How to Practice Facebook Live, Privately!
I know it must sound strange that you can practice going “Live” privately but sometimes it just takes the terror out of doing it!
Going Live on social media is something everybody should try every now and then. It changes up the content to your audience. More importantly, it’s a way to instil trust in you and your brand. This is because you’re being your true and authentic self. You’re not hiding behind logos or images. Ultimately most people buy from people. Even the biggest brands who frankly can just show their logo to create sales throw up the odd person in their promotions too.
For the life of me I can’t work out why that chap has to shout his way all through the ad, but most of us would be familiar with it.
There is no way these guys wouldn’t have rehearsed and practiced before filming this. Now, of course, I realise this is pre-recorded but all Facebook Lives are recorded and saved to the newsfeed anyway. So we need to take into account – it’s not just what you say when going Live. It’s also taking into account it will be saved and hopefully viewed later.
Getting Started
If you have your business on Facebook then hopefully you will be using Facebook Pages (using a personal profile for business is against Terms of Service). However, all posts and videos in your business page go Public! So the only place left for you to practice privately is your Personal Facebook Profile. Check the link above to see how to find Only Me on your Personal Profile.
What to Check
Now your finally Live – even though you are on your own, this is your chance to check the following:
-
Signal Strength – depending on where you are you need to ensure that the signal can sustain the length of your broadcast
-
Too dark or too bright? If you are facing a bright light or the Sun you may well end up looking “squinty” or look washed out. I would recommend a good light on your face though. It tends to make your face look softer and some times even younger! If you have the light behind you it can make you look shadowy.
-
Volume – you may have found the best weather to film in but a breeze sweeping over your phone can actually distort the sound. Viewers will stay for a broadcast if they can hear you, even when they can’t always see you.
-
Angles – getting your angle right is also important. If you drop the camera down too low your eyes drop down towards the screen and they appear smaller. If you raise it too high your arms gets tired quicker or if someone else is holding it right above you it makes you appear shorter. I think having the camera in line with the top of your head is best. It means you raise your face slightly, your eyes are open and it removes any sign of “chins” you may or may not have. If you have a square jaw face on it also is better to shape your face as well.
What to Say
Speaking to your hand or worse still, having a friend stand behind your phone is not easy. I get that! It is very confronting that you can’t see your audience and possibly gauge their interest fully. However, its something that can be overcome with time and practice!
To avoid any possible “umms” and “er’s”, I can recommend attaching a small piece of card or folded up paper to the back of the phone that helps prompt you through the Facebook Live. As you recognise friends you may lose track during the broadcast or just freeze. I won’t lie it can happen! However, I have found this simple fix can alleviate a lot of that in most instances.
How Long to Talk
Honestly, that’s a very personal thing. It really depends on what you have to deliver. If you’re broadcasting at the right time online, you may gain engagement quickly so you can jump to the details fairly quickly. Personally I would aim for something either punchy and memorable in 30 secs or maybe up to 2-3 minutes if you can keep their interest.
