In my last article, I shared the many exciting benefits of Facebook’s new broadcasting platform, Facebook Live.
(In case you missed it, you can find that article here. Read that before you read this.)
So if you’re ready to get started with your first Facebook Live broadcast (and why wouldn’t you be? It’s awesome!), I’ve included a step-by-step tutorial along with some tips to make your Facebook Live experience as fruitful as possible.
Before we get into how to do Facebook Live, here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
(And remember — each time you go live, you’ll end up with a recorded video asset you can use to promote your practice after the fact).
5 Ideas for Using Facebook Live
- Touring your office — For example, a LASIK surgeon could give a tour of your LASIK suite, explain the lasers, explain the amount of time it takes, etc. (Since you can flip between front-facing and rear-facing cameras on Facebook Live, you can show your face while you talk, then show video of the laser with the click of a button.)
- Weekly segments (like a TV show) — Do a weekly ‘Lunch n Learn’ or ‘Coffee with the Doctor’ segment, where at the same time each week (1p on Thursday, for instance), you log on and start answering questions.
- Broadcast from an event — like a local health fair or 5k. Invite people to come to your booth for a free screening, to pick up giveaway items or register to win a raffle.
- When you launch a new promo — Go on Facebook Live to share a new promotion you are launching, particularly if there’s a community or charity tie-in. You can discuss why you chose a certain charity, what it means to you, and how you plan to support it.
- To announce the winner of a giveaway — Giving a free treatment or procedure to a soldier for 4th of July? Selecting the winning nominee from your Mother’s Day social media promotion? Announce the winner on Facebook Live, and tease the broadcast for several days prior to make sure people know to tune in!
Alright, so now that you have a few ideas of how to use this platform, let’s talk about how practically to pull this off.
The 5 W’s of Facebook Live
Facebook Live is incredibly easy to use with minimal equipment or expertise. Let’s talk about the 5 W’s of a successful broadcast.
Who? YOU, of course! Facebook Live doesn’t require a professional on-screen persona. You just have to be real, open and honest with your followers.
Relax, have fun, be yourself. Pretend you’re having a Facetime conversation with your children or grandkids.
Want to have someone join you on camera? That’s fine too. A patient or another staff member would be a great ‘co-host’ for your broadcast.
What? In preparation for your first broadcast, let’s get the pieces of equipment you need:
- iPhone (or comparable smart phone device) with Facebook app on it
- Tripod (here’s an affordable one on Amazon that will fit most smart phones)
Aaaaaand that’s it. Doesn’t get much easier than that.
Where? You’ll want to find an area to shoot your Facebook Live broadcast that has minimal noise or distraction.
Your office, an exam lane or even one of your procedure suites (when not in use) would be great options.
When? There’s debate whether during the day or in the evening is more ideal for a medical-oriented broadcast. And like anything else, it can depend on your market.
Our recommendation: Try both. Do a ‘Lunch Break with the Doc’ and see how that goes. Then try an evening broadcast, which you can do from your home office if you like. See what kind of engagement you get with both.
Why? Surely you aren’t still asking that question. Scroll up and read, or go back and read the last article. Now let’s go!
And finally… THE HOW.
Here’s how you activate Facebook Live on your account!
BOOM! You’re rocking. In fact, here’s an example I made just for you:
So now you know how to use Facebook live and some ideas for how to leverage it. Get out your phone and do your first Facebook live this week.
Questions? Give me a shout, I’m happy to help!