What I've learned using Facebook Live for telling stories
Live on Facebook, in Blackburn Cathedral
Facebook Live is a format you can use to aid your storytelling - combining the power of live video but also interaction.
I'm a big believer in when asking people to do something, especially if it's new, that you've experienced it yourself. It helps you understand the boundaries and also possibilities of what the new tool, service or the like is.
The ability to do a Facebook Live has been around for more than a year and it's quickly become an established journalism and marketing tool.
Here's what I've learned from using Facebook Live on the hyperlocal site I run in Preston, Lancashire. I've tried to use it for agenda-setting content, rather than breaking news.
In my role as Editor (Digital) with the Trinity Mirror Regionals portfolio we know time and time again reporting live using Facebook Live from a murder scene, large fire or the like is one of the most immediate ways to engage readers in what's happening. But how else can you use it?
Here's four examples and how I've found it.
Creating a buzz around an exclusive
The Harris Museum and Art Gallery is a listed building in the city centre of Preston, and the city's main arts hub. In December the city council was preparing to announce it was putting in the biggest lottery bid ever tabled by an organisation in the city.
Councillor Peter Kelly, the cabinet member responsible, agreed to break the news on a Facebook Live.
This one was 24 minutes, and done from the Museum, and received 4,500 views.
https://www.facebook.com/blogpreston/videos/1378523738827532/
What worked?
We had plenty of comments, and were able to put these live to the councillor. Each time we asked a question and got a response, the amount of people on the Facebook Live jumped
I decided to introduce it looking direct at the camera. I had jotted down some key points and thought about what to include, and what not.
There was regular recapping so if people joined at any point they knew what was going on.
The Harris had arranged for one of the galleries to be closed off, so we didn't have any background noise.
What didn't work?
We waited an hour before putting the story itself online. This should have been ready to drop into the Facebook Live as it went live - to add more context.
Being in one place wasn't very visually interesting. So it felt very Q&A based.
Making an election night live
It was 2am, coffee was needed, but Preston declared quite early on election night/day. Would anyone be up?
This one was 8 minutes and 44 seconds, and did 5,300 views.
https://www.facebook.com/blogpreston/videos/1561765673836670/
What worked?
There were people awake wanting to follow the result! I did an introduction again, setting the context and also allowing people to see exactly where I was. This was the first time the venue had been used for a general election.
Explain what's happening. A lot of people don't know the candidates huddle with the returning officer before the official announcement. There was a burst of engagement when I showed this.
What didn't work?
The sound! I needed to hook up an external microphone for when the camera was turned on the scene. It was difficult to hear the returning office and then Mark Hendrick, the winning candidate, make his victory speech.
Facebook Live's, I think, are a two-person job. There's the doing the live and then there's the admin round it, dropping in relevant links, replying to comments, sharing it onto the site, other social networks, Facebook groups.
Covering a memorial service
This was a difficult one to do. I'd covered Ben Ashworth's fight with bowel cancer for a number of years - he's probably one of the most inspiration people we've ever featured on the Blog. Early in covering his death at the start of July we picked up just how much his story has resonated across the UK, and the world. He had friends, supporters and admirers everywhere.
This one was 39 minutes and 17 seconds and has so far seen 7,700 views.
https://www.facebook.com/blogpreston/videos/1602646703081900/
What worked?
Planning. First of all we secured permission to do a Facebook Live from inside the service at Blackburn Cathedral. Once this was secured, the family agreed to broadcasting in the lead up and then the very early part of the service, I set about planning who would appear.
I was keen I didn't just turn up and then start sticking a live video camera infront of people who were there to mark Ben's passing.
Ahead of the service then Ben's sister Grace, BBC Radio Lancashire presenter John Gillmore, councillor Peter Kelly, and Graham Dixon, who founded a petition to have part of a running route in the city named after Ben, were all prepped to appear. I also told them roughly what I wanted to speak to them about.
This means I was able to move between these different people and get what I thought were good interviews with each of them.
Louise, Ben's wife, also made an appearance on it - but you could tell I hadn't prepped her for what was going to be asked. But it worked anyway - because that's part of the fun of Facebook Live's, they can be spontaneous!
Location. The Cathedral was a visually stunning backdrop. Pictures of Ben were on big screens, people were in running gear, there was so much to talk about and feature.
The second person. I had Luke Beardsworth, co-editor, on a reliable laptop connection to drop in a first comment on the Facebook Live explaining we had permission to be filming. He was also able to share it to a number of Preston-based Facebook groups and promote on Twitter where Ben has a strong following.
Intro. I thought long and hard about what to say in the opening of the video - explaining why and giving some context. I think this worked well.
What didn't work?
Sound on Grace's interview. The band started to rehearse one of their numbers as I was half way through, we ended up shouting at each other over it! I should have asked her to come to the back.
There's an interesting moment where one of the Cathedral staff asks me if I have permission to film, we did. But I probably didn't prep the authorities enough in advance.
Taking a tour
Preston Market is seeing a major regeneration project - knocking down the old prefab market and moving the indoor market to under the 1875 Covered Market. It's a huge project. We've done plenty of pieces about it but could we take our reader inside the building site.
I donned my hard hat and hi-vis to take a look round.
This one ran for 8 minutes and 49 seconds and has seen 11,000 views.
https://www.facebook.com/blogpreston/videos/1616732051673365/
What worked?
I took the tour first. I wasn't seeing or talking about anything on the Live for the first time. I had already spent a fair bit of time with John and the team to understand the situation so far.
Prepping the interviewee. It's the first time John had been interviewed on a live video, so I think he was a little nervous. I explained roughly what I would ask him. You're not trying to be Paxman in a Live, you want to ensure your interviewee is getting their information across - and you interrupting them constantly is irrirating and doesn't work with the sound constraints.
What didn't work?
I had a good connection so I should have done more of a look around, although it's early days in the Markets work. I should have walked further down to give people a better look around - there was no work going on this would have worked.
Again, like the election, I had no back-at-base help for this one - so it was shared into Facebook groups and elsewhere after the event.
My hat. The sticker on it is back to front for some reason - this distracted people!
Some technical considerations
I tend to have two phones with me when doing a Facebook Live. I make one of them a WiFi Hotspot and tether the other phone to it, rather than relying on 4G. If you can get on WiFi at wherever you are then that's always preferable. Always do a test first but doing an 'Only Me' Facebook Live on your personal page, you can also do a video call via Facebook Messenger to a friend. This is a very good test.
Also, always put your phone onto Do Not Disturb setting before broadcast, I forgot to do this on one and so my view was obscured by constant WhatsApp and other service notifications!
Use a tripod. I have a gorilla tripod. It's small and unobtrusive, but gives you that feeling of professionalism. It really came into its own during the Ben Ashworth memorial as I was able to move freely around the service which during a 39 minutes broadcast was important to keep interest. It crucially means you are not holding your phone so there's less chance of accidentally covering the microphone.
Overall, I've learned I am a lot more confident on camera than I once thought. I always try to ensure I'm wearing a shirt and have been for a beard trim before a Facebook Live. Would you trust a man with an unruly beard? No.
We've also found almost universally positive comments from readers to them. They seem to really appreciate we're taking them closer, get questions answered and it also allows them to see me, and other team members, and builds their trust and confidence in us as journalists.
The biggest thing is in the planning. Think about your opening, think about your questions and plan when you're going to end it. I'm not a professional broadcaster, far from it, and I think Facebook Live's should be a little rough around the edges, as they have their own style and grammar compared to a Sky News style outside broadcast.
Facebook Live to me gives us the opportunity to take readers with us as we've never been able to do before - and also create something of record that can be watched back whenever it's needed. It's an exciting, useful and powerful tool.
What's your experience been with Facebook Live? Let me know your views in the comments below