How to Easily Make Facebook Videos

By: | July 15, 2017 | Tags: , , , , |

Facebook videos help bloggers share blogging tips

Today, everyone is jumping on the popular trend to produce videos.

Facebook videos are called Facebook Live.

Twitter has Live Video powered by Periscope, a live streaming app.

YouTube has always been the king of the video market until Facebook and Twitter decided to compete for their share.

Facebook Live has proven to be a decent competitor. After becoming available to the public, just last year, according to recent statistics, interest in Facebook videos has risen over 330%.

Guest author Cathy Lawdanski is here to offer tips on how you, too, can take advantage of the surging interest in Facebook Live to produce your own live streaming videos.

By the end of this post, you will know how to get started and what to talk about in your live streaming videos.

Facebook Live Made Easy

By Cathy Lawdanski

We hear all the time that LIVE video is the way to go. And in this season of blogging and online marketing, it is.

Facebook Live: Your Reach

The page for my blog, My Side of 50, has 554 followers.

In the last couple of weeks, my blog posts have shown anywhere from 9 (yes that’s NINE) to 483 people. That 483 was rare. Most of the time Facebook shows my posts under 100.

In the last 3 months, when I post a Facebook LIVE video, it is shown to a minimum of 300 people with the largest reach being 553.

So since Facebook likes their live videos so much, they are eager to show it to more people and that means a larger reach for you!

But I find that many bloggers are afraid to get in front of the camera, don’t know what in the world they would have to say or both.

Facebook Videos: How to Get Started

  • Keep it short. A Facebook Live does not to be lengthy unless at some point you branch out into teaching something or doing a demonstration that is longer.
  • Jot down few points that you want to make. Notice I said jot down a few points – not write a whole script. Facebook Live is not meant to be SCRIPTED. It is a conversation between you and your readers.
  • And speaking of your readers… if they have liked your Facebook page, they already like you and want to hear what you have to say. That’s why they liked your page.
  • I think of Facebook Live as a conversation and in turn a relationship builder with my readers. Not a performance. So whatever you do… it doesn’t have to be perfect. When you are having a conversation with a friend, you don’t do it with a script and you don’t worry about it being perfect.
  • And unless you are a super popular blogger with a million followers, you probably won’t have that many people watching you live at first anyway. They’ll watch it later when it comes up in your feed. So you don’t have to feel like you are on the network news when you are actually LIVE.
  • Do a practice run through with the video app on your camera. This will help you see where you get hung up or if you need to add/delete anything. Just do ONE. Don’t spend an hour practicing this. As effective as Facebook Live is, it can be a huge time suck if you get hung up on doing the perfect performance. And who needs one more time-consuming blogging task?  Are you with me?

Facebook Live Videos: What To Talk About

  • What you have coming up on the blog this week.
  • A little background about those posts or a story. For example, I wrote a post with a yummy cheeseball recipe. It was close to the Superbowl so I talked about the big game being in my hometown (Houston) and the Texans being in the playoffs. Then I talked about how my cheeseball would be great to serve at a Superbowl party.
  • Or I could have told a story about how we devoured this same cheeseball at our house on Christmas Day and that I make it every year. The point is to give them a little something that helps them get to know you.
  • Talk about a giveaway you are doing. For those signing up for the My Side of 50 e-mail list, I have a giveaway that is a printable of 3 new ways to tie a scarf.  In my Facebook Live video, I talked about how I only know 2 ways to tie a scarf and how handy this guide was to print out and tape to the back of their closet.
  • Give them a short tease on a couple of upcoming blog posts.
  • Tell them why they should subscribe to your newsletter and what subscribers get.
  • Show them something. If you have a DIY project, or a craft project or a dish you have made that will be on the blog, show it to them.

Facebook Live: Final Tips

  • Should you give your followers notice that you will be going live at a certain time? If you don’t want to the first time because you are just getting your feet wet, then give yourself a pass on the first one. Otherwise, I would announce it ahead of time – maybe the day before (if you are organized enough to know you are doing a Facebook Live the next day) and an hour or two before. If you know you will be doing your LIVE on a topic, then say so. “I’m doing a Facebook Live tomorrow at 1:00 on 5 entertaining hacks.”
  • When you start you LIVE, ask your visitors to let you know they are there. Ask them to say “Hi” in the comments or put in the comments where they are listening from.
  • Include a Call to Action in all your Facebook Lives – subscribe, read the blog post, download the opt-in or share this video.
  • Share. Share it to your personal or other Facebook pages you have. Download it to your YouTube channel.

Facebook Live is a great tool for reaching your audience.  Don’t sweat it. Just do it. Remember… the point is CONNECTION and RELATIONSHIP. Not perfection.

Here are 30 Facebook Live Topics.

Bio

Cathy Lawdanski is the blogger behind MySideof50.com, a lifestyle blog for midlife women. She blogs about family, travel, fashion, health and wellness and food.  She also loves blogging and believes that bloggers shouldn’t have to do “all the things” to have a successful blog. She shares blogging tips on the Blogger Smarter Facebook page and through her weekly Blogger Smarter newsletter.

Host Blogger’s Comments:

How to Make a Facebook Live Streaming Video

Simple! On your computer, go to the Facebook Live Map. Then, click “Go Live.”

If you would like to see an example of Facebook Live, Ryan Biddulph made a video using Facebook Live for a blog monetization post he wrote for Mostly Blogging:

 

Testimonials

Carla Birnberg explains the overwhelming popularity of Facebook Live. According to Carla, people have left Periscope for Facebook Live.

Social Media Strategist Kaylyn expressed she loves Live Streaming and explained it can boost your blog traffic if you give people the right Call to Action at the end.

Readers, please share. Considering the overwhelming popularity of Facebook, I’m sure many people would appreciate learning about Facebook Live.

What did you think of Cathy’s post? Is Facebook Live something that might interest you?

I look forward to your views in the comments section.

Note: Janice will be answering comments as her vacation schedule and Internet connectivity allows.

Related Post:

How to Be a Better Blogger with YouTube

Photo Credit:

Pixabay

 

    • Cathy Lawdanski

      Popsi – I’m so glad that you found it helpful! Thanks for reading my post and leaving a comment. I hope you’ll share it with others!

  1. Ryan Biddulph

    Super tips Cathy. I am obsessed with Facebook Live videos. As of this writing I publish 1 daily, along with a Periscope video on the same simultaneous feed. Easy peasy to do; hit the link, give it a little intro and get to talking. As for length sometimes I prefer shorter but other times I go long form, because I nab more views and help more folks when I stick around for a minute. Or 30 😉 Thanks for the video shout Janice!

    • Cathy Lawdanski

      Ryan,

      Wow – that’s a lot of live videos but what a great way to connect with your audience. And you’re right – you can reach more people, answer questions, teach, etc. when you go longer. I’m finding myself going longer now that I’ve done it a while.

  2. Emmanuel Ekanem

    Hi Cathy,

    I’ve not personally gone LIVE on Facebook, thoughts of how i will start, what to say etc keep battling with me. But after going through you post, i’m determined to sum up my courage and go LIVE.

    Thank you so much for this post Cathy.

    Thank you Janice for bringing it to us.

    ~Emmanuel

  3. Steven Jude

    These are some really good points. I have not tried out facebook video though because i am still focusing on youtube. However, i may need to start going into this little by little.

  4. Cathy Lawdanski

    Steven – depending on what you are talking about, you could do a Facebook Live then post it on YouTube – say if you were teaching about something. I have yet to master YouTube! So many social media channels to play with! Thanks for reading and commenting!

  5. Sandy KS

    You always seem to share the most useful information when I am looking for it. Thank you for sharing this.

    • Cathy Lawdanski

      Sandy – I’m so glad you found this post helpful! Good luck on your Facebook Live’s!

    • Janice Wald

      You are sweet, Sandy. Thank you. I agree. Cathy wrote a helpful post.
      Janice

  6. dgkaye

    Thanks for sharing this info Cathy. I’ve been thinking of testing the waters on FB live myself. I was wondering though, if you go live from your phone and you hit the live button is there a way to pause it for a moment or edit it after?

    • Cathy Lawdanski

      When you hit live, it says 3, 2, 1 & your live. No way to edit it later. Although you can edit the title & description after the fact. I suppose you could download it to your computer and then edit it with a video editing program to be used elsewhere, but on FB it will stay just the same as it was when you went live. You can do it! Good luck!

  7. Manish Kumar

    Hi Janice,

    Nice Informative Post!

    Facebook, never one to remain stagnant for more than a few weeks, has introduced a new feature for its users, capitalizing on the recent trends of online video consumption and in-the-moment updates.

    It’s called Facebook Live, and it has the potential to change the way marketers and consumers approach the platform—not to mention influencing most of the platform’s contemporaries.

    At a glance, you’ll notice this live-streaming feature is markedly similar to other products on the market, such as Periscope and Meerkat, which uniquely offered live-streaming video for their users. However, there are a few key differences with Facebook Live, most notably being the ability for the video to be retrieved at any time and the association with other features of the app.

    I will tweet your post.

    Thanks a lot for sharing.

  8. Stefinia

    Great guide on how to present one self on Facebook Live, how to make best use of this feature on facebook. It’s so true it’s like having a conversation with someone so video need not be perfect. We just talk about something interesting and relate it to an item we want to actually talk about, like the cheesecake ex. I am tempted to try those cheesecakes myself(: … great to talk about a giveaway, how the giveaway is quite cool etc, very nice tips you have given, thx.

  9. Susan Velez

    Hi Cathy,

    Great tips on getting started with Facebook Live. I haven’t tried it, I do create videos but I am just using YouTube.

    I am not sure why I haven’t started with Facebook Live. Maybe, because I had no clue what to talk about.

    However, you definitely made it easy for anyone to get started, by providing some things that we could talk about.

    I think videos should be a part of every blogger’s strategy. So many people prefer watching a video over reading. When you’re able to deliver content in both writing and videos, it’s a win-win for everyone.

    Thanks for sharing these tips with us, I know that it will help so many people publish their first Facebook Live video.

    Susan

  10. Arvind

    excellent post Cathy…Videos can really make things to understand easily and I am very big fan of Facebook live videos..looking forward to make some interesting videos now…thanks for sharing this helpful post!!

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Arvind,
      Thanks for writing. I agree; many people find videos easier to understand than blog posts!
      Janice

  11. Bessie Stewart-Banks

    Excellent article and good source of information. Thanks for sharing!

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Bessie,
      Great to see you. I thought Cathy did a great job with her article also. Thanks for writing to let us know you enjoyed.
      Janice

  12. Martha

    I wish I could do videos but since I had a stroke that affected my vocal cords, I squeak more than I talk.

  13. Marina

    . I have joined your feed and look forward to seeking more of your magnificent post.

    • Janice Wald

      Thanks Marina,
      I am happy for our connection. Thanks for writing to tell me.
      Janice

  14. Patrick

    That’s as close to organic reach as you can get! It reminds me of the old days where you could make a facebook page and carry it to over 1k likes/followers in about a weeks time. Thanks for this, I’ll definitely be utilizing facebook live more effectively in the coming weeks.

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Patrick,
      Thanks for the kind words about Cathy’s article. Your comments, however, inspired me to try to promote my Facebook page more than I have. Thanks for writing and the inspiration.
      Janice

  15. Cori Ramos

    Hi Cathy,

    It’s so nice to meet you. Thanks for sharing this post. I am one of those who have a fear of getting in front of the camera. I’m afraid I’ll freeze up and not know what to say or that they’d think I’m boring. 🙂

    I agree with you about the benefits of doing a Facebook live video which is why I’m really workin’ at overcoming my fear once and for all. 🙂

    I like your idea of keeping it short. I think for me that’s the way to start.

    Thanks for sharing this. I’ve saved it so I can read it again before going live. 🙂

    Have a great rest of the week ladies!

    Cori

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Cori,
      Great to see you. I’m still vacationing. I agree Cathy did a great job with her post. Thanks for writing to tell us. Good luck with your Facebook Videos.
      Janice

    • Rebekkah

      I have that same fear and the fear of messing up my words. I can write stories but talking in front of a crowd or camera is another thing. However, I plan on getting over that fear. Another thing, I’m critical on how I look on camera and in pictures. LOL. It’s a bi-product of my childhood.

      • Janice Wald

        Hi Rebekkah,
        Thank you for commenting on my Facebook Live article. May I ask where you found the post? I always wonder.
        In response to your comments: Many people are “camera shy.” For this reason, I have several blog posts planned soon about how to capitalize on the popularity of videos without getting in front the camera. Stay tuned! Thanks again for your comments.
        Janice

        • Rebekkah

          Hey Janice,

          I found your post through Chris The Story Reading Ape. 🙂 Awesome about your future blog posts on camera shy people. I’m looking forward to reading them.

          Have a good night.

          Rebekkah

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Marje,
      Nice to hear from you. I thought Cathy did a great job with her post as well.
      Janice

  16. Emma

    It’s my great pleasure to visit your blog and to enjoy your awesome posts here. I like that a lot.

  17. mikky june

    I accept as true with you approximately the blessings of doing a facebook live video that’s why I’m certainly workin’ at overcoming my worry as soon as and for all.
    i love your idea of preserving it quick. I assume for me that’s the manner to start.carry it to over 1k likes/fans in approximately a weeks time. thanks for this, I’ll virtually be utilising fb live extra efficiently within the coming weeks.

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Mikky,
      Thanks for writing us to tell us you’re going to try FBLive. Let us know how your video goes and the response.
      Janice

  18. Linda

    I also like your idea of keeping it short. I think for me that’s the way to start.

    • Janice Wald

      HI Linda,
      Keeping videos short makes viewers wanting more. They could subscribe for more to your blog. your channel, or both. Thanks for commenting.
      Janice

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