How many times have you received a push notification on your phone from a friend or a brand going live on any social media platform? A lot, right?
This is KEY. With the constant change of algorithms, your content gets seen less and less. When you push, “go live” - it’s the only time the platforms will send out a push notification on your behalf to people that follow you.
The concept of “going live” was relatively new for social media until Facebook rolled our their Facebook Live tools in 2016. At first, brands were cautious about what they should stream, why, and how would their followers react?
Is going live for me?
Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur working on building a product or service based company, doing freelance work, or working full time for a company, I’m here to tell you going live can work for you! It not only works, but it deserves it’s own programming calendar and budget.
What should I share when going live?
The sky is the limit! There’s countless options depending on what you and/or your brand wants to promote and share. The top-performing Facebook Live videos are 15 to 20 minutes long, so keep this in mind when thinking through ideas.
- Behind the scenes at a factory, store, event, or office
- Q&A session
- The launch of a new product or service
- Tutorials
- Webinars
As you’re mapping out your standard social media content calendar, think about including a weekly live session as another content idea. After a few lives, look at your metrics and see how did the live video perform against other media.
Using Facebook live
The 2018 “State of Social” report showed that 96% of companies use Facebook actively. Of those companies, nearly half are producing live content on their Facebook account. If Facebook Live’s aren’t part of your social media strategy yet, here’s why they should be.
The Facts:
- Facebook Live videos produce six times as many interactions as traditional videos.
- Facebook Live videos get 10 times more comments than regular videos.
- Facebook Live’s search popularity increased by 330% in just one year.
- Facebook Live users watch FB Live videos three times longer than pre-uploaded videos.
What tools and tech do I need?
There’s a few key things to consider when setting up a Facebook Live. If you’re on a tight budget, this video outlines exactly what to purchase on Amazon to get you started and looking like a pro. When you’re setting up a live on a small budget, these are the tools recommended in video:
- Selfie Ring Light - If you don’t have perfect natural lighting, consider buying a ring light for $10-$12 on Amazon.
- Connectivity - Always check your connection! Ideally, you should have 5 MB of data per second at a minimum for your upload speed. (SpeedTest is an amazing website and mobile app for testing your internet connection)
- Tripod - Stabilize! Consider a tripod if you will be going live for longer than 10 minutes, need to fit multiple people in the frame, or need extra stability!
- Lav Mic - Can they hear you? If you have a lot of background noise, buy a lavalier microphone that plugs right into your phone. This way you will primarily pick up the important sounds and be able to avoid the background noise in your video! (Make sure to buy the iPhone adapter.)
Using Instagram live
It’s no secret that Instagram has become a crucial social platform for influencers and companies of all sizes. With over 1 billion monthly active users, 64% of adults between 18-29 use Instagram (Sprout Social). Each day, over 100 million Instagrammers watch or record live video. There’s a few benefits as a user to utilize the live functionality:
- Top-of-mind in the newsfeed: When brands or people go live on Instagram, you’ll notice they’re the first profile image you’ll see in the stories bar.
- Immediate feedback and engagement: Similar to Facebook, followers can comment and send “hearts” when they’re enjoying the broadcast or have questions. It allows an immediate and direct dialogue.
- Build trust: If you run or work for a brand, lives give followers the ability to see a more raw look behind the often perfected visuals that appear on a feed. This helps build brand trust and humanize the organization bringing the culture to life.
Ready for the next level?
If you’re looking to make a higher investment in live-streaming with multiple cameras and simultaneous streams, I highly recommend two programs: SlingStudio and SocialLive.
These programs both allow you to stream to not only multiple Facebook Pages, but other social channels as well. They also provide the ability to integrate lower thirds, graphics, video assets, logos, etc. for a more produced live experience. This is a great opportunity to pitch partners or sponsors to help pay for any tech or talent costs.
As humans, we crave human connection and live streaming removes that barrier for brands and their consumers to talk. I can’t wait to start watching your live content!