Club Promotion – Facebook Live
Videos are a great way to get (and keep) peoples’ attention. They can also be a great way to promote your Cadet club.
Advances in technology and bandwidth have made sharing videos online easier than ever. In fact, you can even stream video in real time to capture the moments and share them with your followers as they happen.
One of the easiest ways to do this is by using Facebook Live.
If you use Facebook at all, you’ve probably seen examples of Facebook Live videos already – any time you update your status on Facebook, you have the option of using “Live Video” to do so.
You have to admit – that’s a pretty simple process.
Before you go live with your club or cadre, you can practice by going to your own personal profile, using the “Live Video” option, and selecting “Only Me” as the audience. This will give you the chance to make sure your lighting, sound, and internet connection are working the way you want before you open things up to your usual audience.
There’s no need to get too uptight about quality, though – part of the appeal of Facebook Live is the immediate and genuine nature of live video. This is especially true when capturing action-filled moments like game-time at your club meeting or your cadre’s sledding party.
Your videos don’t need to be action-packed – something as simple as streaming your opening assembly with Cadets reciting their landmarks can give your audience a feeling of “being there” or give parents an idea of what happens at meetings – but more action will likely mean more engagement by your viewers.
Once you’re done with your “live” segment, the video will be on Facebook for you to promote afterward, too.
TIP: If you really want folks to tune in during your live broadcast, be sure to promote it on Facebook a few days before you go live.
Those are just the basics – things can get as complex (or remain as simple) as you would like.
Web cameras are relatively inexpensive, and there is open-source software that can make even an old computer an adequate switchboard.
One club we know of uses several webcams and Open Broadcaster Software to do a multi-camera, well-produced stream of select meetings for Facebook as well as YouTube. If you decide to go this route (or even if you don’t), you may want to find a counselor or two (or even a few Cadets) with an interest in photography or videography to help you out. Depending on the situation, the footage could even be part of a Cadet’s Filmmaking badge project.
If you decide to use Facebook Live (or another way of sharing video), be sure to use it in a way that lets Cadets “be a blessing” to others.
To learn more, explore these links:
- Facebook Live – official how-to guide and info from Facebook
- Tips for Using Facebook Live – good advice from Facebook’s own blog
- How to Broadcast a Facebook Live Event in 5 Easy Steps – easy-to-follow instructions
- How to Use Facebook Live: Ultimate Guide – comprehensive, though “ultimate” seems like an over-statement…
- Open Broadcaster Software – free and open-source software for video recording and live streaming