Our resident social media expert O.D. takes Facebook Live for a 10-day test run and shares whether livestreaming is a winner or loser for your business

want to build your social media fan base and bump up business? Meet Facebook Live—an incredibly simple and revolutionary livestreaming option that produces real, quantifiable results. What’s great is that you already have a business page with Facebook, so next time you’re ready to publish your content, just click the red “Live Video” icon on the Facebook app and film a live video on your phone or tablet versus a static post.

Why video? Consider this: More than 100 million hours of Facebook videos are watched every day, according to recode.net . Wow! That is an astonishing number.

And, even more interesting, livestreaming videos are viewed three times longer than nonlive content, according to Facebook. What is this telling us? It’s saying that users—aka our potential customers—want video. They. Want. Video.

But wait. Like the idea of Facebook Live but don’t know where to start? I feel your pain.

A couple of months ago, I bit the bullet and decided to create 10 Facebook Live videos as an experiment. After all, social media is all about learning and experimenting. My plan would be to create one live broadcast a day for 10 business days and decide if Facebook Live was a winner or a loser.

Why Facebook Live?

I’m sure you’ve been asked to join a Facebook Live video on your feed recently. Most of the time, I click because there’s nothing quite like watching a story unfold organically. Sometimes, I’ll comment and the poster will acknowledge my presence or address my question directly.

Facebook Live provides a platform where the poster can change the experience for the user on the spot. Frankly, it is quite fun and rather addicting. Facebook, you’re a genius.

Now here’s where the scary part comes in. I’m not a fan of watching my face or listening to my voice on camera. Feel the same?

Before my first video I was feeling very anxious. My hands were sweaty and I could hear my voice shake as I spoke. But I got through it. If you’re like me, don’t fret—just bite the bullet and start with just one Facebook Live post.

And here’s why it’s worth it...

Double Your Current Reach

Below is a typical product post on my Facebook page. After a few days, it will get a reach of about 246 unique users.

With Facebook Live video, the reach was more than double at 503. I was connecting with double the number of customers and for likely three times the amount of time. Winning!

Multiply Your Engagement by 6X

“Engagement” on Facebook is when a user performs an action on your page such as post clicks, reactions, comments, or shares.

Turn the page and you’ll see an example of a common lifestyle post on my Facebook page. In general, it will garner less than 10 engagements per post. With Facebook Live, the average engagement was 64.5. That’s a 6X increase! Wow, right?

After reviewing my Facebook Live stats, I’m quite impressed and ready to explore more—it’s a winner! During my 10-day Facebook Live experiment, I did learn a few valuable lessons. Here, I’ll share six important components to starting a successful Facebook Live campaign.

FACEBOOK LIVE STARTER GUIDE

1. Make an Outline.

Going live doesn’t mean going reality show and “winging it.” Write a short outline of what you want to say before the live broadcast. This will keep you on point, confident, and authentic.

2. The Announcement Post.

Announce your broadcast the day before. This will increase the probability of having a larger audience. We now do a weekly Facebook Live, and use the image seen at the start of this article as the announcement the day before.

3. Check Your Bandwidth.

Nobody loves slow and blurry. Make sure you have a strong Wi-Fi/Internet connection or 4G so the broadcast will be clear and smooth. Facebook Live will tell you if your connection is too weak to go live, but a strong connection is optimal for the best-quality video.

4. Write a Compelling Description.

A great Facebook Live post description will capture your fans’ attention and help them understand what your broadcast is about. Take the time to type in an engaging description, complete with thought-out hashtagging and tagging of people or businesses mentioned.

5. Go Live for 10 Minutes+.

A successful broadcast should last longer than a Justin Bieber song. Give adequate time for users to join. Facebook recommends you go live for at least 10 minutes, and you can stay live for up to four hours.

Our 30-minute video was the most successful with engagement.

6. Invite Users to Interact.

Speaking of engagement—invite users to react, ask questions, and comment. If you see someone join your broadcast, say “hello” to them. This will add the personal touch, and it’s what makes the Facebook Live experience so special.

7. Analyze the Results.

On your business page, click the Insights tab to view your quantifiable results. Here you can see what resonates with your audience and, more important, what doesn’t.

Repeat what works. Discard what doesn’t. It’s a learning process.

—Tanya N. Gill, O.D.

Tanya N. Gill, O.D., is the owner of Oakland Vision Center Optometry in Oakland, CA. Dr. Gill is obsessed with ocular surface disease, kick-a$$ female entrepreneurship, never saying never, eating vegetables daily, and brightly colored sneaker pumps. She lives in Oakland with her husband and is the founder of We Love Eyes, a company that makes natural cleansing products for the eyes. P.S.: She made that pillow.