Saniya Farokhi

Live Streaming is thriving. In fact, recent data revealed that global digital streaming viewership reached 3.48 billion in 2023. As a content creator, the quest to captivate your audience is never-ending.

If you want to step up your content game, Facebook Live is the way to go!

This article covers everything you need to know about going live on Facebook. Let’s begin!

Article Roadmap:

• Steps To Start a Live Video
  • Using a Mobile Device
  • Using a Computer
  • Using Creator Studio
  • Using a Streaming Platform
• Best Practices
• Analyzing Your Broadcast
• FAQs
• The Wrap-Up

Steps To Start a Facebook Live Video

A successful live video is a well-prepped live video. Before we get to the steps to conduct a Facebook livestream, here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll need:

1. A smartphone or desktop connected to the internet.
2. Access to the mobile or web app.
3. A functional webcam or camera and a mic.
4. Streaming software with the stream key using a third-party streaming platform.

Whether you’re in charge of your company’s Facebook page or run your own social media accounts, the steps vary from device to device.

Once you have your equipment set up, follow these steps:

Using a Mobile Device

Here’s how you can go live using the Facebook mobile app on your Android or iOS smartphone or tablet:

1. First, log into your Facebook account and tap on the Write something here… box.

2. Tap the Live video option.

3. Allow Facebook to access your phone camera and microphone when prompted. You will stop receiving these prompts once you provide access.

4. Click on the downward-pointing arrow. A drop-down with audience options should appear. Select your privacy settings as per your preference.

You can reserve the broadcast for particular groups or friends if you are posting for yourself. In the case of a company or brand-related broadcast, making the post public will maximize your reach.

If you are new to live broadcasts, you can change your privacy settings to only me to prepare your shot before going live.

5. Write a description and add the location to your livestream.

6. Finally, tap the Go Live button at the bottom of the screen to start broadcasting.

7. Tap Finish to end your broadcast.

Using a Computer

If you’re staying put during your Facebook live event, you can broadcast from a desktop or a laptop. This option is useful for streaming static broadcasts like panel discussions, expert views, reviews, gaming streams, seminars and more.

Let’s see how you can livestream from your desktop:

1. Go to your Facebook page and click the Live video option below the What’s on your mind, (your name)? box.

2. You’ll be redirected to Facebook’s desktop broadcasting platform, Live Producer. The Live Producer dashboard displays hosting and scheduling options.

3. Click on the Go live button in the Go live card to start a live session immediately or schedule an event by clicking on Create Event under the Create live video event.

4. You’ll get access to different settings before going live. But first, grant access to the camera, microphone and sound before proceeding.

5. Click the Webcam option under the Select a video source section. Add the video title and description in the box on the right side of the screen. You can also tag people, add a location and update how you’re feeling.

6. Use the collapsible sidebar on the left side to select where to post and when to start. Click the auto-selected Friends option to choose your audience and manage privacy settings.

7. Finally, click Go live at the bottom of the sidebar to start broadcasting.

Using Creator Studio

Facebook’s Creator Studio is a platform for scheduling, publishing and analyzing content across Facebook and Instagram. You can go live with a Facebook page, provided you have an established follower list.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Visit the Creator Studio website and click the Go live option.

2. Click on Go live to immediately start a live Facebook video or Create event to schedule one for a later date.

3. Write a description, add collaborators and select your audience before clicking on Go live to start broadcasting.

Using a Streaming Platform

Livestreaming platforms are no longer a mere novelty. The potential of these platforms is off the charts. According to Statista, the gaming livestreaming market in the United States alone is estimated to reach $2.40 billion by 2024.

The good news is that live broadcasting on Facebook via streaming software is now possible.

If you’re a live streamer looking to reach your Facebook followers, here’s what you need to do:

1. Log into your Facebook account or page. Click on Live video in the What’s on your mind, (your name)? box to launch Live Producer.

2. Click Select in the Go live card. Next, select Streaming software to add the video source.

3. Locate your stream key or server URL in the Streaming software setup section. Run your streaming software and paste the stream key or URL into the settings.

At this stage, you’ll gain a preview of your stream after successfully connecting to Facebook Live.

4. Select your audience from the sidebar.

Note: The privacy settings for streaming live from Facebook pages will always be public. However, you can set age and location restrictions.

5. Finally, click Go live at the bottom of the screen to start livestreaming.

6. Select End Live video, then hit yes on the confirmation pop-up box to end your stream.

Best Practices

More work goes into making quality content for Facebook Live than just recording. Check out the following best practices to get more eyeballs on your content:

1. Prioritize Quality

Ultimately, quality is king. Here are a few technical aspects you need to consider before creating engaging content:

• Strong Network: You’ll need a strong, steady internet connection to broadcast seamlessly. If possible, connect to a stable WiFi network instead of cellular data when going live with a mobile device.
• Video Resolution: Facebook will automatically set the video resolution to 720p. For the highest video quality, consider using a 1080p-enabled device. Consider checking out Facebook’s technical specifications before going live.
• Ambiance: Good lighting is crucial while setting up your live broadcast. Facing a window provides ample natural lighting while offering clarity to your videos.
• Visual Engagement: Facebook’s algorithm ranks livestreams higher when they use visual engagement tools like enabling high-definition, switching to full-screen mode, turning audio on and more. If you’re using the Facebook app on a mobile device, update it to the latest version to access the full range of Facebook’s visual tools.

2. Prepare and Test the Broadcast

Making the most of this platform requires setting a goal before broadcasting. Think about what you want to convey to your audience or achieve.

• Choose Your Topic: Choosing your topic in advance gives you time to prepare. If you’re a beginner, you can start by brainstorming a topic of interest. A carefully selected topic will garner more traffic and views while satisfying viewers.
• Create an Agenda: List the points you want to discuss during the broadcast. A structured agenda will help you manage the flow.
• State the Call to Action: Whether it’s driving traffic to your website, shopping site or blog, be sure to end by clearly stating the next steps for your audience.
• Choose Your Device: Ensure that your equipment is up to mark. A quick quality check and inspection will help you uncover any hidden issues with enough time to address them.
• Test Your Connection: Check your internet speed to avoid connectivity issues.
• Create a Few Practice Videos: Select the Only Me option to test your broadcast for yourself. The trick will help you assess your video’s sound and light quality while relaxing you a bit before your actual live session.

3. Set a Moderator

Dealing with comments is a mixed bag. With a big following, you’ll encounter all sorts of things — questions, compliments and yes, trolls, too. That’s where having a dedicated comment moderator comes in handy.

Assign someone to sift through the chatter, weed out troublemakers and clean up the comment section by deleting, hiding or pinning comments. With someone keeping things under control behind the scenes, you’re free to focus on engaging with your audience and keeping the conversation lively.

4. Promote Your Broadcast

Build up anticipation by making announcements in advance. Be creative when announcing events and use different media options like starting a countdown, sharing Facebook Stories and cross-promoting across multiple platforms to increase visibility.

State the time and date of your live event clearly and frequently post to play by the algorithm’s rules.

5. Engage Your Viewers

Your videos attract more attention when they offer more scope for audience participation. Not only do interactive videos dispel boredom and draw more viewers, but they also rank higher on Facebook.

Keep your videos lively by asking questions, prompting audience participation and giving shoutouts to individual participants. Encourage likes, shares and comments to boost reach:

• Answer questions: Responding to submitted questions encourages viewers to stick around. If you’re doing a Facebook live event, ask participants or guests to interact with the viewers by addressing the live comments.
• Address viewers by their names: Engage with your commenting viewers by calling out their names while answering their questions. Doing this will encourage more viewers to comment while including them in the live experience.
• Pin top comments: Use the pin comment function in the text to make interesting comments or questions visible at the top of the chat. Pinning the comments or questions you’re addressing is an excellent way to offer context to newly joined viewers.
• Keep introducing yourself: Viewers have a habit of hopping in and out of livestreams. Reintroducing yourself or giving a brief rundown of the topic now and then keeps everyone up to speed, no matter when they tune in.

6. Increase Broadcast Duration

Broadcasts that run longer reach more viewers. Ensuring that you’re live for more than three minutes and at least ten minutes increases the chances of more people joining.

The Facebook Live limit is four hours, but you can extend this time to eight if you’re broadcasting with an external streaming platform.

Longer broadcasts also allow your audience to share the stream with their friends or on their feeds.

7. Use Facebook Live’s Interactive Tools

Keep things fresh by letting your viewers participate in your broadcast. Different tools let you mix things up to reduce passive viewing:

• Live polls: Create and launch polls during the broadcast to collect quick feedback from the audience. Cover different topics, conduct votes and analyze viewer preferences by building polls.
• Featured links: Include links to relevant third-party websites and resources about topics you’re covering. Use links to direct viewers to your company page, shopping site, blog and more.
• Live Stories: Improve broadcast visibility with the option to share your broadcasts to Facebook Stories directly.
• Front Row: Use the front row feature to identify your most loyal viewers so that you can give them a shoutout.
• Badges: Let your viewers earn badges for engaging with your content.

8. Add Captions

Whether you’re running your company’s Facebook page or your own, it makes sense to consider ways to reach a broader audience. Captioned videos are the simplest way to make your broadcasts accessible.

Adding subtitles is an excellent way to make your content inclusive.

Captioned videos give viewers a gist of the topic while making it accessible to hard-of-hearing and non-native speakers. Subtitles also support viewers who prefer watching in silence or tuning in from noisy environments.

9. Be Authentic

Going live on Facebook is all about establishing a human connection with your audience. Here’s what you can do to keep the conversation natural:

• Add a personal touch. Sprinkling your broadcasts with nuggets from your personal life can help you connect with your viewers at a personal level. For example, if you go live on your anniversary or a friend’s birthday, let your viewers know about the special occasion.
• Embrace your mistakes. Anything can go wrong during a livestream. You can face technical difficulties, stutter a few times or lose your train of thought. When mishaps happen, it’s better to own them and keep rolling rather than be embarrassed and end your broadcast early.
• Keep the conversation light and fun. Let your audience strike a chord with your real self by keeping communication channels open. You can also ask your viewers to share their own experiences in the comments to add color to your broadcast.

Analyzing Your Livestream

You can analyze your stream’s performance after several days by clicking the Insights tab. This feature will help you gauge metrics like unique viewers, minutes viewed, average percentage completed, 10-second views, comments, reactions and shares.

You can also get additional metrics like total views, peak live viewers, audience and average view time. These insights help improve your Facebook Live strategy.

Additionally, the Creator Studio dashboard lets you access:

• Performance: See total views and engagement levels across various periods on a more granular level via interactive graphs and charts.
• Loyalty: Determine whether people are coming back. Evaluate how your live videos impact net follower counts, returning viewers and complete views.
• Audience: Identify your viewers. Where are they watching from? Access audience insights to view audience demographics.
• Retention: Identify whether Facebook recommends your videos after another video and the percentage of followers interested in your content.

Frequently Asked Questions

Connecting with a live audience, even from a completely different location, can be daunting. To help you prepare, we’ve compiled a list of the top questions about broadcasting on Facebook.

How does streaming work?

Facebook Live uses a computer or phone camera to broadcast real-time videos to Facebook pages. Once created, the videos will reside on your page for those who missed the live event. You can decide who can view your live broadcasts with the audience selector tool.

How can I watch it without an account?

Viewers can access streams with or without a Facebook account. Viewers without an account can watch a livestream using the URL or the livestream link embedded on the broadcaster’s website or blog.

Is Facebook Live free?

Yes, Facebook Live is free. You can use the broadcasting feature if you have a Facebook account. However, creating high-quality live videos involves expenses like purchasing equipment or hiring a production team, depending on the scale.

Additionally, using Facebook’s Boost Post feature to promote your broadcast adds advertising costs.

Can I see who watched my Facebook Live?

During your live broadcast, you can see who’s watching your video and who interacts with you. You’ll receive notifications when your Facebook friends tune in. If you’re not friends with them, you’ll know when they interact with you during the broadcast.

How long do streams last?

Livestreams have a time limit that varies according to your device. If you’re broadcasting from a computer or external streaming software, your broadcast can last eight hours. On mobiles, the stream lasts for four hours.

Do I need streaming software for Facebook Live?

You don’t need to download any additional solutions for your live broadcasts. You’ll only require a streaming platform to livestream from an external API.

The Wrap-Up

Facebook Live is an exciting platform to explore if you want to increase brand engagement with a wider audience. You don’t need a fancy studio or expensive equipment to get started — you only need a smartphone or computer with a working camera, microphone and good lighting.

So, get past your camera fright and create your first broadcast with the resources you have.

Do you have any tips for going live on Facebook? Let us know in the comments below!