Facebook Live Streams or "Facebook Streaming" isn't new. Not by a long shot. There are several services online that allow you to stream live video. You can do this on Youtube, Twitch, Livestream and other similar websites but you'll have a limited audience since (almost) everyone is on Facebook.
This is probably the only advantage people who stream live video on Facebook have - you can reach a bigger audience and build up engagement rates by making fans and friends react to your live streams.
There is a good way to start using Facebook Live Video for your business so read on to find out how to use this service to grow your fan base and boost the engagement rate.
Before learning how to do this, let's talk about the mistakes you should avoid while streaming live on Facebook.
Check your surroundings.
Don't worry about being perfect or having the perfect room or backdrop. You do want to make sure that there isn't anything behind you that you'd rather not be there... I've had our cat run around behind me, jump on the desk, etc. That's no problem.
Don't use a low-end mobile device.
Before you start streaming, ensure that your mobile device is capable and the video is reasonably high quality. You want a good internet connection too. And, of anything, audio is probably the most important aspect! Keep background noise to a minimum.
Have a clear reason for live streaming.
Don't just use Facebook Live Video and stream for 2 minutes just to say hi. Your live videos should be more complex and have specific goals for your business.
Use Facebook live video to boost your page engagement rate.How to build up Engagement Rate with Facebook live video
Facebook users seem to have some fun using Facebook live video but as a business, you should have specific goals what you're trying to accomplish. You can try to redirect people to your website, grow the number of your fans or build up your engagement rate by encouraging your viewers to leave comments.
We use live streaming to build an audience of people we can retarget and create lookalike audiences with.
Here's the right way to live stream on Facebook and get the most out of it.
Start by doing your research, before you start your Facebook Live Stream.
You should have a goal for each live video event you host on your Facebook page. In the week before your live video, ask your fans what would they be interested in seeing. Maybe they would like a Q&A session or they would like to see how you do business.
These things are different from business to business and research makes it easier to understand your fans' behavior.
Create a schedule for Facebook live videos.
Just like you make a calendar for your Facebook posts, you should consider creating one for your live streams. I wouldn't recommend going live each day but limit the number of broadcasts to 2, max 3 per week.
Creating a schedule will allow you to boost your engagement rate since your fans will have a clear picture of the live video broadcast time frame.
Find the sweet spot of video length.
Your live streams are limited to 90 minutes but you don't need to be online that much. Usually, it's better to have live videos longer than 5 minutes so most of your fans can start watching but you'll see the number of viewers will decrease over time.
Have specific targets for your live videos.
As in, specific calls to action. When a business starts a live video event on Facebook, it should a clear goal for that broadcast. You should find ways to promote your services, your products or even convince people to sign up to your email list.
Use CTAs during your Facebook live videos.
Call-to-actions help you boost engagement on your Facebook page. Encourage people to leave comments and ask questions and remind them to subscribe to your live events. Seeing how you can't add other buttons on that page, use audio CTAs to redirect people to your website.
Connect with communities by using live videos in groups and events.
A good way to build up your Facebook page engagement rate with the help of live video is to start these broadcasts within relevant groups or event pages. You can do this if a group administrator allows you so do your research and check to see if you're allowed to do this.
Starting a live video in a relevant group can bring you more Facebook fans and spark up really interesting conversations.
Check Facebook live video insights.
As soon as you tap on the finish button, you'll have the option to save your broadcast as a video post for your Facebook page allowing people to watch it even after it's finished.
Take a look at the video statistics and match them up with what happened during your broadcast. See after how much you reached your highest number of viewers and when that number started to decline. This will allow you to create better broadcasts in the future.