Facebook recently launched a new video series in which it’s showcasing interviews with internal experts working on specific platform tools, in order to provide more insight into how each works, and how users can get the most out of the various functions the platform has to offer.

The first video in the series looked at Creator Studio, while the most recent addition focuses on Facebook Live, with tips on how to maximize your Facebook broadcasts and generate optimal reach.

You can view the full video here:

There’s a heap of interesting pointers shared – many of which you’ve likely heard before, but given they’re coming from Facebook direct, it does add some extra weight to the advice.

Here’s a look at some of the key notes.

Colyn Montgomery, a Product Marketing Manager for Facebook Live, is the expert in this instance, and Montgomery first talks about set-up, and ensuring that you’ve prepared for your live-stream:

From there, Montgomery provides some tips on how to maximize engagement for your stream, and drive optimal viewership.

• Preview Posts – Montgomery notes that a good way to raise awareness of your coming Facebook Live stream is to schedule an announcement post in Live Producer, which will then create a Facebook preview post that interested viewers can choose to get a reminder from.

• Crossposting – Montgomery also advises that users should look to crosspost to another Facebook Page where they can – be that of a guest on your live-stream or another, related Page that you control. “[Crossposting] allows you to post simultaneously to multiple Pages at once, and it looks like a native video to that Page, but the viewership is all aggregated, the statistics are all aggregated on that one video asset”.
• Maximize Engagement – Montgomery notes that “Facebook prioritizes content that’s driving conversations and meaningful interactions between people”. Montgomery says that encouraging engagement will lead to more shares from viewers, but it will also send positive signals to the algorithm. Montgomery recommends moderating comments to ensure the conversation “remains healthy”, and kicking off the conversation by posting the first comment on your stream. Montgomery also recommends answering questions from your audience to ensure they feel heard and using polls in-stream.

Montgomery also covers some more technical elements of Facebook Live broadcasting, as well as the use of music, and why you need to be careful when using music content that you don’t have the rights to. 

These are some good notes for Facebook Live broadcasters, and it’s worth taking a look at the video for the more technical tips if you need. 

And definitely, Facebook Live is worth considering. Live broadcasts on the platform have seen a big increase during the COVID-19 lockdowns, with total viewership of Facebook Live streams rising by 50% since January. Facebook Live videos also, in general, see much higher levels of engagement than regular video uploads.

The next video in the series will look at Live Producer, and provide more insights into how the tool can be used to maximize your live streams.