We’ve all seen them, and a few of them have left us scratching our heads. Selfie mode, graphics reversed, bad lighting, sound issues – the list goes on and on. As businesses adapt and change to our new “normal”, Facebook Live videos continue to be vitally important for online engagement. At BMF, we encourage you to use and create them for added visibility of your business.
Facebook Live videos get three times the engagement of regular videos. Live streaming is one way businesses are getting their names and products out in front of consumers while they are staying at home. Live video receives priority in the newsfeed and as businesses we know that being visible in the consumer’s feed is where you want to be.
Large companies have multiple resources and personnel available to create incredible videos, but what about those of us with a small business and smaller budget? Creating Facebook Live videos is fun, easy, and a fantastic way for you to build followers and connect with your audience. But how can you make it stand out from the others?
Facebook Live – Tips and Tricks
Choose your device:
- An iPad or desktop computer allows you to see questions and comments in real time and is good for a seated conversation or presentation.
- A smartphone is effective if you need to move around the space, show products, or engage with your audience in different ways.
- Consider mounting your camera on a tripod stick or pole to keep the camera from shaking when moving around.
Camera orientation and background:
- This is one of the most important aspects of a video. If you are going to show graphics, the logo on your shirt or office wall, or anything else that is written, be sure your camera is facing the correct direction (i.e., In this case do not use selfie mode.)
- Which camera lens do you need – the one on the front or the one on the back? Looking at the background of the screen before you go live will show you what the camera sees.
- Orient the camera to portrait or landscape before you start the video. You can’t switch orientation during the video. Choose landscape for the widest view.
- Frame the view the way you want it to be seen. Do you want some background or just a closer view of the presenter? The camera height should be at your eye level or just above you.
- Center yourself on the screen and pay attention to what is behind you – it should have intention and be there for a reason. No one wants to be looking into a closet, a blank wall, or a messy desk.
Lighting:
- Face a window to create the best natural light. Do not have a window behind you.
- If a window isn’t an option, practice with moving artificial lights around in front of you and do a practice video. You can set the video to “Only me” before filming which allows you to see what it will look like.
- Set up a light and an umbrella to reflect light towards your face – think professional photographers and how they utilize light.
Preparedness is key:
- Practice as realistically as you can. How will you interact with your viewers? What distracting movements do you make that you need to control? How is the lighting?
- Be effortless, but prepared. Cue cards, a basic script, or notes will keep you focused and not rambling. Being natural is the key here – don’t read from a prepared script.
- What is your call to action? What do you want your viewers to do once the video is over?
- Don’t be afraid to test out a live video on your personal feed to check all of these tips. You can always delete it from your feed when you are finished.
- Can your audience hear you? Create an area with no background noise, use a handheld or lapel microphone if possible, and make sure you can be heard via the phone if no microphone is available. Do a test first to check the sound level.
Interact with your audience:
- Speak directly to your audience during the live video. Meanwhile, have someone respond to comments on a computer nearby because it will be hard for you to do this from your smartphone while talking. And ask for questions. If you can’t get to all comments during the broadcast, reply by text when the broadcast is complete.
- Try not to talk at people, but to them. Call them by name when you answer questions or when they join the feed.
- Look at the camera like you are looking into someone’s eyes – this is very powerful and engaging.
- Thank everyone watching, ask them to add comments, respond and answer questions, and do anything to make your viewers feel it was worth the time to watch.
Introduce yourself, frequently:
- Most people won’t start your video with you, so introduce yourself and recap what the video is about every few minutes at the start and again at the middle point.
- Take breaks to greet new viewers and recap the live stream.
Visually Engage: We can’t stress this enough; you need to keep people interested.
- Keep things moving. Try not to sit at a desk and talk for minutes on end with nothing else for the viewer to see.
- Be spontaneous and genuine. Viewers appreciate fun or interesting “live” snippets, not a completely scripted piece.
- Minimize extraneous noise as much as possible.
- Set your phone to forward calls and not receive texts during broadcasting to eliminate notification noises.
- Add captions after the video at the end of the broadcast to interact with hearing impaired viewers and to connect with people that haven’t turned on the sound.
- Create a catchy and interesting title for your video.
Time:
- A longer live video gives more people time to log in and watch, as well as invite their friends to watch. 10 minutes or longer seems to be the sweet spot but use the time you need to get your message shared.
- Save your video to your camera roll so it can be shared on other platforms or used later. Showcase the video if it was a success.
- Promote your video ahead of the scheduled time. People won’t just happen to find it when you start it.
Anyone can create a Facebook Live video but creating one that is memorable takes a bit more effort. At Burgie MediaFusion, we are here to help your company navigate social media and share your message. Let us know if we can be of help. We can’t wait to see your amazing videos!
