This is an archived blog from when I ran Conscious Public Relations Inc. from 2008-2018. Excuse the potential outdated-ness!
Recapping my experience doing a Facebook Live Seminar
I did my first Facebook Live Seminar as a value partner to the Beauty & Wellness TV members in their private Facebook group. While it was not my first time using Facebook Live, I learned some great tips about how to successfully prepare and execute a longer-format seminar (20-30 minutes long) via this platform.
- Turn your vibrate and ringer functions off. Pretty straightforward… you don’t want your device to be making unnecessary noises and distracting both you and the viewers.
- Make sure your wi-fi connection is clear. I told my husband that this time was off-limits for internet usage. My first attempt at the broadcast cut out the first time, so if it did the same the second time, I would have moved closer to where the router was. Luckily I didn’t have to do this and delay the broadcast.
- Add an extra light if you can. I did the broadcast at night when there was no more natural light, so I pointed my desk light towards me for some additional lighting, since my room light isn’t very bright. It made a difference.
- Load documents ahead of time. A former presenter had a great supplementary document she used as reference, so I did the same. Plus, planning an editorial calendar was about 1/2 of the content of my presentation so it was a good thing I had prepared it in advance.
- All of your supporting information will read backwards. I didn’t use any signs for this seminar, but just be aware that if you show any, you’ll have to write/print them backwards if you want them to read properly during the broadcast.
- If the connection breaks, wait a moment to see if it returns. This has happened to me previously, and it’s pretty much a seamless break if someone re-watches the broadcast, so unless the connection cuts out completely, give it a good minute.
- If the connection is lost for good, start another broadcast. This happened on take one, so I posted a comment on the first broadcast that I was going to start another one so viewers would be redirected. I didn’t get the video title completely right, but don’t worry about it — you can edit it later. I also removed the earlier broadcast that didn’t work from the group.
- Engage in real-time conversation. It’s fun when you can see exactly who is joining in and you can give them a shout-out. I answered most questions that came in, but be aware that there could be about a 30 second delay between the time the person asks the question and when it arrives to you. I also missed a question. So again, not perfect, but it’s great to be able to generally react to what the viewers are saying. Also, my WhatsApp messages were going off part of the time too, so you just gotta stay focused on the task at hand.
- If people are commenting that you’re breaking up or freezing, KEEP GOING. It’s likely their connection. Remember that the video is going to be re-playable, so they can always go back to see what you said later.
- After the broadcast, you can TRY to save it the file, but it may not work. Posting is more important! It’s happened before that Live videos in the group did not upload properly. This was the first time I noticed that when I completed the broadcast, I was given a prompt to download the video file and post it (I don’t even understand why you wouldn’t post… it’s supposed to be there anyway!). I attempted the download, but it seemed like it was taking forever, so I hit “Post” just in case to make sure the video would appear properly, and it did.
- Have another clock nearby. Because the time wasn’t visible during my broadcast, I couldn’t tell whether I was on time or not. I’d recommend a 30 minute max broadcast, as I personally find it hard to stay engaged past that point. Mine came to about 32 minutes, minus the 3 minutes of waiting for people to join, and including some time for Q&A.
While the platform isn’t perfect, it’s definitely a good (and free) tool for live broadcasts. Happy Facebook Live-ing!
