So you want to do a Facebook Live broadcast or your marketing EVP just emailed you and asked “when are we doing one of these Facebook live events?” Before you immediately jump in and get on Facebook and go live, make sure some planning takes place. 

Start by picking the type of live event you’re going to cover. An interview or describing a new product are two great options to start with to see how things go. This can be a difficult step in the process because having good subject matter is key to a successful broadcast. It can be tough picking but go ahead, choose a topic, and go for it. If it doesn’t work so well, then pivot to another subject or style.

Let’s use the interview example to illustrate more aspects to think about for your Facebook live event. Keep things short and quick for the first live broadcast. Don’t plan to be on for an hour with a long script of questions and a mile long list of production notes. Keep things under 10 minutes… make the first event just 5 minutes long and ask someone 3 open ended questions that give the interviewee lots of room to expand. This will do two things, it will make the live broadcast easier to manage because of less time live and there will be fewer event variables to deal with while on the air.

Going Live

Before you hit the “Go LIVE” button on Facebook and have fun with the interview, be sure to get a few technical issues worked out ahead of time. Get your equipment and location in order, things like the video camera, microphone, location, lighting, sound, etc. Knowing that everything is all charged up, having good connections, and knowing the location will make the show go smoothly. Prep the day before by going to the physical location where the interview will take place. Check to be sure the lighting will work well with the people in the shot. Make adjustments if necessary by rearranging furniture, turning on or off lights (additional lighting may be necessary or changing the time of day). Being comfortable with the physical location will increase overall comfort levels and make the broadcast go more smoothly.

Equipment needs to be considered with location. More than likely, a mobile phone or pad will be used for the Facebook live event. This video device is perfectly fine to test the waters and see how things go. However, make sure that the Internet connection is strong, not just good. The quality of the Internet connection will impact the quality of live stream. A best practice is to carry a Wi-Fi hotspot that can be used in-case Wi-Fi is not available. Also, think about using an external microphone. Using one of these is best to make sure good quality audio is broadcast and everyone can hear the live event well. Finally, regarding equipment, make sure everything is charged up AND bring spare everything that might be needed to make sure the show “goes on.”

Here are a few screenshots to illustrate how to start a Facebook live event

Start by going to the Facebook page that the live broadcast should come from on a mobile device. Here is a screenshot of the LTM Digital Facebook page on a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge:

Next, click the Post button. It is in the line of icons that includes “Post, Photo, Promote…”

Now, this is the screen that will pop up:

Click “Go Live” and this screen will pop up:

This is the first look at the live video stream on Facebook. It is a great idea to write a keyword rich description of the live video. This can help make it more searchable by people after the live event is over, and while it is posted on the News feed of the Facebook page.

Also, in the top, right-hand corner there is a flip view icon. This is handy for switching between the selfie live shot and the view looking out.

The prep work is done, the interviewee is in place and behaving, the description is written, the last thing to do is hit the “GO LIVE” button. Click the button, relax, and be prepared to be wowed by all the reach and engagement numbers on Facebook.

As always, please reach out to us if you have any questions regarding Facebook live or anything else related to digital marketing. Please reach out and contact us here.