8 Mistakes To Avoid on Facebook Live

Today, I used Facebook Live to teach a training on how to use Facebook Live streaming in your career services business.

In the broadcast, I shared eight mistakes that resume writers and career coaches should avoid when using Facebook Live. I wanted to share them with you here. You can also watch the Facebook Live video replay here:

Eight Mistakes to Avoid on Facebook Live:

Mistake #8: Not giving a descriptive name to your broadcast
Your broadcast name serves as a "headline" for your content, giving prospective attendees an idea of what you're talking about. The right headline can attract viewers! The best headlines are seven words or less. After the broadcast, you can add a longer description to your video. But for the name of the video, keep it short but descriptive!

Mistake #7: Not broadcasting long enough
Sometimes you'll decide to do a Facebook Live broadcast on the spur of the moment. If that's the case, your broadcast should be at least five minutes (the typical impromptu Facebook Live broadcast is 5-10 minutes). That gives people time to join your broadcast if Facebook has notified them that you're live.

If you're promoting your broadcast in advance, make your broadcast a minimum of 10 minutes -- probably in the 10-20 minute range. Speaking of that …

Mistake #6: Not giving advance notice of your Facebook Live broadcast
As I mentioned, Facebook is doing a lot to help you promote your Facebook Live broadcast, but you'll still get the most traction (and traffic) from the people you already know -- your fans and followers of your Facebook Business Page, and your friends if you're broadcasting from your personal page. Use non-Facebook channels to promote your Facebook Live broadcast -- Twitter, Snapchat, Google+, email, etc. The more people you can let know about your broadcast, the more likely you are to get viewers of your live broadcast.

Mistake #5: Thinking of Facebook Live like a video
Facebook Live is LIVE television, so there are different things to consider than if you're publishing a video on your Facebook Business Page. Think of it as the difference between a TV news broadcast and a movie. Most people sit down to watch a movie from start to finish. But people "snack" on news -- tuning in at different parts of the broadcast (although some will watch the entire newscast). But in planning your Facebook Live video, you need to make sure that you're delivering your content to people who join you from the beginning as well as those who hop onto the broadcast midway through.

Mistake #4: Not being mindful of visuals
When choosing where to broadcast from, keep the visuals in mind. Watch out for weird protusions, dim lighting, and what appears in the background. Think about where to broadcast from that will best represent you -- that might be from your home office (or, if your office looks like mine!, somewhere else in the house). I did my broadcast from my living room because it has good lighting and Jon's artwork makes a nice backdrop!

Mistake #3: Talking to, but not acknowledging, the audience
One of the best things about using Facebook Live -- versus a video -- is the audience interaction component. If you simply talk at your audience without acknowledging them, you're missing out on the fun! Say "Hi" to viewers as they join. Read -- and respond to -- comments you receive while you're broadcasting. And ask for viewer feedback -- ask them to send you emojis so you can gauge their reaction to the content!

Mistake #2: Not recapping as you go along
As I mentioned earlier, people "snack" on Facebook Live videos, so they're constantly jumping in and out of your broadcast. Make sure that you recap as you go along, using phrases like, "If you're just joining me," or "To recap," and then summarizing the content.

Mistake #1: Not broadcasting often enough
One of the ways to get more clients is to position yourself as an expert resources -- especially through sharing content. Video is one of the best ways to do this, because they can see and hear you. If you're a resume writer who works with clients virtually, this is a great way to build that know/like/trust factor. You don't have to set up a regular Facebook Live broadcasting schedule (although I do give you an idea for how to do that in the training), but don't just go live once … the more you do it, the better you will get!

If you want to learn more about Facebook Live (including step-by-step setup instructions, equipment recommendations, what to broadcast about -- 12 types of content, best practices and more), become a Bronze member of BeAResumeWriter.com and get the 28-page special report on "Facebook Live Streaming for Resume Writers" as part of your Bronze member benefits. Join or upgrade here.

Facebook is just one tool you can use to attract prospective clients to your resume writing business. Getting publicity is another way. Check out my upcoming training next month: Feed the Media Webinar Series for Resume Writers and Career Coaches.

Follow-up to Question: What Topic Do You Want to Learn More About in 2015?

One of the questions I ask on the Resume Writers' Digest Annual Industry Survey is: "What topic do you want to learn more about in 2015?"

In reviewing some of the answers, I see some answers that we've created resources for, so I've included some of the answers with links to these resources (training, special reports, and Pass-Along Materials).

Here's the answers:

• Marketing
• Retirement
• Sales, marketing, resume trends
• Passive income strategies
• Using social media to gain new business
• I want to earn a coaching certification
• Getting the sale
• SEO
• Navigating Applicant Tracking Systems
• Intake procedures (detail, not overview)
• Making the sale on the phone during first contact
• New formatting ideas
• Latest innovations in resume writing. ATS update.
• Need to overhaul my website (need help with that)
• Getting the confidence to ask for higher prices
• Managing challenging/needy clients that zap time/energy
• Recordkeeping
• Writing tips/strategies (tighter, results-oriented)
• Creating a website that will deliver streams of income
• Managing my business
• Resume layout/design
• Additional documents I can create for my clients to help increase the price of my packages
• Do Twitter and Facebook play any significant role for very senior executives in their career searches
• Client retention
• Creating an information product
• LinkedIn Profile Writing
• LinkedIn
• Changes in resume writing / ATS / digital resumes
• Always social media
• Already learning about case studies/writing white papers
• Generating leads/marketing
• New resume writing ideas, latest ATS information
• Managing communications -- I find it so easy to get distracted by email and phone calls
• How to sell my business
• Applicant Tracking Systems, LinkedIn
• Advertising
• LinkedIn
• Key problem issues among other resume services
• Interview coaching
• How certifications compare
• How to start meeting deadlines and get up and off my seat!
• Career transitioners and CVs
• Residual and passive income
• How to motivate jobseekers to use and apply the tools and advice I provide them
• Use of social media for job search
• Massaging the sales pipeline to close more sales
• Writing even better executive resumes
• LinkedIn
• Creating graphics for resumes
• Cover Letters
• LinkedIn and online presence
• Want to finish Get Clients Now and learn more about direct marketing in this arena generally
• The future of the resume writing industry, out-of-the-box ideas, scaling up the business
• Keeping up with social media changes, trends
• Career discovery
• Passive income that's not obnoxious to clients since so many people get blasted with daily emails
• How to create a more robust client experience
• Career management coaching
• LinkedIn profile writing
• How to start a membership site with little investment and grow it
• Getting more clients
• Email templates for rejecting clients
• Adding graphic design to my project work -- I notice lots of high-level resume writers using very complicated design work on their resume samples and if this is the "norm," I need to start incorporating graphic design into my projects
• Managing business growth
• Membership-based sites / products / passive income

Q&A: "I'm Overwhelmed With All The Resources I Got From BeAResumeWriter.com"

Today's blog post answers a reader question!

Q. I do appreciate all the work you do and the information is awesome, just overwhelming getting so many emails from one membership (BeAResumeWriter.com). Can you give me some thoughts on how I can manage this? Are all the information you send domiciled on the website?

A. First thing: Don't be overwhelmed! :-)

You don't have to take advantage of all the information! But I can help with the "remembering that it is there when I need it" part of things! I recommend that you create three folders on your hard drive: BARW Special Reports, BARW PAMs, BARW Learning.

Each month, when you get the notification of your special report, save it to the BARW Special Reports folder. If you have time, read the report when you get it (assuming it's a topic you're interested in at the time). Most of the special reports will take you 10-15 minutes to read.  I find that some of my reports are ones that resume writers like to "come back to" when they have a need. For example, if you're not ready to incorporate passive income into your resume writing business (selling information products, affiliate marketing, etc.), just save them to your computer and then when you are ready, you'll have them there. 

When you get each month's Pass-Along Materials content, save it to the BARW PAMs folder. But these are more "actionable" items. These are designed to be something you can put to work for you to help your clients, so I recommend doing something with them right away. Yes, this is done-for-you content that you can put your name on and either give away to clients/prospects/the public or sell!

http://www.bearesumewriter.com/WhatarePAMs

It can be as simple as writing a blog post using the content, or pulling out 3-7 tips and scheduling them as social media content (I use Hootsuite to do this -- the free level account allows you to connect up to 5 social media profiles and schedule content in advance). OR, if it's a topic guide (like September's PAM on conducting a confidential job search), you can take 10 minutes and turn in into a short report to help your clients, or customize it more and turn it into something you sell (creative passive income for your business!).

Here's a video I made that will show you how:

http://youtu.be/pgniLgIH8SE 

The PAMs are literally things that I use every day with my clients. They're great for giving stuck/lost/confused clients a little extra boost in an area where they might need help. So if you take 15 minutes to personalize them and get them ready to use when you first get them, they'll be a resource you can use over and over again.

As for the BARW Learning folder, that's where you can download the teleseminar recordings and transcripts, and back issues of the Resume Writers' Digest newsletter to listen to and/or read whenever you have extra time. Some resume writers put the MP3s on their iPods and listen to them when they're in the car, or exercising. Or print out the transcripts or back issues and put them in the bathroom or on your bedside table. Or keep a couple in the car for when you're waiting for someone, or going to an appointment where you'll have to wait.

Like I said, though, don't be overwhelmed! Each month, there are only 2 things you need to do something with -- the Special Report and Pass-Along Materials -- the rest of the stuff will stay in the Bronze membership section for you to access at any time (as long as your Bronze membership is active). And you don't actually have to DO anything with them ... just download them to your computer for later, if that's all you have time for!

ExecuNet White Paper: How to Make Your Resume Recruiter Ready

ExecuNet (a national business referral network with a private membership site) is offering job seekers a free report, "How to Make Your Resume Recruiter Ready" by ExecuNet Contributing Editor Marji McClure (presumably as a way to build up their opt-in e-mail list -- a great technique, by the way!). Thanks to Kathy Hansen of Quintessential Careers for bringing this to my attention in her Feb. 14 blog post on the subject.

The special report is an excerpt from a full-length article available only to paid subscribers of the ExecuNet service. While the special report is interesting, I will caution you about directing your clients to the special report, as it is focused on making the resume recruiter ready. Because the survey subjects were primarily recruiters (as opposed to hiring managers specifically or HR personnel), they often have special needs/requirements for the resume that other target audiences might not express as preferences... and, consequently, things you might not put into the resumes you write that aren't being sent to recruiters.

For example, "some recruiters" in the survey want candidates to include specific years of employment dates and college graduation dates -- and while there is some disagreement within the careers industry on this practice, certainly most resume writers will disagree with one expert quoted in the article who says that 30 percent of the resume should focus on the job seeker's work history from 10-20 years ago, and 10 percent on 20+ years ago. Conventional wisdom in the resume writing field is that the resume should include the work history for the past 10-15 years, unless there are compelling reasons to go back any further in time than that.

There is some good information that should be shared with job seekers in the report.
What can resume writers do with this report?

• Quote from it. I'm always looking for research that dispels the One-Page Resume Myth. I'd prefer the raw data to use to substantiate this, but you could cite this report as another example of one in which hiring experts feel that the resume length should correspond to the accomplishments of the job seeker.
• Use it as inspiration for conducting your own research and writing your own report. You could do a survey within a specific industry you specialize in (finance, for example) or within your geographic target area.

Affiliate Relationships with Recruiters - Compensation

As I am researching my new Special Report for resume writers on developing strategic alliances with recruiters and headhunters, I'm learning there is a wide variety of compensation strategies --- from NONE (the most frequently asked question I hear from resume writers: "So why would they refer someone to me, if they're not getting a referral fee or commission?") to 15%, on average.

I hope to have the Special Report done by the end of the month!! More details to follow...

Create Passive Income by Selling Special Reports

For years, I heard about resume writers who wrote informational guides and sold them to their clients and prospects, generating passive income. But it all seemed so complicated -- requiring shopping carts, and autoresponders, and HTML coding. Bleh!

So when I wanted to sell our first special report, "Making Money as a Resume Subcontractor," as an electronic download, I started doing some research. And I found a service that integrates easily with PayPal and that even I could figure out. Best of all, you can sell $100 in products using a basic account before you have to pay anything.

What kind of informational products could you offer? Although Kim Isaacs offers hers as lead generators for her resume services, she could easily sell her special reports-- 4 Quick Fixes For Your Resume and Top Resume FAQs -- for a couple of dollars each.

You could create a directory of local employment resources -- including recruiters and their specializations, top employers, and training sources -- and sell it for $5 or$10 dollars as an electronic download. Write a good "generic" topic that's not too self-promotional, and you can even set up Payloadz to track affiliate sales -- tell me about it and we'll get your colleagues to sell your products on their websites too!

It's easy. Write your special report. Create a PDF. Sign up with Payloadz. Put your product online. Promote it in e-mails and on your website.

Looking for ideas for your special report? Order Special Report #20 from The Publicity Hound: How to Write and Market Profitable Special Reports.

>>

Next Special Report: For New Resume Writers

With the recent publication of our first special report, on "Making Money as a Resume Subcontractor," by Diana LeGere, it's time to start working on a second report.

Next we're tackling the challenges faced by new resume writers. I've often talked about the turnover in the resume writing industry. Part of the challenge is that there are low barriers to entry, but it's difficult make $30,000 or more in your first year. I want to help increase the chances of success for these new practitioners -- to give them a game plan for their first year.

Do you have an idea, strategy, or suggestion for these newbies? E-mail me at RWDigest@aol.com. We'll look to release the next special report in December. (Be sure to e-mail me with any ideas you have for special reports you'd like to see.)