Going Live on Facebook or Instagram – How to and Knowing When it Makes Sense

Reaching new audiences on social media platforms is undoubtably getting harder thanks to an increasing emphasis by social media companies on paid promotions and advertising. With the increasing transition to make Facebook and Instagram more “Pay to Play,” here are a few tricks to help you separate your page from the pack.

Utilizing new features within the platforms is key to reaching new audiences without having to pay to promote your page. Early adopters of new features are rewarded with increased exposure to their current fanbase and relevant users outside of their current followers.

Although Live isn’t Facebook’s or Instagram’s newest feature, it’s still highly rewarded on both platforms. Going Live at events or with a special guest is my favorite way to utilize it. It’s the best way I’ve found to organically grow your followers and start a conversation with your audience. Providing your audience with content they’ll enjoy and can’t get anywhere else validates them following you. This is why I always try to position my Live broadcast as a place to get a behind-the-scenes look.

Going Live is easier than you might think. Here are 10 tips to remember when going Live on Facebook or Instagram:

1.      You should have a topic, subject or event you will cover during the Live broadcast.

2.      Ensure you have a good/stable internet connection before attempting to go Live.

3.      Avoid overly crowded area or areas with low lighting.

4.      Interact with your audience, try to respond in real time to incoming questions and execute feasible requests.

5.      Avoid any music or unwanted background noises as it can make it difficult to hear the host, diminishing the experience for the viewer. 

6.      Speak loud and clear for your audience.

7.      Make sure you’re live for more than 10 minutes.

8.      Give your audience time to join before you start your tour or commentary.

9.      Encourage engagement by requesting interactions such as asking the audience to comment a thumbs up if they can hear you clearly. This is not only a sound check but also showing the platform your Live is earning engagements.

10.  Most importantly, if there are any technical errors try to stay calm and apologize for any issues. Being authentic shows people you’re human and helps them connect with you.

Facebook Live

You should promote your Facebook Live broadcast ahead of time. Depending on which platform you broadcast from, there are tools you can utilize for this. Facebook allows you to schedule your Live broadcast as a premiere, which sends out a post notifying your audience about the upcoming Live broadcast. People then can then subscribe for notifications to alert them when the broadcast begins. A premiere doesn’t have to be used as a Live, but it works together too well not to use it.

Here are some Pros and Cons for Facebook Live:

PROS

·        It ranks higher than premieres or regular video posts in the algorithm.

·        Notifications are sent to your followers as well as related audiences.

·        Audience interactions are likely higher as they know they could potentially have an impact on what is seen.

·        Live polling capabilities to see what people are enjoying.

·        ‘Live With’ feature that allows you to invite one guest at a time to join a live broadcast through the mobile app.

·        Your Facebook Live video is automatically converted to a replayable video that will live on your Facebook profile/page’s timeline forever and is discoverable through search.

CONS

·        Connectivity issues can create a poor experience, especially at large scale events.

·        Music or unwanted background noise can make it hard for your viewers to hear you and may even interrupt your broadcast for violating Facebook’s copyright policies.

Instagram Live

Since Instagram doesn’t have a premiere feature like Facebook, the best way to promote a Live broadcast on Instagram is through Stories. A countdown can be added to a Story post promoting the Live broadcast and even include a Call to Action such as, “Turn notifications on to receive an alert when we’re Live!”

Here are some Pros and Cons for Instagram Live:

PROS

·        Live is a great way to get into your audience’s notifications turned on for your posts.

·        Your page is moved up to the front of your followers’ Story feed and highlighted.

·        You can invite up to three live guests at a time.

CONS

·        Live broadcasts only have a 24-hour lifespan unless you download the video after posting to your story.

·        Instagram Live is more difficult than Facebook Live to interact with audience commentary and it doesn’t have the ‘reply’ feature like Facebook.

Going live can take some getting used to but it’s ultimately the best way to connect with your audience and reach new followers. I would recommend starting with one platform at a time to get familiar with the process. I’m looking forward to getting your Live notification on my phone or computer.