Yes, that`s me!

I have the perfect face for radio and a terrible Norfolk accent…so why the hell would I want to do a Facebook Live?? And why should you be doing live video?

Apart from the obvious…

It is increasing your exposure to your Facebook audience (which is a big problem right now!)
It will place you as an authority, an expert and trustworthy in your industry
Everyone following or liked your business page will be notified
It will be saved to your Timeline
You can upload it to YouTube and use as a marketing tool

Need I go on??

So, if you`re like me and are petrified about putting yourself in front of the camera…don`t be!

If I tell you that I still sit there hovering over the record button, looking for any excuse NOT to do it, and if I tell you I have done a Facebook Live to just myself on numerous occasions then this will tell you that I empathise with you.

All I will say is, in the words of a sportswear company…JUST DO IT!

And here are some great tips to help you along the way and to get started…

Tip 1: If I can do it!

Yes, if this ugly old Norfolk boy can do it…you certainly can!

Take little steps, start small. You don`t need to do an hour long broadcast, start small with a 2 or 3 minute broadcast just to get the hang of it.

Tip 2: Broadcast to yourself

Yes, this is possible. And as sad as it sounds it is the best way to start.

Use your personal Facebook profile and change the settings to Only Me and practice, practice, practice. No one else will see it and you can watch it back over and over (and probably cringe just as I did at first!). Do this a few times until you get familiar with it and until you are over that stigma of going live.

Tip 3: Errrrm, errrr, errrrmmmm

If you can avoid the troublesome “errrmms” and “errrrs” then that`s great, but if you don`t then don`t worry about it!

Just be natural, be yourself and be genuine. After a while when you become more confident and obviously know what you`re talking about you will find that it will just flow.

Tip 4: Use Cue Cards

Have a few bullet points beside you, use them to prompt you in case you do get stuck. It doesn`t matter if you look away from the camera for a few seconds as it will just look natural rather than looking like a frightened rabbit stuck in the glare of a car`s headlights!

Tip 5: Try regular videos first

If you still feel you`re not ready, why not try recording a regular video first and upload it to YouTube or your Facebook page. There`s various software out there that will help create a decent video.

Tip 6: Don`t try to be perfect

Don`t waste time trying to be the perfectionist. That`s the beauty of Facebook Live, you have one chance and your viewers will realise that. Don`t waste time trying to be the perfectionist. So what if you mess up? It`s only natural, you will come across as genuine and people will relate to that far more than a rehearsed script.

Tip 7: Know your beginning and your end

Get these sorted and everything in between will fall into place. Yes, you will be nervous and yes you will forget things. God knows how many times I`ve done a live broadcast only to remember afterwards “Damn, I forgot to say …………….”

Write out your very first sentence to help you get started.

Know where you want to end and what the goal is for the live broadcast and you will find everything else will fall in to place.

Tip 8: Imagine you are talking to a friend

It is only natural you will be nervous but just try and imagine that you are talking to a friend face to face. Look in to the camera as though you are looking in to their eyes when talking. Just relax and be yourself. I can guarantee most of your viewers are too scared to do a Facebook Live so will respect you for at least trying it, or….they have tried it themselves and will feel your pain and nerves!

Tip 9: Enjoy yourself!

I know this sounds weird, but…enjoy yourself. Smile, make yourself laugh just before you broadcast, think of something silly and you will find yourself smiling on camera. This is my biggest downfall, I am far too serious on camera and need to relax and make myself smile more. If you come across as happy and are enjoying it then so will your viewers.

Tip 10: It`ll Will Be Alright On The Night!

Yes, things will go wrong. The phone might ring, the dog might bark but so what?

It will show you as genuine, it is a live broadcast and you have no control over what could happen. Yes, you may stumble over some words and it may not be perfect but if you can talk confidently about the subject matter and you can give your followers and viewers something interesting and helpful then you will find that they will love you for it.

Summary

I still haven`t done the perfect Facebook Live and I doubt I ever will. I have made mistakes, I have mumbled and stumbled my way through some broadcasts and yet the feedback I have received has been great because the content was useful for my viewers, and that was the end goal for them. It didn`t matter what I looked or sounded like.

I am still getting to grips with Facebook Live and the 10 tips I`ve just given you are all based on my experience.

Give it a go and see how you get on. Let me know how you get on too.

Any questions please get in touch

Until next time…

Martin