- The time adults spend watching digital video increased to one hour and 16 minutes daily in 2015.
- Viewers love long-form original content and user-generated live streams.
- Make sure you check on your live video 24 to 48 hours after you broadcast for more engagement.
Facebook Live is one of the hottest growing facets of Facebook and is taking the world by storm. We are seeing celebrities, business owners, real estate pros and everyday people broadcast live on Facebook. It is exciting to see!
I am a big believer that the reason channels such as Snapchat, Periscope and Facebook Live are taking off is that we are craving more and more authenticity. Although that buzzword tends to be overused, I think there is something to be said about seeing and hearing someone live and in real time.
We also know that people are spending more time watching digital video than ever before. The time adults spend watching digital video each day increased from 21 minutes in 2011 to one hour and 16 minutes in 2015.
Facebook Live allows real estate agents and brokers the ability to do a number of things:
- Create content quickly and easily that tells the story of what it feels like to work with the agent or broker
- Showcase a sneak-peek behind the scenes
- Preview an open house or a new listing (with the client’s permission)
- Showcase and highlight agents’ local area — thereby establishing them as experts
- Connect in real time with potential buyers and sellers and build the “know, like and trust” factor
10 tips for real estate pros who are ready to get started with Facebook Live
1. It doesn’t have to be perfect
Let me repeat: it doesn’t have to be perfect. One of the great things about live video is that it doesn’t have to be perfectly edited, and your hair doesn’t have to be just right. It’s live and in the moment!
2. You can go live on your Facebook personal profile, event, group or business page
To go live within your Facebook profile, events or group, you will just need the standard Facebook mobile app. If you broadcast on your personal profile, you can set your privacy settings and choose to broadcast to just friends or to the public.
To broadcast on your business page, you will need the Facebook pages manager app available on iTunes or Android.
3. Be prepared
Even though your live broadcast doesn’t have to be perfect, you can still be prepared by having an idea of what you’d like to talk about. If it helps, put a few notes down on a piece of paper to have in front of you.
4. Authorize access to your camera phone and microphone
The first time you go live, you will see a pop-up from your device asking for permission to access your camera and microphone.
5. Have an attention-grabbing headline
Think about what you want to convey, and put that into the headline. Think in terms of “How to” or “The top 3 ways to … ”
6. Tell people what is in it for them
Once you introduce yourself, tell viewers what they will learn and what is in it for them.
7. Introduce yourself
Have a two- to three-minute “elevator pitch” about who you are that you can use to introduce yourself on Facebook Live.
It can include where you work, your level of expertise, where you live and why you are going live. If you are a bit nervous, practice that part aloud before you go live.
8. The more you ‘go live’ the better you get
The first time you go live, you will be a little nervous and maybe even anxious — but just like anything, the more you do it, the better you get. I call it the “live streaming muscle!”
9. Engage with the audience
Once a few people join your broadcast, you can welcome them by name and invite them to comment or ask you questions live.
10. Don’t worry about how long your live broadcast is
For a lot of us, we were taught short and simple video is better, but with Facebook Live, if it’s longer, that’s OK. We have found people will watch you live for 10 or 15 minutes, if not longer.
We have had hundreds watch us even when we broadcasted for an hour! Viewers love long-form original content and user-generated live streams (think about Netflix and Amazon Prime binge watching!)
You did it! Now, once you are live, you can choose to save the live stream to your mobile device. You might choose to do this if you plan on repurposing the video and adding it to YouTube.
The video will then stay on your profile (or wherever you choose to broadcast from) — unless you delete it.
Make sure you check on your live video over the next 24 to 48 hours. We found we received sometimes more comments after a live broadcast than during when it was live! This is a great opportunity to engage with your audience.
Looking for ideas on what to post about on Facebook Live? Download my free cheat-sheet with more than 30 ideas for real estate here: katielance.com/facebooklivedownload
Katie Lance is the founder and CEO of Katie Lance Consulting, a social media strategy firm and the #GetSocialSmart Academy.
