Tips on hosting a Facebook live stream for your business or non profit

July 03, 2020

Show your customers why you’re worth investing. COVID-19 has been a rude awakening for a lot of small business on what needs to be done to keep the lights on. Unfortunately, things are not what they used to be, and less and less customers are coming through the door. That does not mean you have to give up. There is plenty you can do to make a living safely, responsibly, and remotely.

Your customers believe in your brand, let them show their support to you via social media. Oftentimes small business may not want to venture into selling or asking for money on social media because they’ve never done it before. We recommend hosting a livestream to raise funds during these troubling times. For some, the idea may seem intimidating, but done right, it could help you raise much needed funds. Here we’ll give you a brief insight as to why you may want to consider a livestream for your nonprofit or business along with a few tips to make a successful event.

Why:

People need your services in the community, they just can’t always get to them. The COVID-19 has exposed the need for online communication more than ever. As people continue to stay home, people are looking for avenues of resources and entertainment. It’s unlikely that your customer base has no need for you anymore, instead, they are likely forced to stay home or focusing their priorities elsewhere. With a video live stream, let them know that you need their help too, that you haven’t gone away. A live stream can allow you to raise funds directly without having customers set foot at your storefront. Go to your customers where they are at. Dedicate an hour to selling your product or explaining your cause, and you’ll be surprised at how people will try their best to reach out to you. Don’t think that your product or service is not worth a livestream. Even if you do not have an ecommerce store or website, a livestream can help you book appointments, place orders via phone, or straight out donate cash to your non-profit (facebook,paypal, etc).

How:

Setting up a livestream may be simple or complex. Each option depends on your budget, but getting online is not impossible. The simplest way is with a smartphone and a business account on Facebook. We recommend investing in a tripod to hold a phone while you/your representative speaks. This is literally a sales pitch. Tell your audience who you are, what you do, and what they get with your support.

The longer the livestream the better. Make time for your audience to gather catch up to your stream. As professionals in the television industry, we can guarantee you that a minute on a live broadcast is an eternity once the camera starts rolling. As a pro tip, write down a few common phrases, cue cards, or have notes handy to keep the conversation focused.

Build an audience. Let your followers know a week in advance about your livestream event. Commit to a time with a few days notice and give yourself time to prepare how you will make the stream possible. Use that time to choose camera setup, what you’re going to say, and the overall structure of the stream. We recommend that you promote the stream every day leading to the event.

Of course, more elaborate setups will introduce video feeds, branding graphics and much more to make your stream more professional. The goal is the same either way, put yourself out there and let customers know why you are the best choice. A live stream is not the same as a promotional video. Think of it like a telethon or live sales programing like QVC. Harness the power of a live audience to create a sense of urgency so they can purchase or donate instantly.

Full disclosure: Top Hat Central offers a livestream service for business and nonprofits. From planning, to multi-camera studio quality productions, graphics packages, and on camera coaching, we provide full support to make any small business stand out. Recently we helped a Brownsville nonprofit raise over $12,000 for their livestream. We even provided a teleprompter for the company leaders to read and respond to comments live. For more information on our services check us out here or watch a sample of the stream facebook.com/bigherotx.org