So, last Friday, we did a more formal testing of Facebook Live. We’ve had a few test streams before, but this was longer and a bit more planned than before. Of course, this testing has been delayed but we’ve been struggling with our time lately, and after we saw the product, we had several conclusions.

Things we still have to work on:

1. We have to shoot somewhere brighter. We’re not video people. Worse, we paid less attention to detail. Our video came up really dark, and our video guy (my son) was a bit unaware of what was going on, pressing buttons he shouldn’t have while the video was on.
2. We have to make sure we’re on the fast internet line. Facebook live is demanding. It cuts off your video when your internet fluctuates which is a common occurrence if you’re familiar with Internet Service Providers in the Philippines.
3. We need to get more stuff for this. Facebook Live only works on mobile, so we need to get a more decent mic, a swiveling phone stand.

Yes, we do have some things we need to invest and work on. However, we did do some things right:

1. Planning the talk in advance. I’m glad we made an outline of the things we wanted to cover during the stream. We made an idiot board that could guide us if we ever got lost, but made sure that it was general enough to encourage free talk.
2. Choosing an appropriate topic. When I say appropriate, I mean, it was both entertaining and informative. We started off light with the food intro, we were able to encourage social media interaction by featuring a staff, and we were able to inform by discussing Facebook Live and Periscope. Yey #TeamFacebookLive
3. Modifying the video after the stream. You only have limited options when setting up facebook live, but once it’s posted, you can add in a title, tags, a link and a bit more information. Use it. It helps.

While Facebook Live isn’t exactly designed for super productions, it’s a worthy investment. It may have been originally designed for a more outgoing and impromptu Lifecast, using it for marketing and investing on your video streams will be gratifying. Our reach for the post was almost 30X our usual reach. Pretty good eh?

You can view the video below. It’s far from perfect, but we will get better at it, and hopefully, you’ll still be there, watching us, eat and talk about social media, outsourcing strategies and more.

To view more of our videos, visit our facebook page.