If you’re looking for a fast way to gain more engagement on social media, live videos definitely fall into the win-win category.
First, they let your audience connect with you in a way that can be even more powerful and engaging than regular written posts and images.
One study showed that people remember 95% of a message when they watch a video about it … and only 10% when they read about the same topic!
Plus, it gives people a chance to connect with YOU – the person in the video! – and that helps build the know/love/trust factor that’s so important.
Second, Facebook is far more likely to share your videos than image/text posts. Its (in)famous algorithm is designed to promote anything that encourages engagement, and video takes top billing on that!
The idea of creating videos can be intimidating if you’re not used to it … especially LIVE videos, when you can feel even more nervous and out of your element.
I’ve got 12 tips (plus a bonus!) to help put you at ease and turn you into a master, so you can boost your engagement, your followers, and your business’s reach!
The most important thing you can do is be patient and practice, practice, practice – the more you go live, the easier it will become, and the better you’ll get at it!
12 Tips for Becoming a Facebook Live Pro
1. Choose the right time. If you want people to tune in life, make sure it’s at a time your audience is online and not busy with work, family obligations, etc.
For example, 8 a.m. probably isn’t a great time since that’s when most people are in the middle of their morning rush … but lunchtime might be perfect! Another time is after dinner, when people are winding down for the night.
You might have to try a few different times/days to find out exactly what works best for your audience.
Pro Tip: Consider setting up a regular video schedule, so people know to look for your videos at a specific time/day.
2. Let people know! Announce your live video ahead of time … you can send out a quick email blast and post about it in your Facebook group(s), on your personal page, business page, etc.
Pro Tip 1: Be sure to add a fun graphic to your post to grab more eyes.
Pro Tip 2: Once you’ve set a regular video schedule, create a graphic/logo on Canva to brand your videos, and use it in your announcement.
3. Slow down. When you’re nervous, it’s natural to talk quickly, but do your best to slow down and breathe! This will let your words and your message sink in with your viewers.
Slow down your speech cadence, take breaths, and use natural pauses to give your content a chance to land. This takes practice but it definitely pays off!
Pro Tip: Rewatch a few of your favorite TED talks and you’ll see exactly what I mean.
4. Make eye contact. This one is important and can feel uncomfortable at first … but it’s SO IMPORTANT! Look into your camera lens, not at the image of yourself on your phone screen.
If you don’t connect with people by making eye contact, they will not connect with YOU!
It’s OK if you look away occasionally – that’s normal during human conversation – but try to keep regular eye contact with the lens.
Major Insider Pro Tip: A friend of mine works in TV and she gave me an AMAZING suggestion – instead of just looking AT your camera lens, look about 1-2 inches BEYOND it as if you were looking at a close friend. It makes such a huge difference in your viewer’s ability to connect with you!
5. Bring the energy! Most of us have to amp up our facial expressions and arm gestures when we’re on video vs. during daily life. Otherwise, it can be challenging to keep viewers’ attention.
Experiment with this – practice by videoing yourself to see if you need to ramp up your facial expressions and arm gestures to be more energized and engaging.
This doesn’t mean you have to go crazy like an infomercial host on TV. Be authentic … but just turn it up a little.
6. Know what you’re going to talk about – and make sure it has value. It can be super helpful to write a script ahead of time to flesh out what you’re going to say … but don’t force yourself to stick 100% with the script.
Unless you’re a seasoned actor/actress used to memorizing lines and repeating them naturally, you can come off sounding dry or canned.
Instead, use the script to help guide you through your video and stay on-point, but speak spontaneously, using your own natural language.
7. Check your background and lighting ahead of time. Before you go live, double-check how bright or dark your video appears. The absolute best for video is filtered natural light (like through a window, or when you’re standing in the shade).
Lighting for videos can be a little different than taking photos, so make sure your phone is in video mode when you test it.
Also do a scan of everything that’s in the background of your frame. Make sure it’s clean, neat, presentable, and professional! (no open closet doors!)
Pro Tip: Avoid the dreaded blank white wall syndrome … as well as having any unintentional conversation pieces lying around behind you!
8. Say no to music. This one is a must!
Make sure you have absolutely NO MUSIC playing in the background, even from speakers in another room (this is big if you’re making the video in a studio/gym setting).
There’s a good chance Facebook will recognize the music as copyrighted material and flag your video. It’s not worth the risk.
9. Respond to your viewers and call them out by name. Don’t be surprised if you don’t have many viewers when you first start your video, and then suddenly the viewership increases. It takes a while for Facebook to send out the alert that you’re live.
As the viewers trickle in, say hello and welcome them … and be sure to keep an eye out for any questions they ask. Juggling between talking and reading questions can be confusing at first, so just relax and be yourself. People will understand!
10. Add a “Call-to-Action” to your video. Wrap up your video by asking your viewers to DO something … download your latest opt-in, check out a helpful blog post, etc.
11. Post your video when you’re done. When you finish your live video, make sure you publish it to your Facebook page or in your group.
12. When you’re finished, jazz it up! Once your video is published, you can set a custom thumbnail for your video, add keywords to make it easier to find in search, and spruce up your title and post contents.
This is also the time to add links you want to share (like the Call-to-Action you mentioned when you wrapped up your video).
BONUS TIP #13. Share your video! Grab the link of your published live video and share it all around: in your Facebook group(s) and via email to your audience.
Not everyone will be able to tune in to your live video, so it’s up to you to share it with them afterwards as a reminder. This will help expand your reach.
Woah! That’s a lot, right?
And only one of those tips had to do with your actual content, which should obviously be as valuable, shareable, and actionable as possible!
The best marketing plans have many moving parts: engaging social media posts, live videos, email newsletters, value-packed ebooks/checklists to help build your email list and followers, client recognition templates, and more.
It can seem like a LOT to stay on top of…
but now you have great options to help keep it streamlined. For instance, using a social media scheduler like Hootsuite is a perfect way to “batch” all your scheduling work.
My Content & Social Media Club is also a great go-to resource for fitness and wellness pros.
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Make it an amazing day!
Alicia
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