How to Use Facebook Live to Broadcast Your Impact
Facebook Live lets any nonprofit livestream fundraising events, breaking news, impact stories, and more.
While many nonprofits are jumping in and getting their feet wet, others are hesitant about using tools like Facebook Live.
They ask:
- What events, people, and issues should we live broadcast?
- How should we respond to commenters?
- How does Facebook Live fit within my overall marketing strategy?
Facebook Live lets you share your impact.
Often, supporters are hearing about your impact second-hand (through your email newsletter, website, etc). Rarely do they get to witness, first-hand, the impact of their support.
Facebook Live is an inexpensive and super effective way to show supporters the impact of their donations.
For example, Best Friends Animal Society introduces their newest residents to supporters from all over the world. Without Facebook Live (and other live broadcasting tools), supporters would have to travel all the way to Utah to witness, first-hand, BFAS’s impact.
How can you use Facebook Live to broadcast your nonprofit’s impact?
Ready to get started with Facebook Live and bring your organization’s impact to your supporters? Here are eight tips to make your first Facebook Live broadcast successful:
1. Don’t reinvent the wheel
Don’t make extra work for yourself. Instead, consider broadcasting an event that’s already on the books. For example, the New York Public Library broadcasted a special story time in front of City Hall:
Make sure you select existing events that are popular.
2. Tell people WHEN you’re going live
Facebook Live isn’t that exciting if no one shows up. Make sure your core supporters show up when you go live.
- Post an update on your page the week before and the day before
- Include the date time and topic in a Facebook cover photo
- Send an email to your email list
- Share your broadcast date / time in your email newsletter
- Tweet about it immediately before you go live
3. Make an outline for your broadcast
You’ll be less nervous if you jot down an outline of your broadcast on a small index card. Here’s a simple outline:
- Welcome your viewers and thank them for watching
- Introduce your topic
- Introduce yourself and your guest
- List your agenda or interview questions
- Tell people about upcoming events
4. Write a compelling description
When you’re ready to go live, you will be prompted to write a description for your broadcast. Keep it short and sweet:
- Make your topic clear
- Make your topic compelling
- No more than one sentence
5. Respond to commenters
The cool thing about Facebook Live is that you can see comments as they’re posted in real time during your broadcast. This is a unique opportunity to have an authentic discussion with your supporters.
- Call out commenters by name
- Read their comment
- Reply to their comment
- Say thank you
6. Ask for action
As your broadcast reaches more users, your viewer count will increase. This is your captured audience. Seize the moment to ask for action!
- Ask participants to follow your social media channels or join your email list
- Ask supporters to support an issue
- Ask supporters to sign a petition
7. Share the recording with your supporters
You’ve put a lot of time and effort into your first Facebook Live broadcast. Congratulations! Make sure this investment goes further by sharing it with your supporters.
- Send a follow-up email to subscribers
- Link to your recent broadcast in your next email newsletter
- Reshare the broadcast on other social channels
- Embed the broadcast in a blog post
8. Repurpose the recording
When you finish a live broadcast, save it to your mobile device. Then open the file in your favorite video editing software and create several videos to be used on other social networks.
For example, select moments that are less than 60 seconds but still convey a powerful story. These short videos can be used on Instagram (which requires videos to be less than 1 minute), YouTube, Facebook, etc.
Looking for more ideas for your first Facebook Live?
If you’re not sure what topics or events you should broadcast, check out this list of 35 Facebook Live ideas for museums, animal shelters, youth organizations, and more.
Have any additional Facebook Live questions? Let us know in the comments section.
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