Did you know 75% of American people (that’s about $238M) have a fear of public speaking? So it actually makes sense why people might also fear going LIVE even though you are typically in a room all by yourself. I want to help take the FEAR out of going LIVE with 10 easy tips to get you started. If you would prefer to view and hear this topic versus read it, join me here. Otherwise, here goes:
Promote Your Content Beforehand
Let people know you will be going LIVE. It’s like the saying, “If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, did it really fall?” Same goes with your LIVES, if no one knows about it, no one will see it. While no one schedules their lives around your FB LIVE, we do want people to know it is coming–that way your fan base can know to look for it.
- When will it be?
- What forum will it be in? (Personal page, profile page, business page, etc.)
Then go LIVE when you said you were going to. Don’t promise something you can’t deliver.
How much in advance should you promote? It depends on the content. If it is a small topic, then you probably don’t need a lot of advanced notice. If it is a big topic or you are interviewing someone important in your industry for example, then you may want to give some more notice.
Create Some Notes
You wouldn’t show up for a presentation without notes, would you? So why show up to your LIVE that way? At the very least, jot down a few bullet points on things you MUST remember to cover and expound on your notes from there so you do not sound scripted.
Choose your Setting
Choose a well-lit setting that is away from distractions (noise, children, co-workers, etc). Try to be connected to Wi-Fi or the very best connection possible. No one wants their LIVE to be freezing or going in and out.
Capture Attention
Create a good caption that encourages interaction, maybe a question that encourages interaction, maybe a question or a call to action…
- Who could use more energy today?
- What are your plans this weekend?
- What type of coffee do you drink?
- Rate your health on a scale of 1-10…
- Tell us where you are from…
Actually GO LIVE!
You have 3 seconds to capture people’s attention! Don’t waste it “hoping”, “praying”, and “wishing” someone will actually come on! Get on with it! If you’re messing around or trying to wait, people are going to scroll right by.
Acknowledge People
Did you know that your endorphins are actually engaged when someone says your name? What better way to connect than verbally acknowledging people as they join.
Answer Questions
Answer questions during the LIVE on the spot as you can. This encourages even more back and forth dialogue. If you can’t answer the question, come back to it when you have the right information.
Encourage the “Replay”
Encourage those who end up catching the replay (which is normally more than those who catch the LIVE) to acknowledge that they were there. This gives you another opportunity to engage with them as well. Have an icebreaker ready for those who join late or catch the reply and use it multiple times throughout the LIVE. For example, “If you are catching the replay, just say hello and let us know where you are tuning in from?”
Don’t Rush It!
Once you’re on, stay on! The recommendation for a FB Live is at least 10 minutes. I bet you may not have known you can stay LIVE up to 4 hours! Yikes! There is a paid service called Live Reacting where you can actually loop your LIVES up to the 4 hours, increasing your chance for your videos to be seen. I’ve used the free trial personally and would consider using a paid service, but it can be a little pricey and I feel that as smart as our Facebook creaters are, they have probably already caught on to it and will just decrease the algorithm. But it’s there for you to consider.
The longer you are on Facebook LIVE, the more likely you are to get viewers. When someone joins from a public page or business page, their friends see they have joined and are more likely to join also.
Come Back to It!
Now that you have finished the LIVE, it’s over right?! No… its not! Treat your Facebook LIVE like those Hatchimals (before it hatches–we all know what happens after your kid hatches it and no longer care about it anymore). I went on a little tagent, treat your LIVE like a Hatchimal–come back to it, interact with it and continue to build the connection with your viewers.
Happy LIVE-ing!
-Nerissa, the BizEMillenial
Not every business is the same, get started with me and start learning and earning today!
About the author:
My name is Nerissa, wife and mom of 4. I am originally from VA and now live in LA. I enjoy reading, traveling, and helping others grow and be successful. I work a full time job, volunteer in my community, and I still find time to work my business in smart ways that save time and energy and produce results. My hope is to share all of that with you just like I would my own team. If you are interested in working directly with me 1 on 1 in a successful business, I welcome you to join me: https://bit.ly/2MDfFWi
Rissa Recharged 