How To Go Live On Facebook And Instagram

Facebook and Instagram have been adding a ton of new features lately, but one tried-and-true function they’ll always highlight is the ability to go Live. With this method of broadcasting, businesses have a chance to engage their audiences in an immediate and personal manner. Live Videos are text, image, and video-rich and can include clickable CTAs, polls, testimonials, product demos, and more. They are great for product demos, live Q&A, and live training.

It’s never been easier to go live on these platforms due to their inbuilt options in terms of going live from your smartphone in a matter of seconds. However, with that being said, getting your brand’s live video started on Facebook and Instagram could be more of a daunting task than you’d think! To help, we will walk you through everything involved with going live on these key social media platforms.

How To Set Up A Live Video On FB/IG

First, how should you set up a Live Video in terms of equipment? You need the following items:

  1. A camera. This will likely be your smartphone and/or computer.
  2. A tripod. A tripod is an absolute must if you are doing long live sessions, preferably with a ring light for proper lighting.
  3. A wireless remote. This can be your wireless remote or a wired remote that plugs into your camera. (optional)
  4. An external microphone is also optional, but having a microphone is better for sound quality.

In terms of software, you will use your webcam software if you’re streaming using your computer.

Setting Up a Live Video on Facebook:

  1. Go to your Facebook Page.
  2. Click on the Settings button.
  3. Click on the Live Video tab.
  4. Enable Live Videos.
  5. Select which Live Video features you want to use.

If you enable Facebook’s Live API, you can also post Live videos directly to Twitter, Instagram, and other platforms, widening your reach to even more prospective customers.

Necessary: The setting to enable your Live Video API is only available to Facebook Page admins.

Setting Up a Live Video on Instagram: 

  1. Start streaming.

Open the camera on Instagram, tap the record button, and go live.

2. Set a time limit.

As you start streaming, tap the clock icon to set a timer. You can set this to 10 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour, or a custom timer. Remember, live videos expire.

3.     Add filters and text.

You can edit your live videos after they’ve been posted. Tap the edit button, and swipe left or right to transfer between filters. Then type, record, draw or draw over your video.

4.     Save a live video.

When you’re finished, tap the arrow icon in the upper right corner to save the live video to your story. 

5.     Share a live video.

After you’ve saved the live video, tap on it in the upper right corner. Tap the share button and choose your recipient.

Here’s our set up for the Go Getter Team‘s live event earlier this year!

How To Get More People Watching Your FB/IG Live Event

In the Facebook and Instagram Live world, it is effortless to promote your live event. Some of the things that can help promote your live event include:

  1. Using influencers. Your combined audiences will automatically increase watches.
  2. Using Facebook Ads. With the help of Facebook’s live-streaming tool, you can target your audience through Facebook Ads.
  3. Posting on Instagram Stories. Instagram’s algorithms rank your content higher in people’s Suggested and Explore feeds if you regularly post engaging Stories.
  4. Create a landing page. A landing page gives viewers more information about your live stream and allows them to register, purchase, or watch a replay.
  5. Create engaging content. You can’t just sit there and broadcast. Engage your audience. Ask open-ended questions, talk about your viewers, and get creative.

Pro Tip: In case we didn’t mention it enough in the instructions above: SHARE YOUR LIVE VIDEOS! Save and share them across all your social channels for increased reach, as well as to use and/or measure optics for future remarketing campaigns regarding your Live video topic, guests, or event. Plus, can you really ever have too much video marketing content?

For more tips on maximizing your digital marketing strategies with Facebook and Instagram, check our blog and podcast. We encourage you to contact us to learn how we can help transform how your audience engages with your brand!

Want to watch Go Getter Group live on Instagram? Check out our “Preparing Your Digital Marketing for 2022” live Q&A with Sonja and Lenaya here on our YouTube!