Video marketing used to cost a lot of money for what was typically a very limited result. Yet, these days, thanks mostly to YouTube and partially to Google, video marketing has a measurable return on investment. Even rank amateur videographers can pull in a comparatively and relatively sizable crowd.
Technology and globalization has led to a situation where viewers are able to stream high-definition videos directly to whichever device they happen to have on them without a lag, without freezing, compatibility issues, stalling, rights issues, errors and poor quality loading.
Even Facebook Live streaming may be viewed on any commercially available Smartphone, and if you add that to the many people that have a Facebook account, the many people that use Facebook daily, and the many people that have Facebook apps, you can see how powerful Facebook live streaming has the potential to be.
Using the information that the UK Dissertation team drew from the CEO’s of their bigger clients, we have compiled a list of things that may go wrong with your marketing videos, and the benefits of using Facebook live streaming. We have also included preparations for before, during and after recording.
A note on where it can all go wrong
Facebook live streaming offers you a fantastic way of communicating with your core consumer and target audience on a very personal level. It knocks down psychological barriers that would otherwise hinder people from trusting you. However, such a personal and live event may easily go wrong.1. Create a Troll policy on how you will deal with them
The funniest Facebook live sessions are ones where people go crazy at trolls for picking on them. It is funny seeing overweight kids throw things at their computer, or young women tear down their posters in the background because trolls keep commenting on them. You have to remember that trolling is fun, which is why there are many of them, and you need a professional way of dealing with them.
2. Aim to wrap it up in 90 minutes
Facebook recommends more than 10 minutes, and until recently you could only broadcast up to 90 minutes, but there are some claiming they can broadcast for up to 24 hours, yet Facebook claims you can only go for 8 hours. It is best to aim for 90 minutes or less.
3. Stop apologizing for something
If things go wrong, which they will, you must stop apologizing. Repeated apologies will turn your followers off. They don’t care if the sound went out or there is a car alarm in the background – just stop apologizing for it.
4. Using “Like”, “Basically”, “Erm” are irritating
You wouldn’t want to talk to somebody in the street who kept using these verbal annoyances, so don’t do it when you talk on your Facebook live stream.
5. Work on your tech before you start
Connectivity will break your stream if it is not setup correctly. It may involve spending more money to ensure your equipment is of a high quality, and to make sure it is reliable enough to handle what you throw at it.
6. Watch Facebook live stream fails
See how badly other people have done. See what can go wrong, and figure out ways to deal with it in advance. Watch live stream Fails and Wins and live stream Fails Compilation.
7. Make sure your audio is correct
People may tolerate a poor quality picture, but they will not tolerate poor quality audio. A poor quality image is annoying, but poor quality audio is like audio pollution, and few people will stand for it.
8. Promote your stream heavily beforehand
People are simply not going to watch if you do not promote your live stream heavily beforehand. Do all you can to get the word out. As your stream is running, it will appear at the top of people’s news feeds, which is a plus, but it is not enough to compensate for poor quality pre-promotion.
9. Add a high quality description to your live stream
Search engines need a description to help them understand what your live stream is all about. If you have planned your live stream, then use what is on your schedule to create an interesting live stream description.
10. People do not want to see a close up of your face
The biggest mistake that some YouTubers and Facebook live streamers make is to put their face too close to the camera. It is ugly and it is off-putting. When you talk to people, you do not push your face into theirs, so don’t do it on Facebook. They do not film stand-up comedians by only showing their face and nothing more.
11. Live streaming too often
Young Facebook streamers post too often, and it is forgivable, but you should know better. You are not interesting enough to warrant overly frequent broadcasts.
12. Live streaming when you have nothing to say
Some people think that the viewers they get during live feeds will justify their starting a live feed with nothing to say. If you feed your audience poor quality content and improvisation, then they will find Facebook streamers that offer more fulfilling content.
13. Ignoring your audience
Some people are going to make genuine comments, and some are going to make criticisms that seem like troll comments, but are actually genuine. You should respond to your audience, by name too if you wish, in order to help your audience feel like part of the crowd.
The benefits of Facebook live streaming
Facebook account holders are generating 75% more videos in 2016 than in 2015. It is becoming more popular, which is why you should get in on it. Live streams offer a feeling of scarcity, of something special, and they offer a feeling of urgency. They are more personal than posts, especially if you engage personally with your audience.Even if you do not receive many conversions thanks to your Facebook live stream, you have to remember that while ever people are watching your live streams, they are not watching the live streams of other people.
Using Facebook live streaming feature
Click “Update Status” and click “live Video” to get started. Start by writing a very concise and inviting description. Aim for something that is going to appeal to your target audience more than the general public.
When you do go live, you will see a red icon near the top left of your screen, and you will see the word, “Live.” You will also see how many viewers you have via a number that sits near the word “Live.”
A finished stream will be published on your profile, where you may add to its description to include unexpected things that happened during your session. During the live feed, it will appear at the top of people’s news feeds, but it will drop away to a more appropriate postposition when the live feed is over.
A small update to News Feed means that your live feed appears at the top of people’s news feeds while live, and once the feed is finished, your session becomes a video file, which means you may then alter the settings.
Preparations pre-event
Plan your event and create a script. You do not have to stick to the script, but it is helpful to have something to fall back on if things start going wrong. If you do not have a structure or a plan, then you are more likely to crash or create poor quality content.
Remember to bring your audience in on the action. Otherwise, you need not bother with a live stream and you may as well stick to pre-recorded videos. Have a practice run for your video session to try to figure out what may go wrong in advance.
Make sure you promote your event as much as possible. Promote it on your Facebook account, on your other social media accounts, on your website, and send out emails to people who may be interested. If you do not have a sizable number of people watching, then there is no point in going live.
During the event
A long opening scene is a video kill. People become so impatient that they turn off before giving you a chance to show what your video is about. Introduce yourself very quickly and get on with the show.
In a quick and factual manner, you must explain what your live feed is going to feature. If you are a celebrity, you can get away with saying, “Hey, let’s hang out.” Otherwise, you need to give people a brief explanation of what is going on and what you will be doing.
Engage with the audience by answering their questions. Many streamers answer the questions and comments of viewers during their live sessions. Call people by their names as you comment on them as you answer their questions and comments.
Post-Event
After you have finished, you may go back and change your video settings. It is highly recommended that you do. You should even edit your video professionally if you are able. Re-post the professionally edited video to Facebook, and add it to your Google+ and your YouTube account too.
Pick a thumbnail from what happened in your video, such as an image of something dramatic happening, or create your own thumbnail and add it. Remember that the thumbnail is very important and that a poor quality thumbnail image will scare people away.
Bonus infographic:
Achieve Real-Time, Real Engagement with Live Streaming Video
Source: Marketo.
Conclusion
You need to keep changing how you operate and tweaking your process until you find a streaming and posting format that brings in the most people and keeps their attention. Over time, you will discover what the most interesting and engage parts of your live streams are, and you will able to leverage them while snipping out the things that do not work.About author: Brenda Savoie content marketing magician, grammar tutor master at Essayontime, and desperate deamer.
