Look, we all know that video is an incredibly effective tool for marketing. But did you know that Facebook Live videos get three times more engagement than a video that is no longer live? Plus, Facebook Live videos get five times the amount of exposure than photo posts. This presents a huge opportunity to promote your studio and business!

So why wouldn’t you want to give a live interactive experience in your studio? Why wouldn’t you want to engage with your people simply by clicking a button? Facebook Live is great for building brand awareness, getting more potential students through your doors, and for engaging your current customers. 

Here are 12 tips for best using Facebook Live to promote your studio: 

1. Make Your Video Click-Worthy Before You Go Live

Write an eye-catching caption to go with your video before you even go live. You want to write copy that sparks enough curiosity for viewers to click on your live video as soon as they see the notification.

2. Film Horizontally On Your Mobile Device

A horizontal video looks better than a vertical video on the Facebook newsfeed. Be sure to flip that phone sideways before going live. 

3. Face a Window

Natural light looks way better than your studio lights which often come off as yellow, glowing orbs above you on video. Also, if you’re a glasses-wearer, be sure to take those off and avoid any awkward reflections of light off your lenses. 

4. Bring Some Energy

Come onto the live video with a smile on your face and some energy in your body language. You only have one shot to hook in viewers with the energy you’re presenting visually. Plus, who wants to come to a yoga studio where the person on their Facebook Live video was kind of a drag? It’s important to be yourself, but maybe consider drinking some coffee first if you’re not all-in energy wise.

5. Embrace Small Mistakes

It’s a live video, it won’t be perfect and that’s the beauty of it. It’s a lot like engaging in real life! People will overlook mistakes and small distractions unless you draw attention to them–– and that’s what kills the video and takes attention away from the message you want to deliver. Just embrace your humanness and do the best you can!

6. Ask Your Viewers to Interact‍

Facebook rewards videos algorithmically that have more engagement. Ask your viewers to like, respond, and share your video. A great way to incentivize engagement on live videos is by running a contest or giveaway. Ask and you shall receive.

7. Reference Your Commenters by Name

Studies about “the cognitive self” indicate that people respond positively when they hear their name. So when you’re addressing comments or questions during your live video, use the name of the commenter in your response. It makes the person feel special and helps build a stronger connection between you and your viewers.

8. Show Off Your Studio Culture

This is an awesome opportunity to show off your unique brand by sharing what it’s like in your studio space, who works or practices there, and the overall culture you’ve built with your values. You can also help build your reputation by using influential people in your community who support your business. This way, when a new member walks in the door they feel like they already know somebody. 

9. Feed a Little FOMO

FOMO–– Fear of missing out. Give people a glimpse into events at your studio. This will give people a reason to keep watching so they don’t miss out on some interesting happenings.

10. Give a Call-To-Action

Don’t push the end button on your live video without a call to action. What do you want viewers to do next? Ex. Call to book a free class, like your page, share your video, tag three people. 

11. Make Post-Live Edits

After the video has ended and it’s made available on your page, make sure you upload a custom thumbnail, add captions to your video (Facebook generates captions that you can look through and edit for accuracy), and make any necessary edits to the description. 

12. Check-in On Facebook Insights

After your video has been up for a day or two, go to the insights tab on your Facebook page to see the stats on how the video performed. If your video did well, you should consider using it as content for a Facebook ad campaign. And if it did especially well, consider making it a “Featured Video” on your page to catch the attention of everyone who visits your Facebook page.

Conclusion

Don’t be afraid to experiment with Facebook Live video and see what kind of content gets the best engagement for your studio. Like with most things marketing, the path to success is trying different tactics to achieve an objective and measuring the results to see what performs best. Do you have a Facebook Live tip? Share it with us by commenting below!