This is an archived page from 2019. Find out more
**(By **Danielle Desir) ****As creatives, we often hear that going live on either Facebook or Instagram is the way to go, but what actually happens when you implement the marketing advice you’ve received all these years? Here’s what I discovered after going live on Facebook consistently for the last five weeks.
Why Facebook? First things first, you might be wondering why I chose Facebook as my go-live platform. The decision was simple – Facebook is where my audience hangs out.
On Facebook, my audience engages with me (comment, share, etc.) and they are more likely to take action on my calls to action. So when I say something like “go check out my most recent podcast episode,” I see a spike in downloads almost immediately.
When it comes to ROI, Facebook makes more sense for my show, but everyone’s audience is different. To figure out which platform you should use – either Instagram or Facebook – dig into your analytics.
Google Analytics (for your podcast website) is a great place to start. Look for your top social media referrers. Next, go live on that platform for a few weeks and analyze the data.
Did you see a spike in podcast downloads after going live?
Did more people like your page?
Did more folks subscribe to your newsletter?
Builds Confidence How about intrinsically? How can live streaming help you develop skills as a content creator?
As a result of going live consistently, I’ve seen a significant boost in my speaking confidence.
When I first started going live, I was nervous and stumbled on my words a lot. However five weeks later I’m at the point where I can go live at a moment’s notice.
Overall, Facebook Live is a great place to practice public speaking. The fact that you can watch the replay is also helpful to see where you can improve.
If you stumble on your words, no worries, don’t get frustrated and keep on delivering valuable content.
The fact that you’re showing up is a big deal so give yourself some grace. Your audience surely will.
In order to learn more about how Facebook Live has impacted other podcasters, I spoke to a few members of the WOC Podcasters Facebook Community about what they have learned so far.
Chase C. McGee host of The Winning Brand Podcast said, “Going Live on Facebook has not only helped me gain a larger audience for my podcast but I also get to interact with people and ask them questions like what would they want to know about the guests I’m interviewing. Going live has really given me more confidence. People think I’ve been doing this for years but it hasn’t been a year yet.”
Andréa Jones the host of Savvy Social Podcast said, “The beauty about Facebook Live is that you have to think on your feet. It’s real, raw, and leaves little room for “do-overs.” Because of that, going live every Friday in my Facebook group has built up my ability to talk naturally and spontaneously about what I do. I use to write out every single word I was going to say on my podcast. Now, I can jot down a general outline and go from there.”
Foster Deeper Connections Going live also shows your audience your personality and allows you to connect with them in real-time.
You can answer questions and solve some of their real-world pain points right now.
Your videos are also evergreen so they can continue to get views and engagement long after you’ve stopped recording.
Helpful Tip: After going Live on my Facebook page, I also share the video on my personal page for more exposure. Sometimes your family and friends need a gentle reminder that you have a podcast that they can actually listen to.
Whitney Barkley host of Pink Lemonade Podcast said, “Going on Facebook Live creates an opportunity for friends and followers to see how my podcast is produced behind the scenes. I used to be nervous about it because if I messed up live, I couldn’t stop and re-record. However, I realized that people honestly were more focused on the content. Facebook Live is also a great tool to see which parts of your show resonates because you get comments in real-time.”
Live videos and video in general, is one of the most engaging pieces of content that you can create. So why not give it a try. With the potential of building your confidence and your audience, you’ve got nothing to lose. Best case scenario you can repurpose your video and create a podcast episode that you can share with the masses!
Danielle Desir is the founder of The Thought Card and can be reached at thethoughtcard@gmail.com