15 Facebook Live Best Practices to Boost Views & Engagement

Since the supposed loss of life of Facebook natural attain, enterprise house owners and entrepreneurs have scrambled to discover new methods to drum up views for his or her Facebook pages.

The end result has been extra manufacturers investing in paid Facebook Ads to acquire visibility on Facebook.

But one Facebook function that has nice attain potential is probably one of the crucial underutilized:

Facebook Live movies.

If you’re in a position to overcome stage fright (and use the most effective practices outlined on this information), you’ll discover Facebook Live to be a robust software when it comes to boosting engagement and producing leads.

Consider how most of my Facebook Live movies rack up 300+ views whereas my enterprise Facebook web page is fortunate to recover from 50 impressions on a single put up.

90+ views on Organic Facebook post

What does it take to maximize your views and engagement on Facebook Live?

Follow the following tips to begin seeing larger numbers for your self.

1. Choose Your Topic

Now, I’m a fan of impromptu Facebook Lives however I see the most effective outcomes after I plan out my subject upfront.

This is normally based mostly on a subject that’s of curiosity to my target market.

Often, I’ll ask my followers immediately what they want to hear me speak about on Facebook Live.

In the previous, the matters have ranged from “How to Come Up with Engaging Blog Post Ideas” to “How to Use Pinterest to Get More Traffic”.

Asking Facebook group for Live video topics

In selecting a subject, contemplate your finish aim.

  • Do you need your followers to see you as an authority on a specific subject?
  • Do you need them to join your provide?

Make certain you hit “play” with a function!

One professional tip is to observe up together with your followers once more to ask them what questions they have about your chosen subject.

This will assist you to give you your principal speaking factors and get your followers eager about listening to your solutions throughout your Facebook Live.

2. Build Some Hype

Facebook Live is sort of a home social gathering.

Some folks will present up unannounced, however most will want to be invited.

You don’t need to host your “social gathering” and never have any visitors (i.e., viewers).

Awkward!

That’s why it’s best to construct up some hype earlier than you truly go stay.

I like to recommend doing this a couple of week earlier than you intend on going stay after which as soon as once more a number of days earlier than the occasion.

Give your followers a while to get excited and add it to their schedule.

I like to recommend posting in your private profile and what you are promoting web page asserting the truth that you can be going Live, what subject you can be overlaying, and the date and time.

You also can give followers one other probability to ask questions that you’ll deal with throughout your Live.

3. Gauge Interest with Comment Ladders

One method to construct some hype is to use a technique known as “remark ladders.”

This is the place you put up one thing (on this case, your announcement about going Live) and ask followers to remark if they’re .

It might sound slightly corny at first, however it’s efficient in drumming up engagement and getting your put up picked up by Facebook’s algorithm.

That method, extra folks will see your put up and be inclined to tune in.

Simply put up one thing like:

“Going Live on [day] at [time] to speak about [topic]! Who needs to tune-in? Comment “I’m in!” beneath.”

Then, look forward to folks to remark in your put up after which add them to an inventory so that you’re certain to observe up with them earlier than you go Live.

4. Send Reminders

If your remark ladder was profitable, it’s best to have an inventory of people who find themselves eager about watching your Live.

About an hour earlier than you’re due to go Live, personal message the folks in your record to remind them that you just’re going Live.

You may additionally tag them in your video so that they’re notified instantly.

This could appear to be overkill however I guarantee you that I’ve had extra folks say “Thank you” for the reminder than cuss me out (truly, nobody has accomplished that).

If individuals are eager about what you’ve to say, they’ll admire the nudge.

5. Organize Your Content

Whether it’s a webinar, a YouTube video, or a Facebook Live, nobody likes a video that rambles on and on.

To keep away from boring your viewers to tears – or dropping them after only a few seconds – be sure to have some group to your content material.

I strive to stick to 3-5 principal speaking factors and never go over 45 minutes on digicam.

I’m clear from the get-go what I’m going to be speaking about so viewers are inclined to stick by way of till the top.

You’ll additionally need to plan for if you end up going to make your “pitch”, you probably have one.

This doesn’t have to be a tough promote, it may merely be a lead magnet, however you need to give viewers a teaser so that they maintain watching till you make your provide.

For instance, I would say, “Today I’m speaking concerning the three largest errors SEOs make with their content material. You’ll need to keep away from these so your content material doesn’t bomb. At the top of this video, I’ll be sharing a free useful resource for a way to create your best SEO content ever!”

6. Prepare Your ‘Studio’

If you might be utilizing Facebook Live for what you are promoting, you’ll need to look skilled (assuming that’s “on model” for you).

That doesn’t essentially imply fancy tools, however it’s best to costume for the event, have a sturdy setup, and go for nice lighting.

Screenshot of Facebook Live video

Aim for a background with few visible distractions.

I like to movie my movies whereas going through a window (pure lighting) with a easy backdrop.

This retains viewers targeted on you slightly than on any chaos that is likely to be occurring within the background.

7. Write an Eye-Catching Title

If you’ve constructed some hype round your video, your followers will likely be ready to be notified when you go Live.

You’ll additionally need to attract viewers who won’t have identified concerning the occasion. This is the place having an eye catching title is available in.

Facebook typically cuts off the tail finish of your title relying on whether or not customers are scrolling on desktop or cell.

For that cause, I strive to maintain the title as concise as potential and make the subject apparent within the first 2-4 phrases.

So, a title like “Let’s Go Live to Talk About the Best search engine optimization Strategies” is much less eye-catching than “3 Best search engine optimization Strategies: Get More Traffic!”

Similarly, a Live title like “Why Black Hat search engine optimization Sucks – Let’s Discuss!” is extra click-worthy than “What search engine optimization Professionals Get Wrong About Black Hat search engine optimization Tactics.”

8. Optimize the Description

Like your title, your video needs to be concise and to the purpose.

The principal cause being that it’s tough for viewers to scroll by way of and browse your video description on a small display.

Your aim is to drum up as a lot engagement as potential, so it’s best to embrace some apparent calls-to-actions “above the fold” (on this case, earlier than the viewer has to scroll).

Some good CTAs embrace, “Say ‘Hi’ within the feedback”, “Post a query beneath”, and/or “Download my free e-book”.

Underneath your description, you may embrace a easy define of what you’re going to cowl in your video.

This will give viewers a little bit of a preview so that they’re extra inclined to stick round till the top.

Finally, drop hyperlinks to any further assets you intend on mentioning in your video.

This is the place I like to embrace a hyperlink to a latest weblog put up (that’s associated to the video), my Calendly hyperlink to ebook a name with me, or no matter my provide/lead magnet is.

9. Encourage Comments & Questions

Improve engagement in your movies by encouraging viewers to ask questions and drop feedback in your Facebook Live.

This will even bump your Facebook Live to the highest of different peoples’ timeline.

Answering questions throughout your Live video additionally simply makes for a extra gratifying expertise on your viewers.

With that, it’s extra of a dialog than you speaking at them for 10-50 minutes.

10. Experiment with Interviews

Interviews are nice as a result of then you may share your content material with two (or extra) audiences.

You also can earn a little bit of clout by interviewing an trade skilled, positioning your model as an awesome supply of knowledge in your area of interest.

Facebook Live interview with SEO, Alan Bleiweiss

I take advantage of the (*15*) to invite folks on to my Facebook Lives and broadcast it to my private profile and Facebook teams.

Then, viewers have a chance to ask the interviewee questions, once more drumming up extra visibility.

11. Broadcast to Your Facebook Pages

You can share your Facebook Live to your Facebook pages and Facebook teams to get extra eyes in your video.

Some instruments, like BeLive, enable you to do that robotically however you may share it manually as effectively.

Over time, you’ll get right into a routine of the place you need to stream your Facebook Live from and the place you need to share it to.

Experiment with this to see which teams/pages end result within the best attain.

12. Keep the Conversation Going

Make a degree of claiming “Hi, [name]” each time somebody hops on to view your Facebook Live.

That little acknowledgment alone might be sufficient to encourage somebody to remark, which boosts your video algorithmically.

Keep the dialog going by asking your viewers questions and asking for his or her opinions on the given subject.

Again, you need this to be a two-way dialog so viewers interact with you till the very finish.

Jessica Foster clown Facebook Live

And bear in mind: Don’t overlook to have enjoyable with it from time to time!

13. Stay on Subject

This is the place organizing your content material will assist you to.

By having a mini-outline, you’ll be extra possible to keep on subject and maintain viewers from dropping off out of boredom.

I like to recommend preserving a set of notes in your laptop or in a pocket book so that you’re certain to cowl all of your necessary factors.

It’s straightforward to ramble and stutter on Facebook Live, particularly when you’re not 100% snug on digicam.

Having notes will make issues simpler for you and maintain your viewers eager about your content material.

14. Promote a Lead Magnet

Views are nice however leads are even higher.

If you’re going to take the time to host a Facebook Live, it’s greatest to make it depend.

The greatest method to do that is to have a free lead magnet to promote throughout your Live video.

For me, I’ve one or two ebooks that I routinely promote; each associated to search engine optimization and content material.

If I converse on both a kind of matters, I direct viewers to a kind of ebooks, which then grows my electronic mail record.

If you don’t have a lead magnet to promote and also you merely need to promote a paid provide, that’s additionally OK.

Just be certain that it’s attractive so you may hook viewers in and get them to convert.

The extra associated your provide is to your Live subject, the higher.

15. Repurpose Your Video

Your Live video doesn’t have to stay and die on Facebook.

Squeeze each little bit of juice out of your video by repurposing your video for a number of platforms.

You can go to your Albums > Videos on Facebook after which obtain the video file after you go Live.

Then, you may add your video to YouTube (or different video internet hosting platform), and put up the video in your weblog, share it together with your electronic mail record, use it in a Facebook Ad, and many others.

With Facebook Live, you may generate natural views and generate site visitors from different sources.

Consider the numerous other ways you may repurpose your content material for optimum publicity.

Bottom Line

You don’t have to have a information anchor character to do effectively with Facebook Live.

Anyone can begin producing views and leads with Live video if they begin with the most effective practices above.

Feel free to experiment so see what works greatest on your distinctive viewers.

More Resources:


Image Credits

All screenshots taken by writer, July 2020



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