Facebook just released a new Live Streaming Application. If you don't see this on your Facebook page when logged in on a Windows or Mac computer DONT WORRY. Facebook is slowly rolling out this new feature. 

In this lecture we review the RTMP streaming protocol needed to live stream to Facebook. We show you where you need to go to obtain your unique RTMP Server and Stream Key required to stream to Facebook. Once you have everything copied down you are ready to start streaming with one of the following streaming software solutions we will review below. 

OBS is one of the most basic live streaming software solutions available on the market today. This software is also completely free and there are plugins available to extend the capabilities. You can download OBS at the link provided in the resources below. 

Also, if you are interested in build a virtual set see the downloads in Wirecast and vMix. I have included the files you need to build a virtual set with OBS. If you need more help see my course on Green Screens and Virtual Sets. 

vMix is one of my personal favorite live streaming software solutions. You can download a free 60 day trial at the link below to get started. This is a very basic tutorial to show you the power of vMix (Which was used to record every other video except this one). If you would like a full tutorial on vMix check out my vMix Master Class Course. 

xSplit is a step up from OBS. I really like xSplit for live streaming because it is incredibly easy to use. If you are looking for a simple way to set up live streams without having to use plug-ins and scripts with OBS xSplit might be the best choice for you. Like all the other live streaming software solutions for Facebook Live xSplit has a free trial. If you like what you see consider downloading xSplit and giving it a try. 

Also, if you are interested in build a virtual set see the downloads in Wirecast and vMix. I have included the files you need to build a virtual set with xSplit. If you need more help see my course on Green Screens and Virtual Sets. 

Setting up a pre-show is incredible important because it gives your audience time to gather before the show. Just because you click the live button doesn't mean you can't give yourself another 5-10 minutes before the show starts. Consider playing music and using a countdown timer to notify the audience of your planned start time. 

At PTZOptics we host a live show every Friday and after over 100 live shows we have found that creating a show with structure is the most professional and effective way to live stream. By using Credits at the end of your live stream you gain the ability to thank everyone involved in your live stream PLUS you can claim your registered trademarks and copyrights. Finally, a post show Q&A is a great way to boost engagement with your audience. 

Using the Facebook Reaction Kit is a great way to boost engagement on your Facebook Live Streams. We will briefly show you how to prompt your audience with Facebook's official reaction emoji''s. PLUS: Don't miss our free download below with all the PNG files you will need. 

The most important factor for social media marketing, in my honest opinion, is audience segmentation. Each platform offers unique tools for "finding your audience" and marketing to them. So let's take a look at the ways we drill down in each platform to make our marketing dollars go further.

In this video, we discuss what we learned marketing live events on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter. We review each platform and there access to demographic tools for marketing our live streams to the best possible audiences. In general, our most effective campaigns included a mix of each social major media platform allowing us to promote our message to highly targeted audiences. 

Wirecast is the software for live streaming that most professionals use. We briefly show you how to use a virtual set and start start live streaming to Facebook. To use a virtual set you will need a green screen background. We have a free virtual set available for download below. 

There are three main ways to advertising on Facebook: Boosting a Post, Boosting a Event and Creating a Boosted Offer. If you are selling tickets to your live stream or event you can do so with an Event or an Offer. I would highly suggest using Facebook's event and offer features because they are free to use. You only have to pay when you boost your events to your target audiences. Boosting a post is ideal for promoting a last minute livestream invitation or a promotional  video. We have testing boosting links to our YouTube Videos and our organic facebook videos which astonishingly different results. We spent $5 promoting a YouTube video and received 17 engagements (16 likes and 1 click) where we promoted the same video organically uploaded to Facebook for $5 and we received 106 views. Through the Facebook platform you very easily integrate your advertising through Instagram which we did through our experiment.

Pro Tip: Facebook is obviously favoring videos uploaded organically to their platform. Don't try to promote YouTube videos on Facebook. Upload your promotional video to Facebook and then boost the post for 10X ROI. 

Facebook has gathered ALOT of information about their users. The most important details are "interests". We have found some very relevant topics of interest available for audience segmenting our social media marketing. Along with interest, Facebook also offers all the standard age, gender and location.

As promised, here is a behind the scenes look at how you can host your own live talk show. The approach does request a pretty fast computer and I recommend an i7. The i7 Intel NUC Skull Canyon computers are perfect for this type of video processing. In this video we discuss two different ways to live stream a talk show. I hope this is help. For more information see my course all about hosting your own talk show!

Easy  steps to a live counter:

1. You begin by entering your access token and post ID, along with selecting your streaming resolution. Easy as 1, 2, 3. It even gives you ice little links to help you figure out how to get locate your post ID and access token.

2. Now for the fun part. The site allows you to select various forms of counter types, shapes, and the “reactions” you’d like to use. It offers you all of Facebook’s reactions and even offers you the ability to upload a custom reaction image. You also choose the style in which you want your counter to appear. It seems like they’re in the process of adding additional options as well.

3. The final section is very important. This is where you choose the background image to your post. What will people be voting for? Simply upload your image and your set. Some additional features here include the ability to have a live comment shout out to appear in your stream, as well as the live counter feature itself.

Poll Features

CONCLUSION

After taking the time to create the previous blog and then having found this, I admit, I feel a bit resentful of our newly discovered website. However, I have a feeling that we are soon to become close friends. I do believe it is important for someone using Facebook as a business platform to have the full understanding of the process. Someone may even prefer to do it themselves so they know everything is secure and custom to their preferences. The website is perfect however for those wanting instant gratification, and to save time. As a beginner to the process, the website eliminates the hassle of downloading multiple applications, paying for access to a server, and learning some basic coding. So, no hard feelings here. We just HAD to share this with you.

This is a in-depth setup for Facebook Live Streaming Integration with Reactions. 

Learn how to use Facebook Live Reactions in OBS.

Learn how to use Facebook Live Reactions in Wirecast. 

Learn how to use Facebook Live Reactions in xSplit!

Learn how to use Facebook Live Reactions in vMIx.