days a lot of social platforms offer live event streaming. The good thing about Facebook Live is that it has been around for a few years now and has undergone a number of enhancements to make it better and fix any issues.
Facebook Live has some great features that other live platforms do not have such as their advanced notification system which will let your audience know when an event is going live.
You also have the capability to promote your Facebook Live event in advance now. At the end of the day, people like Facebook and trust it. The numbers do not lie here – no other social media network comes close to user numbers and traffic So holding your live event on Facebook is the smart thing to do.
Your Event Saved Facebook
will record your live event and turn it into a normal video post on your Facebook page. This means that you can continue to use it for promotion after your event is over.
There are always going to be some people that cannot attend a live event so you can offer the replay to them so that they don’t miss out. If you are running a series of live events on Facebook then anyone that was not in from the start can go through the recordings on your Facebook page to catch up.
You can also boost your recorded video posts to gain more followers and potential viewers of your next live event.
Top Notch Analytics
For any online marketing that you do it is essential that you have the analytics available to see how well things went. When you use Facebook Live for your events you will have access to very well developed analytics.
Not only will you be able to see the comprehensive video analytics that Facebook provides but also there are live analytics that you can access.
The information that you can expect to see with live analytics includes: • Number of live viewers (peak) • Reactions to your event • Shares of your event • Comments • Your total reach You need to know which content works best for your business and the analytics in Facebook will help you to discover this.
When you have a few Facebook Live events under your belt you will be able to see which events your audience responded the best to and make more of these type of presentations.
You get Eight Hours
Other social platforms offer live event streaming such as Twitter, Instagram and Periscope. These are fine if you want to provide short live videos. With Facebook Live you have a limit of eight hours which is more than enough time for a business to get its message across to followers.
The other thing to bear in mind here is that Facebook users are used to spending quite a bit of time on the platform. So they are more likely to hang around for a live event than they could be with other platforms
. The interface with Facebook is also ideally designed for a live event. Interaction With a Facebook Live event there is a lot of opportunity for interaction. Unlike other social platforms that offer live events, you can write a caption for your live video as a way to attract more viewers to it. When you host a Facebook Live event the interface will display real time comments.
You can react to these comments as they arrive. Conversing in the moment like this will drive engagement levels higher and help you to build a solid relationship with your audience. In the next chapter we will discuss how to get started with Facebook Live…
Some people are apprehensive about hosting a Facebook Live event and there is no need for this. It is really simple to get started if you follow the advice in this chapter.
We will explain exactly what you need to do. You must have a Facebook page already set up for your business.
Trying to run an effective Facebook Live event with a personal Facebook account is not recommended. There are several advantages to having a free Facebook page so if you don’t have one yet then create this first
You need the right Equipment
While it is certainly possible to use your smartphone or tablet to host your Facebook Live event there are better ways to do it. Modern mobile devices do have high quality video recorders but the microphones often leave a lot to be desired. Also holding a mobile device in your hand when you are recording is undesirable as you are going to produce a shaky video. You are running a business and want to enhance your brand, generate leads and sales. So wouldn’t you want to create the highest quality Facebook Live videos that you can? Nobody will expect you to create a Hollywood style event but they will appreciate high quality video (with no shaking) and audio. If your video is poor quality then people will leave the event quickly. The same goes for poor quality audio. Some guides suggest that you can use the built in web cam and microphone in your laptop but these tend to be of inferior quality. Be prepared to invest a little in good recording equipment.
You can get an HD quality web cam for around $50 these days and a good quality USB microphone for around $100. Then there is the lighting in your home or business premises. Poor lighting will diminish the quality of your Facebook Live event so invest in good lighting for less than $100. Test your
Internet Connection
You want the best Internet connection possible for a Facebook Live event. If you use WiFi to connect to the Internet as many businesses do then test your connection prior to commencing with your live event. If other people share your Internet connection then it is a good idea to ask them to refrain from downloads or any other bandwidth intense activities while you are using Facebook Live. You can use a booster for your WiFi network to boost the signal to where you are located if this is necessary. The last thing that you want to happen during your event is to lose your Internet connection. If your WiFi signal is weak then this can cause your video to cut in or out so make sure that you have the strongest possible signal. It may be worth your while to use a direct cable connection to your router to eliminate the use of WiFi.
Consider Third Party Tools
Although you can create your Facebook Live events without the need for any other tools, a lot of businesses are finding that some third party services help them to create a better live event. They can provide additional features such as: • More than one presenter • Sharing of your screen • Adding custom graphics and titles For example, you can use Zoom to stream your presentation to Facebook which is good because Zoom offers better administrative tools for inviting people to join the event. Your event still happens under Facebook Live. It also has some good features that are not available with native Facebook Live streams. Create a
Plan for your Event
We do not recommend that you wing it with Facebook Live. This is OK if you want to entertain your friends and family on your personal Facebook account but it is far from ideal for a business presentation. You need to think about what you want to achieve with your live event. Will it be a one-off event or will you create a series of events? Remember that you do not have to go live straight away with your event. You can use the scheduling feature to set up your Facebook Live event up to 7 days in advance. By scheduling your event for later you will have the time to create a test event using the Facebook Live Producer feature. If you have never hosted a live event online before then we strongly recommend that you take advantage of this feature. Give thought to the flow of your event presentation. Plan what you are going to say and do throughout the event. If you plan to invite guests to your event then write an introduction script for this.
You don’t need to create a full script for your event if you don’t want to. What we do recommend is that you create a list of things that you want to discuss available. Reading from a script can look and sound unnatural so just be guided by your discussion points list if you can. Another important decision is whether you will answer questions as they come up or you tell your audience that you will answer them at the end of the main event. Question and answer sessions are usually very popular so having a session at the end should increase your chances of people staying for the main event. Get Ready for your Live Event Make sure that you are prepared for your live event. There are a number of things that you can prepare for depending on the nature of your event. Lighting and background noise are always an important factor. If you are hosting the event in your home or office then you will have control over your environment and you can ensure good lighting and minimal background noise. With an event outdoors this is not so easy of course. Natural light is normally sufficient for a good stream but it can be difficult to eliminate background noise. Choose your location carefully. Use a device like a tripod to hold your camera or mobile device steady when you are recording. Shaky video is not something that your followers want to see. Holding a microphone is OK if you are outdoors. For indoor shoots use a microphone stand. You want to keep distractions down to a minimum when you are recording your Facebook Live events. Let others know that they should not disturb you unless there is an emergency. Put your phone on silent as continuous notification sounds can annoy viewers.
There is nothing wrong with recording your Facebook Live event at home but you need to be aware that distractions are more likely there if you have children and pets for example. Although it can be amusing for kids or animals to show up unexpectedly in your live sessions it is not the professional image that you want for your business. Time for your Broadcast At this point you are ready for your live event. If you are using a third party service such as Zoom you will need to follow the specific instructions from them to start your live event. For native Facebook Live events follow these steps: If you are using a desktop or laptop computer then login to your Facebook account and navigate to the Facebook page you have set up for your business. Scroll down until the “Create Post” box and directly underneath this there is another box with the first icon on the left called “Live”. Click on this and then decide if you are going to record now or schedule. You will then need to “Share to a Page You Manage” from the dropdown menu. Use the second dropdown menu to choose your Facebook page. Now you can add a title for your live event and a description. This is very important so use attractive copy here. After this you an tag people, add a feeling, add a donation button and check in to a location. If you want to make a test broadcast (always a good idea) then you will see an option for this at the bottom. By using this feature you can test your presentation and interactive elements before you go live. With a mobile device the steps are very similar. In the composer page, just tap on “Live” to start the process. You can then add your title and description and do things like tag friends, add donation buttons and add a feeling. When you go live When you first start your Facebook Live event you need to give your audience a small amount of time to join the event before you begin. Don’t make this too long or those that have already joined will become agitated. As people join your event, be sure to welcome them and say “hello”. Start the interaction here by asking people for their locations. You can also ask them what they want to achieve by attending your event. Look for the best comments from those that have joined your event and pin them so that they appear at the top of the comments box.
Tell your audience that you will either take and answer questions as you go along or have a specific Q & A session at the end of the main presentation. When it is time for you to end your event be sure to thank people for attending and tell them that the event is ending. At the appropriate time, hit the “Finish” button and your event will end.
Scheduling a Facebook
Live event You can always schedule your Facebook Live event for up to 7 days in advance. Navigate to “Publishing Tools” and then select “Video Library” and after this hit “Live”.
This will bring up a screen that contains your broadcasting credentials. If you are using a third party service such as Zoom then you will need to use the information on this page so that you establish a proper connection.
You can write a persuasive title and description to entice people to attend your event now. Now go to the Facebook Live “Scheduling Tool” and hit “Schedule” which should be at the bottomright.
You will see a preview of your event here and you can add an image (this is a good idea) as well as configure the date and time of your event. Apart from giving you more time to promote your Facebook Live event, scheduling will create a “lobby” where people that join your event 3 minutes before it starts can interact with each other.
You can grab a link to your Facebook Live event and use this to publish details about it on your website or blog. If you have an email list then you can send out emails with the link included to drive more viewers.
People can ask for a reminder and then receive a notification a few minutes before your event is scheduled to go live. In the next chapter we will discuss some great tips to help you to create a great Facebook Live event…
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