So many retailers FEAR going live. They are nervous to be on the spot, nervous to be on camera and nervous that no one will tune in. But here is the truth: If you broadcast it, they will come. So if you’re ready to overcome your fears and reach out to your customers through this hot new media, here’s what you need to do first:
1 – Have a Plan
A live Facebook video is not something to do on a whim; it should be carefully planned and marketed. Make sure to give people advanced notice of your video by posting the date and time on your social media platforms and through email blasts. You many even consider doing a boosted Facebook post to make sure that the right people are receiving your message. You can choose specific people to target your ad to, such as people in a specific geographical area or members of a particular group. Just remember, you’ll get the most engagement and best results if you target an audience who will be genuinely interested in your video—don’t feel like you need to invite everyone just to get people to tune in.
2 – Test Your Studio
Like any live performance, it’s a good idea to rehearse and do a practice run first. This will give you a chance to see how long your video will be (10 minutes is a good target time, but you can go up to 90 minutes) and allow you to work out the kinks. By doing a live video and changing the settings on Facebook so that only you can view it, you can give yourself a chance to watch yourself in action and make sure that there isn’t too much ambient noise or any other distractions.
3 – Be Yourself
Remember, you are doing a live Facebook video instead of a pre-recorded studio production so that you can show off the personal side of your business. People will want to see an authentic video of you being yourself. Once the video begins, your audience will have a chance to comment during your broadcast to make observations and ask questions. Embrace this opportunity to give live call-outs to a few of the commenters and answer their questions and thank them for their participation. If you are getting a lot of feedback, save the questions for a couple designated times during the video, such as the middle and the end. Remember to stay polite and courteous throughout this process, knowing that you can simply block offensive or disruptive users by clicking on the profile picture next to their comment and selecting “block.”
4 – Rock That Description
When it’s time to do the live video, simply log into your business’s Facebook account and click “post.” Then you can click the “Live” icon on the far right and add a short description of the video. Make sure to use relevant keywords so that the video can then be catalogued and shared appropriately for good SEO. Once the live video is over, you can go in to edit the video to give it the best thumbnail and description. Click on the date stamp for the video, then options, then Edit this Video. Creating a detailed, SEO friendly description will help your video get discovered after-the-fact. Don’t be surprised if your live video actually receives more viewers once it’s completed. This helps you build an even bigger audience for the next one!
5 – Learn for Next Time
Your live video probably won’t be perfect, but that’s ok! Your audience knows that this is a live performance and that any multitude of things can go wrong! So be patient with yourself and know that each time you do a live video you will be more prepared for the next one. A good way to measure your success is to look at the video metrics provided by Facebook. You can view the metrics through your Page Insights or Video Library, and you’ll find several different numbers. These will help you know how many total people watched your video as well as when the most viewers tuned in and how long they watched. This will help you determine which parts of the video were most well-received by your audience. You can also experiment with different days and times to see what works best and possibly expand your audience to people who weren’t able to watch last time.
Live Facebook Videos are a great way to reach out to your audience and enjoy FREE publicity. However, like any other marketing effort, it does require some planning and foresight. If you’re planning a new Live Video, make sure to reach out to R&A Marketing on Facebook so we can tune in! We love to see how small businesses are using new digital medias to connect with their audience!
