Facebook Live is a feature business owners may not first consider when planning to boost engagement and organic traffic to their page, but it can be a really handy tool to do exactly that. It can bring in more viewers than a post may attract, and will enable you to really explain to your audience what you’re talking about, and the passion behind it. 
 
Before just selecting to go live, pick a topic you want to talk about. You can always present the question to your audience, asking what they’d like to hear from you. Then, you’ll be able to really find out what is likely to bring you engagement from your audience, and allows you to show them you’ve taken their suggestions into consideration.  
When you’ve picked your topic, consider asking your audience if they have any questions about it. This will give you a good structure and won’t mean you’re frantically scrolling through the live chat to see if anyone is asking you to answer them. Planning for livestreams is essential if you want it to be a regular, successful social media practice your business uses. 
 
Advertise your Facebook Live to your followers. Let them know what your live will be about, and when it’ll be. Do this a couple of days to a week beforehand, and remind them as the time gets nearer. Making sure your audience is aware that a livestream will be taking place means more are likely to tune in. Of course, there will be viewers who come and go randomly throughout the stream, but having a core audience already there and ready to watch will give you a good platform to start on your topic, and engage with them. 
 
If you have people on your page that consistently interact then sending them a reminder before you go live will likely be a good way of making sure you have some people ready to watch, and that people who may have forgotten about the live are aware that it’s happening. It also helps you build a relationship with your audience – it shows you think about and care for their intertest in your business. 
 
Set a time limit for your live beforehand. When you’ve planned your topic, think about how many points you want to make and realistically how long it’ll take for you to cover all of them. You have to constantly make sure your audience is engaged and have their attention focused on your live. Try to stick within an hour, as anything longer may see you lose viewers. 
 
Background is also important if you’re planning to go live. A plain background is helpful as it won’t have anything to distract away from the main focus, which should be you and the topic you’re discussing. You have to look professional to your audience, and your background must reflect this. 
 
Keep your title of the Live as short and eye-catching as possible. Facebook doesn’t always display long worded titles, so keeping it to 4/5 words will mean people will see the whole thing. A title that involves your audience, or one that are to the point are the best title forms to attract viewers as they’ll feel involved, and will know exactly what it is you’re planning to talk to them about 
 
Ask throughout your live if anyone has any questions or comments, and read them out when they appear. A viewer will only ask a question once or twice before they think they’re just being ignored, so making sure they know their comments are being seen and appreciated is likely to keep them more engaged. They wouldn’t be asking questions if they didn’t want your expertise to answer them – so do it. 
 
Facebook pages and groups also allow you to share your live streams, which can bring in new audiences. Check to make sure the group you’re sharing in is ok with you advertising your livestream to its members, and if so – share it! This is a great way for new people to learn about your business, you, and what your business cares for. However, it is important to only share into groups that are relevant to what your business is about. If you’re talking about beauty, there’s no reason to share it into groups that discuss sports, for example. 
 
Facebook Live has many benefits for you to expand your reach to new people, and let them know the faces behind the company. When the audience can see that you believe and care about your company, they’re more likely to care too. Get using Facebook Live today and make the most of it’s potential. 
 
 
Need further advice? 
Get in touch to discuss your specific requirements and see how we can help you grow your social media presence 
 
Tel: 07963216248 
Email: chris@chrislondononline.co.uk 
 
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