The document outlines strategies for leveraging storytelling on Facebook Live to enhance engagement. It highlights common elements of popular videos, emphasized the importance of emotional connections, and discusses effective content formats. It also provides practical tips for creating compelling live video content, underscoring the role of narrative structure and quality production.

1. @marismith @buzzsumo
How To Tap the
Power of Storytelling on
Facebook Live!
by Mari Smith & Susan @ BuzzSumo
1
LIVE TRAINING

2. @marismith @buzzsumo
May The Fourth Be With You
WIN Star Wars Schwag!
Just comment to enter! 
2
HAPPY STAR WARS DAY!!

3. @marismith @buzzsumo 3

4. @marismith @buzzsumo 4

5. @marismith @buzzsumo 5

7. 3000 Most Engaging Videos on Facebook
Column1 total interactions comments shares likes
Average 1,008,727 88,471 592,621 327,634
Median 752,737 47,790 410,358 262,441
Minimum 228,723 467 1 3,109
Maximum 8,479,543 2,509,367 6,426,345 2,642,631

8. Research shows common elements in the content people like to share:
EMOTION CONTEN
T
TOPIC FORMAT PROMISE
Amusing Video Trendy Recipes How to
Inspiring Facts ●Celebrities Lists DIY
Beautiful Quotes ●Pokemon
go
Quiz Practical
Tips
Surprising Charts Evergreen Stories Complete
guide
Controversy Images ●Cute kids Research Personal

9. The most engaging videos on Facebook follow the same patterns
1. Inspiring
2. Animals
3. Amusing
4. DIY
5. Recipes
6. Celebrity
7. Cute kids
8. Shocking
9. Controversy
10.Beautiful
11.Warning
12.Contest

10. Frequently occurring words and phrases in most viral messages
1 like our page for more
2 get the full recipe
3 like share and comment
4 to spin the wheel
5 beauty and the beast
6 step by step instructions
7 how to make
8 by occupy democrats
9 the best

11. Frequently occurring words and phrases in most viral messages
11 trump
12 people
13 know
14 first
15 trailer
16 today
17 donald
18 dog
19 year
20 love
21 world

12. The Dodo Site, Cute Kids and Animals: 8.4 million total interactions

13. Power of Positivity, Inspiring: 6 Million interactions

14. BuzzFeed Tasty, Recipe: 6.7 Million total interactions

15. The Lava Lamp
Effect
The Lava Lamp
Effect

16. BoredPanda 2.7 million
interactions
ABCNews 163,000 interactions

17. Elements of a
story
Setting
Characters
Conflict
Resolution

18. Even the shortest clips can have story elements!
World Surf League
2.5 million total interactions

19. Set your product in the context of a story
Edinburgh Casting
3.7 Million
Interactions

20. If my company is B2B, can I use video
storytelling?

21. 950 Most Engaging Videos B2B Industry Facebook Pages

22. 950 Most Engaging Videos B2B Industry Sites

23. Try this
Employee stories
Explainer stories
Office tours--with a twist
Volunteer work
Tell customer stories
Remember: Facebook is about everyday life--
parenting, kids, jokes, stories, growing up,
forgiveness, thankfulness, life issues,
celebrities

24. Senior Manager of Global Advertising, Yogi
42.7k interactions
Oracle, Employee Story

25. Bruno Borges, Principal Product Manager at Oracle,
shares the joy of having 9 #goldenretriever puppies.
What a ruff life. #NationalPuppyDay
794 interactions
Oracle, Employee Story

26. VMware, Corporate Campus through the eyes of turtles
229
interactions

27. SAS: Two pilots on day 1 of a new route
6730 interactions

28. Symantec: Explainer video as a story
84 Interactions

29. @marismith @buzzsumo
“Live television in your pocket.”
~Zuck
It’s not just for celebrities.
“Live video can tell stories as
powerful as any film, it’s just
the language is different.”
~Ariel @UrbanistLive
29
Facebook Live
~Ariel @UrbanistLive

30. @marismith @buzzsumo
Everyone loves a good story.
That’s especially true when it comes to advertising.
“Campaigns that tell a brand story BEFORE asking
people to buy something are significantly more
effective than ones that focus immediately on
encouraging people to take an action.” ~Facebook
30
Storytelling on Facebook

31. @marismith @buzzsumo 31
THUMB-stopping!!!!
Craft for MAXIMUM SHARES
“OMG, I must share this! Now!”
Mari’s Top Content Creation Tip

32. @marismith @buzzsumo
3-act structure (screenwriting)
Set-up
Confrontation (Build-up/challenge)
Resolution
Aristotle: “Tell them what you are going to tell
them, tell them, then tell them what
you told them.”
32
Facebook Live - Planning

33. @marismith @buzzsumo
Quality from the first frame
High energy, personal, authentic
Emotion through motion – Ariel @UrbanistLive
Relatable, relevant
Human interest
Entertaining, inspirational, educational
Length: 10-90 minutes
Thumb-stopping!
33
Facebook Live Tips

34. @marismith @buzzsumo 34

35. @marismith @buzzsumo 35
Facebook Live/Video Examples

36. @marismith @buzzsumo
Square performs better on Facebook &Instagram
Square gets +28% more video views than landscape
Square (1:1) get more likes & shares than landscape
(16:9)
Square takes up 78% more screen space than
landscape
Square videos have a +67% higher view completion
rate
People gaze 5X longer at video than at static content
on FB& IG.
36
It’s Hip to be Square!

37. @marismith @buzzsumo 37
Facebook Live 360

38. @marismith @buzzsumo
Mobile
iOgrapher
Cases, mics, lights, tripods, etc.
Smove (gimbal)
Desktop
Camera
Lights
Microphone
Background
Studio
38
Facebook Live Gear

39. @marismith @buzzsumo
3rd party tools:
Mobile and/or desktop?
Include guests?
Share your desktop?
Preload media?
Free or paid?
Quality of stream?
39
Facebook Live Platforms

40. @marismith @buzzsumo 40

41. @marismith @buzzsumo
Coming soon!
New online training course
COMBO:
Facebook Live
Facebook Video
Facebook Ads
www.marismith.com/fblive
41
NEW! Facebook Live Success Secrets

42. @marismith @buzzsumo 42

43. @marismith @buzzsumo
May The Fourth Be With You
WIN Star Wars Schwag!
Just comment to enter! 
43
HAPPY STAR WARS DAY!!

44. @marismith @buzzsumo
How To Tap the
Power of Storytelling on
Facebook Live!
by Mari Smith & Susan @ BuzzSumo
44
Q&A!