Make the most of live video for your business
How to go live on social media
Going live is great for your business! However, just like with videos, I hear of so many people not knowing what to do or how to do it. I’m going to share with you my tips on how to go live successfully.
As they are another form of video, the algorithms love accounts that go live regularly and will boost your reach because of live videos. How often have you seen notifications on Facebook and LinkedIn that someone has gone live? This is what you want for your business – for social media platforms to be encouraging people to engage with you!
Have a plan for what you are going to say/show in your live video.
Are you running a competition or are you showcasing a new product?
Lives are a great way to show the real you, but you need to have a plan so that your live is structured. It doesn’t need to be scripted, but planned lives are more successful than unplanned ones.
Plan how long each live is going to be. You could try going live every day for ten minutes in the morning or you could do a live video on a Friday as a weekly roundup. Know what you want to discuss during the live session and be clear in your presentation.
Schedule your Live
If you have a plan for what you want to show on your live, you’ll have some idea when you will be going live…
Scheduling time to go live means that you can create posts and content about your live – so you can tell your audience about it and they’ll be more likely to join in! As I said above, are you going to go live daily or weekly? Let your followers know when they are going to see you live.
Plus – bonus! It means it gives you extra content for your business page! What more could you ask for? 💜💚
Keep it steady
Use a tripod, ring light, or selfie stick to keep your camera still while you record your live.
Jittery videos can be distracting for many people watching. Even when you are walking around somewhere, keep your camera as steady as possible. It will make the video easier for your audience to watch.
If you don’t already have one, purchasing a ring light is an excellent investment for your business! They aren’t too expensive and will aid you in being able to take photos and videos for your business.
Say “Hello”
Saying hello to your followers as they join your live can help your audience feel valued. It will help your business feel more welcoming, just like you would say hello if they were to walk into your shop.
As you get the notifications that people are joining your live, say hello to them.
If you can’t see exactly who it is that is joining (sometimes on phones and laptops it doesn’t allow you to see this) say a general welcome to people as they join. The icon at the top, which looks like an eye, will tell you how many people are watching you live.
Respond to comments.
Just as you do for your regular posts, respond to comments made on your live!
Whether you respond to them and read them out on the live, or you read them afterwards – make sure you interact with every comment your followers make.
You could always ask your audience to comment with a certain hashtag if they are watching it afterwards and set a moderation alert on your page for when people use the hashtag – it will alert you to new comments on the post. For example, on a lot of my Facebook lives, I ask people to comment with “#replay” if they are unable to watch the video live. I’ve set up an alert on the Facebook page for this hashtag to let me know when someone uses it.
Social media platform algorithms love reactive and interactive accounts. Going live is one of the best ways you can interact with your audience. Just like video, the algorithms love this style of media.
Lives are also a great way of showcasing the “real you”. Lives aren’t about being perfect, they aren’t about being edited and polished, they are about showing you a little bit of behind-the-scenes action. This is a great way to build trust with your audience and add value to your pages. You can use live videos to add value by sharing industry-related news and top tips.
The list of things to talk about on a live video is endless and the benefits are innumerable. If you haven’t thought about going live on your social media yet, now is the perfect time to try it!
Are you going live on social media? Tell me your experience in the comments.