Learning to create compelling video is a must. Some speculate that by 2020, 80 percent of internet content will be video. Right now, 50% of shared content is video. With over 2 billion people on Facebook, is your content drawing people in or sending them to your competitor? With so many potential customers right there on Facebook, let’s look at one of the easiest ways to create a video – Facebook Live.
Great videos capture attention right away. You have about 3 seconds to get a viewer’s attention. Always try to start your video with action, not a talking head.  The best videos use humor, educate or provide something useful.
So you’ve got your idea, now what?
Before you start recording, make sure you have the right equipment. You need a tripod or some way to stabilize your phone or iPad. A video that bounces around isn’t fun to watch.
Do you need a microphone? Do a test in the environment you will be recording in. Is there a lot of background noise? Make sure you adjust so that your viewers can have the best experience possible.
Practice makes perfect. Make sure you think through what you are going to say. Think about the background, is it distracting. Have a solid plan in place before going “live.” Don’t forget once you hit record, there is a 3 second delay before the video actually starts. Use the first part of your video should be a warm-up. Make sure you introduce yourself. Call out the people who join you live. Make them feel like they are a part of the conversation. Ask them for feedback in the comments – like where are they from, what do they hope to learn today. Hopefully, you’ll have someone working with you who can watch the comment feed. Be prepared for questions that pop up along the way. If you are doing the video alone, make sure you let people know that you’ll go through the comments after the video ends and answer any questions they might have.
When you get ready to post a video, you’ll have a couple of decisions you’ll need to make. Do you want the creation of the video private or public? Public means everyone can see it as you are recording. Private videos can only be seen by the person recording them until they are posted.
You need to create a catchy title for the video. Keep it short. Only 5-6 words will show on the screen.
Facebook Live has been so successful, they are looking at increasing the length of time you can stay online. When it originally came out, the longest recording you could create was 90 minutes. Now you can record for up to 4 hours. Just think of all the opportunities you have to make your message visual.
You can save these videos and promote them on multiple channels. While you can’t boost them while they are happening, you can after it is posted. You can also link through the share option.
Video is the strongest, most engaging media for storytelling. Make sure you are utilizing it to get your message in front of the most people possible.