What to do before, during, and after you go live on social media.

Since Facebook rolled out its live video capabilities in 2016, it has been dominating the social media space. According to Facebook, there have been more than 3.5 billion livestreams created, with nearly 2 billion people tuning in. Live video offers brands an opportunity to interact with their audience in real time, strengthen connections with their current audience, and ultimately attract new users.

At OH, when there’s an opportunity to go live with our clients, we take it. By working closely with our partners, we’ve been able to bring some of our craziest ideas to life, and helped increase engagement and brand awareness in the process. Want to see some of the madness? Check it out.

You might have guessed it from the video, but putting together a live video can seem daunting – when you’re live, anything can happen. So, how do you effectively create a live video for your brand? We’re sharing our tips and tricks for executing a live video, and how you can set yourself up for success before, during, and after it all goes down.

If you’ve decided to take a leap into the land of live video, here are some things to keep in mind while you’re in the planning stages:

• Know your audience. When preparing for a live broadcast on social media, you need to be in tune with what your audience wants to see. Do they want to hear about a new store opening? Should you interview an exciting guest, or give away prizes? Identifying and understanding the purpose of your livestream will help you stay on-brand and will keep viewers engaged. If you’re searching for some inspiration, check out our most recent live stunt we put together with our partner, the Arizona Lottery, where nearly 70,000 engagements came in over a span of just under three hours.

• Do your homework. There is only so much you can do to plan for a live video, but one of the biggest tips for avoiding a PR nightmare is making sure that whoever is on camera has had the time to prep. Develop key messages before they go live, as well as your own do’s and don’ts so everything can go smoothly.

• Timing is key. If your audience isn’t typically online at 4pm on a Tuesday, you might want to avoid going live then. Use Facebook’s insights to determine peak times for your followers, and establish the length of your livestream (Facebook recommends at least 10 minutes for optimal live video length).

You’ve done all the planning, and now it’s time to press that “Go Live” button. While you’re broadcasting, remember:

• Engage your audience. Even though you’re broadcasting from a phone, computer or high-quality camera – thousands of people could be tuning in! Bring them into the action by addressing their comments, interacting with them by name, and encouraging them to comment/share.

• Stay on topic. Don’t get caught up in some of the comments you’re bound to receive – most of your audience is there for a specific reason, so make sure your livestream follows those key messages you planned before you started filming!

• Be yourself – and have fun with it. Sure, it’s important to prep beforehand, but one of the best things about creating live video is the authentic nature of it. If you flub your lines or can’t remember what to say next, don’t sweat it. It happens to everyone, and as long as you know how to handle it, your audience most likely won’t even notice.

What should you take away when it’s all said and done?

• Keep yourself honest. Say you had over 100 people tune into your livestream – that’s great! But what does it mean in the long run? Now’s the time to take a deep dive into Facebook insights, where you can get a deeper understanding of who watched your video, for how long, and what the overall sentiment was. By doing this, you’ll be able to create more content that resonates with those users.

• Get ready for the next one. Facebook’s algorithm is ever-changing, so it’s no surprise that videos will receive a higher ranking in a News Feed if users are regularly returning to that type of content and are engaging with it. How can you take advantage of that? Create habitual and loyal viewership by consistently creating live video on your page.

Do you have any tips when it comes to nailing live video on social media? If so, let’s chat – leave a comment below or reach out to the OH social media team here.