How to Go Live on Facebook: The Ultimate Guide

Facebook Live is an incredibly useful tool that allows you to broadcast live video straight from your mobile device or desktop computer to your followers on Facebook.

Whether you want to share breaking news, host a virtual event, do a Q&A, or showcase your skills and expertise, going live on Facebook helps you engage with your audience in real time.

In this comprehensive 2600+ word guide, we‘ll walk through everything you need to know in order to create successful and engaging live broadcasts on Facebook.

Why Go Live on Facebook?

Before we get into the step-by-step instructions, let‘s look at some of the main benefits of streaming live video on Facebook:

• Real-time engagement: Facebook Live allows you to interact with your viewers as your video streams live. They can comment, react, and ask questions in real time.

• Increased exposure: Live videos are prioritized higher in the Facebook algorithm and News Feed. This gives your broadcasting greater visibility to more of your current followers.

• Viral reach: If your real-time video starts gaining traction, it can easily be shared across Facebook, allowing you to reach a huge organic audience.

• Flexibility: You can broadcast from anywhere you have an internet connection and access Facebook, whether from your phone or a professional studio set-up.

• Analytics: Facebook provides data and metrics on your live videos after you finish broadcasting so you can optimize for better performance.

Facebook Live has exploded in popularity since launching in 2016 and is showing no signs of slowing down.

As of January 2022, over 2 billion people use Facebook every month, which gives creators massive potential exposure from live streaming directly into Facebook‘s ecosystem.

Additionally, the platform has made live video streams a top priority – the algorithm favors real-time engagement and timeliness.

This means broadcasts reliably reach wider audiences as they‘re surfaced high both in individual followers‘ feeds and on Facebook‘s central video discovery channels like Watch and Gaming.

Let‘s look at some key statistics that highlight the huge opportunities:

• Facebook users watch over 6 billion hours of livestreams a month as of 2021, up 15x since 2018

• On average there are over 600k live streams happening daily

• Top streams can gather audiences of several hundred thousand concurrent viewers

• Live videos generate over 10x as many comments per post as non live videos

As more creators realize the power of tapping into Facebook‘s unmatched scale, we‘ll continue seeing rapid innovation and adoption of livestreaming from individuals, media outlets, businesses, governments and more.

Now let‘s dive into step-by-step instructions…

Step-by-Step Guide to Going Live

Going live from your phone or desktop profile is a fairly straightforward process whether you‘re using the Facebook app or web browser.

Here are the basic steps:

1. Open the Facebook App and Tap "Live"

On mobile, simply open up the Facebook app and tap on the "Live" option at the top of your News Feed. You may need to swipe right to see it.

If using the desktop browser version, click on the "Live Video" option in the status update composer box at the top of your feed.

2. Choose Your Privacy Settings

Before going live, Facebook will ask who you want to share your broadcast with.

You can make it public so anyone can view, limit it to friends only, or even make it just for yourself. Choose wisely based on your intentions.

Be strategic here – wider distribution is better when starting out for maximum exposure. You can fine tune privacy settings once you have an engaged viewership.

3. Allow Access to Your Camera and Microphone

The next step grants Facebook permission to access your device or computer camera and microphone. Both need to allowed to broadcast video.

You‘ll also want to allow it to access your location if you want viewers to know your current location. Location tagging helps reach local audiences interested in area-specific content.

4. Set a Title and Description

Adding some quick context helps viewers understand what your broadcast is about before they join. Write a short descriptive title and overview in the fields shown.

Pro tip: Include relevant keywords and hashtags that describe your content‘s topic focus. For example #LiveQandA, #TutorialTuesday, etc. This helps the right people discover you.

5. Go Live!

Once everything looks good, simply tap or click the large blue "Go Live" button and your live broadcast will instantly start publishing out to your audience on Facebook!

Monitor your Real-time viewer count and comments pouring in from fans during your stream. Your viewers can also opt to be notified the next time you go live.

And that covers the quick basics of starting a Live stream from your personal Facebook profile. You can follow similar steps to broadcast from a Facebook Page or Group where you‘re an admin.

Now let‘s get into optimizing and enhancing your live streams…

Producing Quality Live Streams

To maximize viewership and engagement on your real-time Facebook videos, you‘ll want to optimize for a professional, TV-style production quality.

Here are some key tips for improving your stream:

Get Proper Lighting

One of the most important aspects is making sure you have adequate lighting pointing at your face/subject so viewers can clearly see you. Dark and grainy video is an easy way to lose audience interest.

We recommend getting a small clip-on ring light or using natural daylight from a bright window facing your front. And make sure no strong backlight creating harsh shadows.

Invest in a USB Microphone

Audio clarity is equally as important. The microphones built into phones and laptops tend to be mediocre.

Using an affordable USB condenser microphone ensures your voice will be crisp and easy to hear regardless of background noise.

USB microphones start around $50, while professional XLR mic setups can cost hundreds. Consider investing in quality audio gear once you plan on streaming consistently.

Use a Tripod or Stabilizer

Holding your phone manually can make for shaky video. Attaching your phone to a compact tripod or smartphone gimbal stabilizer helps keep footage steady.

Basic tripods are very affordable and hugely improve production value. Splurge on an advanced gimbal once you are monetizing your content.

Check Your Internet Speed

You‘ll want to make sure you get at least 3-5 Mbps upload speeds for smooth 720p streaming. We recommend testing your internet speed before going live using Speedtest.net.

Slow choppy video buffered with delays is very frustrating for viewers. For reference, 5 Mbps allows 720p quality, 10 Mbps enables crisp full 1080p HD.

Interact With Your Audience

The key benefit of live video is the real-time connection with viewers. Be sure to engage with any comments, reactions, or questions from fans as they come in.

Calling out people by name makes them feel valued. You can also invite special guests into your broadcasts via multi-person streams.

According to Facebook, Live videos see 6x more interactions vs VOD posts. So be sure to leverage this opportunity that plays straight into social media‘s strengths.

Choosing the Best Time to Go Live

In addition to optimizing your stream production and video quality, going live at the right times can dramatically boost your viewership.

The best time depends heavily on your target audience and topic. But analyzing some overall trends is a good starting point.

Based on aggregated data, the highest Facebook Live viewership tends to happen on weekends:

And the peak viewing hours are:

• Weekdays: 7-8 PM
• Weekends: 9-10 PM

So try streaming when your followers are most likely available to kick back and engage. You can always post your live videos as replays too for added visibility.

Advanced Facebook Live Features

Beyond the basics, Facebook also provides broadcasters some advanced features for enhanced production value:

Scheduling Live Streams

For planned events, interviews or shows, you can schedule a live stream in advance rather than simply going live spontaneously.

This allows you to promote and build anticipation for future broadcasts on your other social media channels and website.

To schedule, click the "Schedule Stream" button after starting the broadcast flow rather than "Go Live". You can then pick the exact date and time to automatically start streaming to Facebook.

Using Third-Party Encoding Software

For professional live streams with multi-camera setups, streams longer than 4 hours, or other complex production elements, you can use third-party encoding software like Wirecast and streaming tools like OBS studio.

This requires streaming via Real Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP) to Facebook‘s External Encoder settings. More details can be found in Facebook‘s Live API documentation.

Here‘s a feature comparison of the most popular encoder programs:

Facebook Live with Guest Rooms

Facebook now allows you to go live with up to 50 additional guests via Messenger Rooms integration.

This is great for interviews, panel discussions, conferences, classes, and other interactive events with multiple hosts, speakers and thought leaders.

To start a Room, click on Rooms in your sidebar and create a title and guest list before starting your Live.

Earning Money with Facebook Stars

Qualified Facebook Pages that get accepted into the Partner Monetization Program can also earn money from live streams via viewer "Stars".

Fans can purchase stars during live videos to support their favorite creators. As the broadcaster, you then earn a share of money spent on stars.

To qualify, you need at least 100k followers and to meet other partner program requirements.

Creative Ways Brands Use Facebook Live

Beyond personal broadcasting, many innovative brands leverage Facebook Live to drive business results:

• Product launches: Demo and discuss new products coming to market to generate buzz

• Behind-the-scenes: Show fans a "day in the life" inside your company culture

• Influencer takeovers: Guest stars can take over your brand‘s page streaming

• Live shopping: Viewers can purchase featured items instantly from stream

• Media events: Cover conferences, fashion shows, tournaments, etc

• Customer support: Respond to buyer questions and feedback in real-time

There are so many creative ways to produce value via live streaming for your target audiences. Experiment to see which themes resonate best.

Now let‘s look resolving issues…

Troubleshooting Facebook Live

While going live on Facebook is generally very reliable across devices and internet connections, occasionally technical issues arise.

Here are some common problems and fixes:

Can‘t connect to stream

• This is typically caused by an unstable internet connections. Try disconnecting/reconnecting to Wifi or toggling Airplane mode. Also close and restart the app.

Video keeps buffering

• Similarly, this likely indicates your upload bandwidth is too slow and throwing encoding errors. Test speeds with Speedtest.net and move closer to your router. Lower video resolution if needed.

No sound

• Make sure microphone permissions are enabled for the Facebook app in Settings on your phone. Also use earbuds w/ built-in mic.

Keeps crashing

• The Facebook app may need to be updated or reinstalled. Make sure your Android/iOS is running latest OS version. Also restart your phone.

Comments not appearing

• This is typically a connection issue between your streaming device and Facebook‘s servers. Check your internet status and restart the broadcast.

If other unusual technical issues keep occurring, consult Facebook Live‘s troubleshooting FAQs or contact Facebook support.

Now let‘s wrap things up with some key takeaways…

Key Takeaways and Advice

Here are the most important tips to remember:

• Test first: Do an initial test broadcast to worked out any kinks before publicly broadcasting. Make sure your camera, mic, lighting and internet speeds are adequate.

• Find the right location: Pick a quiet area with no disturbing backgrounds or ambient noises that could distract viewers.

• Promote your stream: Let your audience know ahead of time on your other social media channels about planned live streams to drive viewership.

• Engage your fans: Respond to viewer comments and invite special guests into your broadcast to make it more engaging.

• Have fun: Don‘t obsess over getting everything perfect technically. Bring your personality and passion to your live streams.

I‘ve been using Facebook Live consistently for over a year now to engage my audiences around entrepreneurship and growth marketing topics. It‘s been hugely beneficial both for relationship building and driving traffic to my other content.

I highly suggest you take advantage of Facebook‘s unmatched reach to get your voice, brand and messages out there to the world!

Let me know if you have any other questions.