Did you know that 30% of people who watch a livestream of an event will attend the same event the following yearExit Disclaimer? And, according to Facebook, users spend more time watching (up to 3 times longerExit Disclaimer) and comment more (up to 10 times more commentsExit Disclaimer) when a video is live. Increasing attendance, participation, and engagement in HIV awareness day events is a challenge with which many in the HIV community struggle. For some, live streaming may offer a new tool for meeting that challenge.

Why Livestream?

Chances are, if you’ve dedicated time and resources into planning an awareness day event, you want as many people as possible to participate. Livestreaming is a great way to increase participation and overall visibility of your organization.

Check with your target audience – do they expect or want this type of engagement during an event? In a recent surveyExit Disclaimer, 53% of respondents said they wanted to see more video content from marketers, making it the leading format and putting it ahead of news stories (46%) and social media posts (44%).

Also, many stakeholders will be already engaging live during the event on their social media platforms (sharing photos, etc.); this time may also be when the largest number of your target audience members are interested in the event. If this is true, live streaming allows you to be part of the conversation when it is happening and can increase your reach.

In addition, on many social media sites, a video of the event will be available on your social media page long after the event itself has ended, allowing people to continue finding and sharing related content.

A number of social media sites, including Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, allow live video streaming. This post will use Facebook Live as an example. Check-back for future posts on other social media video-sharing tools and platforms. Or share your experience with various platforms by leaving a comment on our Facebook pageExit Disclaimer.

You may think livestreaming is expensive. It can be cost-effective and the Facebook Live tool can be readily used by anyone.

Tips for Planning Your Facebook Live

Here are some basic tips from a How to Use Facebook Live at Your EventExit Disclaimer article on getting the most out of Facebook Live:

1. Make an announcement: Build anticipation by letting your audience know when you’ll be broadcasting. Facebook finds that a 24-hour advanced notice gets the best results.
2. Check your signal: If you have a weak cellular or wifi signal, your live video will be choppy or unavailable. So don’t go live until you have a strong signal.
3. Don’t skip the description: Facebook Live asks you to create a description before hitting the “Go Live” button. Be sure to write a description that grabs your audience’s attention and lets them know what to expect.
4. Engage with commenters: After your live video is wrapped, don’t forget to go back through and respond to commenters.
5. Longer is better: If your broadcast is too short, you won’t give people enough time to tune in. Facebook recommends being live for at least 10 minutes.

Lessons from the HIV Community

“Facebook Live is an amazing way to connect in real-time with your audience in a genuine way. While Facebook Live’s format is less structured than a pre-recorded video, and gives you the opportunity to show personality it doesn’t mean you should wing it. One of the key lessons, that Advocates for Youth has learned from our NYHAAD 2017 Facebook Live segmentExit Disclaimer, was to write a script. Even if that script is more of an outline, having a clear idea of what you’re covering and where you want to take the audience by the end of the segment helps those on air feel more comfortable about what is happening, but also makes sure that you give your audience a product that is worth their time. Having a structure will greatly improve the quality and experience of your live segment.” - Rachel E. Cooke, director, strategic projects and brand expansion, Advocates for Youth

“Promotion and marketing are essential to attracting your audience to the key messages you want to convey. Develop a strategy around ways to use this content beyond the day of the event. Ensure that your internet connection will be able to support streaming video. You don't want to promote a Facebook Live event only to have the internet connection lost during streaming.” - Kristen Reardon, national television and video producer, HIV.gov

“Practice your event before you go live. Encourage your viewers to invite others. Using Live Reactions can give you another way to know how your content is resonating with your viewers." – Jessica Holli, communications specialist, HIV.gov

Examples: Facebook Live in Action

• National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day 2017 Facebook LiveExit Disclaimer
• National Transgender HIV Testing Day 2018 kickoff event Exit Disclaimer
• National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 2018Exit Disclaimer

Like all social media tools, HIV.gov is evaluating the effectiveness of holding Facebook Lives in the future and assessing how to budget for live streaming. We hope you will look at how video fits into your awareness day plans, get video tips and trends from our Virtual Office Hours experts, and visit the HIV.gov awareness day pages.