Broadcast Live on Facebook: Quick Cheat Sheet

Nearly 2 billion people have tuned into Facebook Live broadcasts. For businesses, this means there’s a huge audience out there that’s willing to engage with you over real time video. Whether you’re looking to answer questions, show off some behind the scenes shots from your office or showcase a live event, Facebook Live can be a useful platform. That’s why we compiled these Facebook Live tips for small businesses.

Facebook Live Tips

Make the most of your next broadcast with these Facebook Live tips.

Outline a Specific Purpose

When embarking on a Facebook Live session, don’t do it impulsively or without a clear vision in mind. A successful broadcast requires thought and preparation. Don’t merely go live for the novelty of it; your content needs to resonate with your target demographic.

Every session should focus on a specific topic, ensuring that your audience has clarity on what they can expect.

Draft a clear outline comprising of helpful tips or insightful information that you’ll share. This not only establishes trust with your viewers but also positions you as a subject matter expert.

Highlight Tips Before You Broadcast

Generating interest prior to your live broadcast is crucial for ensuring a robust viewer turnout. Instead of merely publicizing the basic event details, such as its time and title, intrigue your followers by providing a sneak peek into the content.

Offer tidbits of the insights you plan to unveil, striking a balance to pique their curiosity without revealing too much. A teaser can create anticipation and ensure that more of your audience tunes in with eagerness to learn more.

Start with a Private Broadcast

The unpredictable nature of live broadcasts means that sometimes, technical glitches can occur. From unflattering lighting and shaky sound quality to unexpected disturbances in your environment, many aspects could go awry.

Fortunately, Facebook provides an invaluable feature: the private broadcast. This allows you to simulate a live scenario, helping you iron out any potential hitches.

Utilize this feature to refine all aspects of your presentation, ensuring you present the best version of your content when it truly counts.

Prepare for a Lengthy Introduction

Timing is everything, especially when you begin your broadcast. While Facebook does notify your followers once you’re live, not everyone will jump in immediately.

Many might be preoccupied, while others may take their time. Consequently, it’s advisable to avoid diving into the core content right off the bat. Extend your introduction, warmly greeting early joiners by name and setting a pleasant tone for the session.

Engage them with light-hearted humor, anecdotes, or even some impromptu fun, like dancing. This ensures that by the time you venture into the main topic, a substantial portion of your audience is already tuned in and ready to engage

Re-Introduce Throughout the Broadcast

Given the dynamic nature of Facebook Live, where viewers can drop in at any given point during your session, periodic reintroductions can be beneficial. Every so often, remind them of the topic at hand and give a brief summary of what you’ve discussed so far.

It’s not about being redundant, but rather about ensuring inclusivity. A quick recap ensures no viewer feels lost, regardless of when they join. Think of it as a courteous checkpoint to keep everyone aligned with the conversation.

Respond to Questions from Viewers

According to business coach Mark Harbert, Facebook Live videos receive ten times the amount of comments as recorded videos. Since those comments are coming in at real time, you need to also respond in real time.

Have your own talking points prepared, but don’t just bury your head in a script. Remain flexible and pay attention to what people are saying so that you can provide answers or appropriately respond throughout.

End with a Call to Action

While captivating content and a large viewership are significant achievements, they are means to an end. Each broadcast should drive a specific objective. As you conclude, clearly articulate what you’d like viewers to do next.

If the session was about showcasing your expertise in a field, guide them on consultation options. If you were unveiling a new product, provide them with purchasing details. Your call to action should be clear, concise, and compelling, converting viewers into potential customers.

Promote on Other Social Channels

Relying solely on Facebook for viewership can limit your potential reach. Maximize your broadcast’s exposure by integrating it across various platforms.

Consider embedding the video on your official website, uploading it to YouTube, or sharing snippets on platforms like Instagram or Twitter.

This cross-promotion not only enhances visibility but also reinforces your brand’s commitment to engaging content, reminding your audience of your regular Facebook Live sessions.

Keep an Eye on Analytics

Crafting a successful Facebook Live strategy is a blend of creativity and analytical insight. While it’s essential to experiment with content types, broadcasting times, and promotional tactics, it’s equally critical to monitor their effectiveness.

Facebook’s in-built analytics can provide a wealth of data, from viewer demographics to engagement rates.

Regularly reviewing this data will offer actionable insights, helping refine your approach. And remember, while consistency in posting is good, always prioritize quality and engagement.

Let the analytics guide your content frequency, ensuring you maintain a balance that resonates with your audience.

While the article provides detailed insights on how to make the most of Facebook Live, understanding the core aspects at a glance can be immensely helpful. The table below highlights key facets of a successful Facebook Live broadcast, their purpose, and quick tips for optimizing each.

Key Aspect	Purpose	Tips
Time to Broadcast	Maximize real-time viewers.	Analyze audience activity.
Clear Purpose	Offer clear value to viewers.	Decide on a specific topic.
Tease Before Broadcast	Attract viewers to the broadcast.	Share a brief preview.
Private Testing	Ensure broadcast quality.	Check lighting and sound privately.
Long Introduction	Engage viewers as they join.	Welcome and entertain briefly.
Re-introductions	Keep viewers informed throughout.	Recap main points occasionally.
Engage with Viewers	Foster interaction during the broadcast.	Respond to questions promptly.
End with an Action	Guide viewers on next steps after broadcast.	Highlight next steps or offers.
Promote Elsewhere	Expand your broadcast’s reach.	Share on other platforms.
Check Analytics	Improve future broadcasts.	Adjust based on feedback and performance.

Mark Robinson of ReelSEO and Tubular Insights said in an interview, “Many popular publishers like BuzzFeed are publishing videos at a rate of 5 or more videos per day, per page. If you are concerned that this could cause post fatigue, or over-saturate your audience, pay close attention to the “negative feedback” analytics available within Facebook. If your audience is constantly hiding your video posts, or unfollowing your page, you can reduce the frequency with which you are uploading to test if that may be a cause.”

Facebook Live Tips: Key Takeaways:

• Effective Time to Broadcast: Choose when your audience is most active.
• Specific Purpose: Have a clear message and topic.
• Pre-Broadcast Highlights: Tease your audience about the upcoming content.
• Private Broadcast Testing: Ensure technical quality before going public.
• Lengthy Introduction: Engage early viewers and wait for others.
• Periodic Re-introductions: Recap essential points for new joiners.
• Respond to Viewer Questions: Foster real-time interaction.
• Concluding Call to Action: Direct viewers to the next steps.
• Promotion Across Platforms: Broaden your video’s reach.
• Monitoring Analytics: Refine future broadcasts based on data.

Image: Depositphotos.com

This article, “Broadcast Live on Facebook: Quick Cheat Sheet” was first published on Small Business Trends