Communicators looking to jump on the Facebook Live trend should spend some time seeking inspiration from brands doing it well, and one of the foremost brands of that category is matchmaker eHarmony. Check out its videos page for a wealth of examples of how to target an audience and engage it.
Kerianne Mellott, social media director at eHarmony, will be at PR News' Digital Summit, Feb. 24 in Huntington Beach, California to share the secrets of her success with the audience. We asked her for a taste of what she'll be bringing to the event, and she obliged us with these four quick Facebook Live tips:
1. Plan ahead. Going "Live" sounds terrifying enough, and it's obviously more pressure than recording video that can be edited to eliminate any mistakes before your audience sees it. One way to calm your nerves is to strategize a content calendar way before you count down from 3...2...1! This doesn't mean you have to write scripts and stick to each word, but at a minimum plan the intro, middle and wrap-up of your live broadcast and get comfortable with each section beforehand.
2. Think about your "set." Create an interesting shot. If you don't have a pre-made set or studio to work with, think about every inch of what will be shown on screen. Be aware of your brand's image and what you're portraying. Try to get your logo in the shot, perhaps in the background of where you'll be shooting. If you can, make sure you have great light and audio so your audience sees a high-quality production.
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3. Track and measure your ROI. After each broadcast, view your insights, metrics and analytics from the platform you're using. If you want to track clicks and traffic to your website via your live broadcasts, make sure to add a link with tracking capabilities in your broadcast's caption or title. Pro tip: You can always go back and edit your Facebook caption to include specific landing pages.
4. Create engaging content. This seems obvious, but users are scrolling through their social media timelines and most likely not anticipating the fact that your broadcast will show up in their News Feed. Make sure there's an element of value throughout the whole broadcast—either through funny entertainment, or solid information that your audience will find useful.
Follow Kerianne: @Keri_Mellott