Facebook Live For Artists: 7 Best Practices

Facebook Live can be a great asset for artists look for additional ways to connect with the fans, but like any iteration of social networking, there's a right and wrong way to do it. Here we look at seven 'best practices' when it comes to using the video streaming platform.

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Guest post by Bobby Owsinski of Music 3.0

Facebook Live is a boon to artists and bands everywhere who want to reach their Facebook fans. That said, there are some best practices in using the platform, according to Facebook’s Media Blog. Here’s what they suggest:

1. Alert friends and followers in advance about plans to broadcast live, in order to build up anticipation.

2. Ensure that you have a fast enough connection to broadcast live video, preferably WiFi or 4G. Be aware that the “Go Live” button will be grayed out if the signal is not strong enough to support Facebook Live.

3. Post a description of what you are about to share before going live.

4. Ask friends and followers to sign up for notifications so that they are aware of your Facebook Live offerings. Remind them that they can tap on the Follow button so that they’ll receive the notifications.

5. Respond to comments by saying hello and mentioning the names of users who comment.

6. Stay live for longer time periods: Facebook recommends at least 10 minutes, and the feature supports broadcasts up to 4 hours at a time.

7. Use a closing line to signal the end of the broadcast. Be sure to finish with a closing line, like “Thanks for watching!” or “I’ll be going live again soon.” After you’ve wrapped up, wait a few seconds until you hear the “ping” indicating your broadcast is complete.

There are plenty of live video platforms out there, and you may be successfully using some of them already. That’s fine if you’re sure you’re reaching your fans, but keep in the mind that Facebook has more users outside the United States than in. If you want to reach those fans, consider using Facebook Live.