A Step By Step Tutorial To Help You Master The Realm Of Facebook Live
A study by Cisco, a worldwide leader in information technology and networking, reported that by the year 2021, 82% of all consumer internet traffic would be comprised of video and out of this, 13% of video would be categorized as live. So there isn’t a better time for brands and businesses to jump on the Facebook Live Video bandwagon.
So first, let’s discuss the importance of Facebook Live streaming and what it can do to help brands and businesses.
People spend 3 times as long watching live videos rather than pre-recorded video. So why are so many brands taking so long to implement live videos as a part of their daily interactions with their consumers? This is primarily due to fear on the part of the brand, as they feel they are unable to directly control the focus of the content of their live-stream. However, there are many advantages to this type of communication; namely, it helps build trust and additional loyalty with the consumer as the consumers have the opportunity to view the people behind the brand/business and learn the intricacies of operations behind closed doors.
Moreover, an active Facebook Live presence for a brand/business expands their reach to new demographics and increases engagement as Facebook Live allows consumers to actively ask questions and receive responses from their favourite brands and personalities who may be live streaming.
Consumers view this increased openness of the brand with great positivity, as it humanises the brand in their eyes and builds trust and relationship. Public figures, like actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, have also taken advantage of Facebook Live to establish interactions with their fans.
Now that we’ve got the nitty gritty out of the way, let’s get to the real meat of this post; the tutorial for Facebook Live.
(Please note that this tutorial corresponds to the latest version of the Facebook Application on Android)
How To Start Your Facebook Live Broadcast:
As Facebook Live Broadcasting was initially introduced on the mobile platform with the objective of facilitating quick capturing of in-the-now moments and sharing them live with your friend circle. So let’s start with a tutorial on mobile first.
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Go to your Newsfeed, and tap the Live Option:
Note that you can also begin a Facebook Live video from your profile.
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Facebook will ask for your permission to record audio and video and take pictures.
After hitting “Allow”, Facebook will not show you these prompts again.
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Choosing Your Privacy and Send notifications:
Tap the “Friends” option below your name to set your privacy setting. If this Facebook Live video is broadcasting for a brand or a business, you should consider keeping the privacy setting to “Public”.
However, if you are currently just testing the waters to see what Facebook Live is like, then you can select the “Only Me” option by tapping “More” and scrolling to the bottom. You can also broadcast specifically to customised lists you may have created on Facebook. To access these lists, tap “More” and then “See All” to view all of the lists you are a part of.
Additionally, you can choose to send notifications your friends and followers about your Facebook Live video. Just tap the “Notifications” button and switch the slider to on. Note that this notification may not be delivered to all of your followers and friends, only some of them.
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Tag Friends and Add Where You Are:
You can tag certain friends and let them know you have a Facebook Live video going up.
Or you could simply post a status before a certain period of time; informing your friends and followers that you are about to go live. Add in your location to let your followers know where you are, or you could simply announce it when your Facebook Live video begins.
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Write an Engaging Description of your Facebook Live video:
Make sure that your description is intriguing and eye-catching. This will help your video get traction and attract more viewers to your content. You can also take this opportunity to fine-tune your spacing and your camera arrangement so that you do not have to fidget with it during your live broadcast.
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Go Live:
Now that you have made all of your preliminary preparations, it’s time to go live. Just tap the blue “Go Live” button on the bottom-right of your screen and Facebook will deliver a short 3-second countdown to give you a moment to compose yourself further, if needed. You can make use of Facebook Live to curate a video that is up to 4 hours in length and any minimum time. Although, we suggest that you stream for at least 15 minutes to let a decent number of followers join the Facebook Live fun.
During your live video, you can tap the “Magic Wand” icon in the top left to apply filters which range from “Pop”, “Classical” and many others. Additionally, you can also use a coloured pointer to write on your screen, and hence write on all of your viewer’s screens.
Lastly, if you have a smartphone with front and back camera capability (honestly, who doesn’t nowadays?), you can freely cycle back and forth to give your viewers a perspective on what you may currently be working on, or to show them where you are.
You can also choose to live-stream just audio and no visuals from the same Facebook Live broadcasting platform. It features most of the same features and settings, minus the video recording aspect. Moreover, you can place a picture overlay while your audio is broadcasting.
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Interact with your Friends and Followers:
Make sure that after you have some viewers riding alongside you on the Facebook Live bandwagon, you keep up a consistent and friendly interaction with them. Remember to continuously ask questions and respond to their questions. Moreover, the comments you write in the comments section for your video can be tagged. For example, try asking them “what are your favorite ad campaigns that have incorporated virtual reality?” and reference back to the question periodically.
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Finish Up:
Tap the “Finish” button to bring your Facebook Live video to a close. Try to end it with a rounded statement which encompasses what you managed to accomplish in this video, and what you talked about with your followers and friends so that viewers who had not joined from the start are compelled to watch the rest of the stream.
Additionally, let your viewers know when they can expect the next Facebook Live video to go up and wholeheartedly thank them for tuning in.
So now that we have sorted out how to make use of Facebook Live broadcasting from your mobile smartphone; let’s take a look at the desktop version of the same feature.
Taking advantage of Facebook Live on your Desktop computer:
You can make use of this Facebook functionality to broadcast content straight from your computer. Although, you will be losing out on the numerous advantages Facebook Live broadcasting from your smartphone provide you when you relinquish its use for desktop; such as the ability to stream whenever and whatever to capture random and spontaneous moments for your followers; desktop can still be beneficial for events such as live panel discussions, where the participants are immobile.
Conclusion:
So now that you know exactly how to make full use of the Facebook Live Broadcasting platform, we hope that you will use it to benefit your brand or business to the fullest extent.
However, if you still find yourself struggling, drop a comment down below or get in touch with us at connect@mwmstudioz.com, and we will help you with all your Facebook Live needs.
