How To Make Your Live Videos More Successful

Video marketing isn't going away anytime soon and research shows that live videos help increase engagement with your audience. There's nothing quite like interacting in real-time, so I'm bringing on a special guest who's an expert on this topic. 

My friend, Vicky Lashenko, was the host of the very first live interview show on Facebook.  Isn't that cool?  With years of experience and plenty of trial and error, she's sharing some helpful tips to help you to up your game. 

Together we discuss some commonly asked questions and dive into the topic to help you succeed and be more confident in front of the camera. 

Press play above, you won't want to miss this! 

 Topics Covered in the episode: 

1. What stops people from getting on video and how to fix it. 
2. Ways to make better videos & look professional, even if you’re just starting out. 
3. How to look and show up as your best on camera
4.  Helpful tech tools and tips. 
5. Proudest moments.

Episode Highlights: 

"Consistency is truly the key to have successful live videos because Facebook prefers live video."

"When FB can see that you're constantly and consistently producing live video, they'll push that video out to more people."

"Be consistent for a month and you'll see a steep increase in the number of views...You can start by doing a live video once a week." 

"Pretend like you're going to an event that really matters to you.  What would you wear? How would you do your hair and makeup?  Show up like the event matters. If you want to be seen as an expert in your field, put in the extra effort to make yourself look presentable."

More ideas:  

•  Schedule your live videos in your calendar, make it a point to show up.
• Keep the camera eye level, use a stack of books or stand.
• If you don't have a fancy light set, stand in front of a window.
• If you don't know what to say, write out a script, word for word.  Practice it several times beforehand and become familiar with it. 
• Don't read from a teleprompter when going live and interacting with others, you're not a newscaster. 
• Know your content and have your words in front of you, you’ll feel more prepared and confident. 
• When you start, dive into exactly what you're going to talk about right away.  People will tune out if you start rambling. 
• Grab their attention right away.  Dive into the topic right from the start. 
• Introduce yourself.  Not everyone is going to know who you are, so introduce yourself every time you start.
• People are busy, don't waste their time.  Get in and get out.  
• Be focused, share your tips and stay on topic. 
• Ask people to put the questions into the comments below, you can go through after and answer them. 
• Save the Q&A until the end. You can then go off and crop off the end of your video in the end, for the replay or uploading on other platforms. 
• Don't get distracted and get sucked into the chat.  Ask people to post their questions and save for the end. 
• Remember that people will tune into the replay, don't have too much chatting in between that doesn't make any sense to those watching later. 
• Don't ignore the audience who is there live.  Make sure to acknowledge them. Take 30 seconds, go down the names, acknowledge people who are watching live. 
• Practice makes perfect.  Expect that your first few live streams won't be perfect. It's just the way it is, but keep practicing, you'll get better.   
• You can create a private FB group, where you can go and practice going live. 
• Rewatch your videos and pinpoint ways that you can make them better, like removing bad habits and fidgeting.
• Preparation is super important, don't scramble last minute.
• Create a checklist of things to remember to make sure everything is set up properly and working. 
• Don't live stream from Wi-Fi, use an ethernet cord to the internet.
• Time of day matters, don't go live when you're low-energy and drained. 
• Send your live stream to someone you trust and ask people who know you for honest feedback. 
• Hype yourself up beforehand, listen to music, something motivational, dance music to pump yourself up to raise your vibe and energy. 
• Don't overcomplicate it, start where you are.
• Sit across a window for good lighting, around noon or before 2 pm so that the lighting isn't directly in your face. 
• A basic pair of headphones will work for audio if you don't have a mic.
• Keep your hair or clothing away from rubbing the mic or headphones.
• Put your laptop or camera up on a stack of books, so you're eye level with your audience. 
• A simple Logitech webcam is great to start. 
• Use a clean background, wall or an uncluttered area.
• Stay on-brand. Make sure your videos emit your branding style. If you’re going for professional, match the look and feel.  If you’re going for hippie, then, by all means, rock that vibe.   
• You can use clear headphones, that you can't see on camera.  
• Look straight into the camera. 

More video tips on the show, make sure to tune in and watch the full episode. Guest: vickylashenko.com 

What were your biggest takeaways?  What is your biggest struggle when it comes to video, I'd love to hear from you.