Facebook Live has gripped the audiences who use the social media app since it was introduced in 2016. Last year, Facebook Live video view count passed 2 billion viewers and the daily watch time for live broadcasts quadrupled! Your company can easily get in on the action — all you need is an active Facebook account, a camera on your computer or mobile device and an enthusiastic attitude. Here are five tips to help you make a successful Facebook Live video.  

1. Plan it out.

Even though it is a live video, you want to plan the purpose of what you want to accomplish through your engagement. Are you bringing your audience along on a destination tour, highlighting a behind-the-scenes look at an attraction or hosting a Q&A to provide insight on a particular topic? Having a roadmap of where you want to head with your video will help with fluidity while you are live. Think about questions that might arise during the live stream and jot down answers to reference so your response sounds natural. Also, keep facts or can’t-miss details at the ready to keep the conversation moving throughout the video. 

2. Promote.

Let your audience know you will be hosting a live session to generate interest prior to the event. Through promotion, you can identify unique audiences for specific topics. Tease with not only the date and time of your live event, but also highlight a benefit of tuning in and a preview of the topic you will cover. Cross brand your event on other social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.  

3. Do a trial run.

Facebook Live allows you to test out live video using the “Only me” privacy setting. The benefit of doing a preview before going live is that you are able to test the sound and video quality without actually sharing it. Practice with the camera both vertically and horizontally to determine the best experience for your viewers. Look for spots to move your point of view during the broadcast to provide visually engaging video. Also, make sure you have a strong broadband connection and a fully charged device.  

4. Engage with the audience.

Introduce yourself and the topic throughout the live stream as you will have viewers joining during the broadcast. Keep the conversation moving by asking for remarks and replying to commenters personally by name when possible. It may be difficult to see comments popping up on a mobile screen while being live, it is helpful to have someone else watching and assisting with answering comments on a desktop computer. Being live is all about spontaneity. Don’t get hung up on mistakes that might happen like losing your train of thought or being photobombed by a passerby; turn these moments into friendly, conversation points.  

5. Have a call to action.

One of the primary ways Facebook ranks a post is by how many people like and share it. Encourage viewers throughout the live broadcast to like and share your video to boost it to people’s News Feeds, thus building your audience. Your live video is also an opportunity to remind viewers to subscribe to your newsletters and follow your business on Facebook, creating a lasting relationship. 

Once your stream has finished, you can go back and edit the description or change the privacy settings if you choose. You can add a trackable link in the description which can direct future viewers to the recorded video. Keep the conversation going by thanking the people who tuned in and further responding to comments.