You’re wanting to try out Facebook Live? Excellent idea! Facebook Live is proven to increase audience engagement with you and your brand. In fact, live videos are watched 3x longer than a standard Facebook video, and users comment at 10x the rate they would compared to regular video. Imagine what that could mean for your studio and your lead generation! It’s your lucky day because Big Raven Media is here to help! In this post we’ll guide you through the process of creating, posting, and maximizing your Facebook Live content.
Pre-Video Prep
Going live on your fitness studio’s page is quite a bit different from streaming your kid’s soccer game or graduation. Here you’re representing your business. The image you put out on the Internet is going to impact your leads and your income. So now that you’re playing in the big leagues, you’ve got to step up your game! Here are some things to keep in mind before you start posting live videos.
PRACTICE: Plan out what you’re going to say before you start streaming. You can write this down or just keep it up in your head — whatever works for you! Before you’re live try a practice video where only you can view the content. To do this, set your privacy settings on live video to “only me”. This way you get some practice talking through what you’re going to say. Messing up is much less embarrassing if you’re just talking to yourself instead of 50 of your followers! Here’s how to set the visibility to “only me”:
LOCATION: Pick a good location prior to starting your video! Don’t keep your viewers waiting while you wander around trying to find a decent spot. The place you choose should be quiet: no obnoxious background noises or other ambient sounds! And wherever you are, make sure you have good Internet connection. Your followers aren’t going to wait around for you if your video quality is bad or your sound is cutting in and out.
A Compelling Title
When you start your video your followers are going to get notifications with your name and the title of your video. To get people to click through to your content you’ll need to pique their interest with the title! Keep it short but informative! Your title is indicative of the overall content of your video.
Notifications and Scheduling
If people are going to tune into your videos they’ll probably need a reminder of when they’ll be streaming! Check out these tips for more information on managing your notifications:
Send Email Notifications: Not everyone will have your live notifications turned on, so to reach more people take advantage of your email lists. Before every live show send out an email to your members, leads, etc. reminding them about your videos! In the email include a direct link to the live stream as well as some details about what you’ll be talking about.
Post On Social Media Prior To Your Live Stream: Post on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram about your live stream a few minutes beforehand. In your post encourage people to tune in on Facebook and ask you questions!
Post Your Schedule: If you make live videos on a regular basis, post the dates and times of your broadcasts somewhere on your Facebook page. A good spot for this is on your cover photo because it’s the first thing someone sees when they open your page.
In-Video Tips
Now that you’ve got most of the background work done you’re ready to start making some live videos! The most important thing to remember during your live stream is how you’re coming off to your viewers. Are you intimidating? Friendly? Shy? You should be approachable and welcoming; someone that your followers will trust!
Getting Started: Begin your live video by introducing yourself and your studio or gym. Then talk about what you’ll be discussing throughout the video, whether that’s a Q&A with a trainer, a lesson about nutrition, or other workout tips!
Interaction: People love it when you make the effort to call them out by name. If someone posts a question, begin you answer with their name: “John Smith is wondering…” This will help you build a connection with your followers and create that welcoming environment that is so important in this business!
Soft Call To Action: People aren’t going to respond very well to a hard pitch in a live video. Instead, try focusing on educational tips and tricks that are going to benefit your followers. Your discussions can range from things like nutrition to specific stretching techniques and developing fitness goals. This content makes you credible. You’re not just trying to get people to buy a membership, you’re trying to improve your viewers’ lives!
Post Live Stream
You just finished a successful live video, but you’re not done just yet! To get the most out of Facebook Live, optimize your post after you finish filming. Here a few tips to git ’er done:
Thank everyone for tuning in by posting in the comment section of your video. Even if you thanked people in the video, a comment will boost your image just a little bit more and may prompt viewers to respond in turn.
Make your live streams available to watch as a standard video. Now people who couldn’t tune in to your live session still have the opportunity to see your awesome content.
Before you make the live content available to the public modify, the description, add tags and put in emojis to make the post more fun and draw attention.
Try boosting the post so that more people will be able to interact with your content.
Analyze The Stats
Facebook shows you exactly how many people viewed your video, when they tuned in, and how long they watched. Use this information to see what worked with your audience and what didn’t. Keep these results in mind when you’re planning for your next live video!
Whether you’re new to Facebook Live or you’re trying to improve your streams, hopefully this post will help you maximize your videos and start landing more leads!