How would you like to test your Facebook live stream before going live? Testing is critical! This video shows you how to test Facebook Live without going live in front of your audience.

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CONTENT:

I’m going to show you how to test your Facebook Live stream on Facebook without actually going live so you’re more prepared and once you do go live!

If you’re like most marketers, you’re nervous that something will go wrong when you go live, whether it’s bad lighting, background noise, or something else you might not otherwise predict. And while this video will show you how to test all of this on Facebook without the world seeing, at the end of this video I’ll share a link to educate you on a Facebook Live alternative that you may better suit your style.

To test Facebook Live for your business page, you have two options. The most robust option is for desktop only, which we’ll cover first. Then we’ll look at mobile.

For desktop, you’re going to use Facebook’s feature called Test Broadcasts that allows you to test your livestream that only your Page admins and editors can see without your entire audience seeing it.

To set up your test broadcast, go to your page and go to the dialog box.
Click on Live.
Do NOT click on the Go Live Button in the top left corner at all!

But set everything else up as if you’re going live. Now, this video won’t go through every single feature of Facebook Live, so just keep in mind that using this desktop version of the test, you can test the bells & whistles like using a Stream Key if you’re using multiple cameras, prerecorded video, and other advanced features. For purposes of this video, we’ll pretend you’re doing a basic, straight-forward Facebook Live with just your webcam.

Click on Use Camera.

This is also a great opportunity to test features such as polls, questions, and a link you may wish to feature with your livestream. This is another strength of the Test Broadcasts feature.

On the left, you’ll fill out:
The page it’s going to.
Title and description.
Whether you’re cross posting, sharing to a group, promoting a group, or setting age and location restrictions through audience settings.
And if you’re streaming gameplay, you can tag the game.

Now you’ll see Publish as a Test Broadcast. Check the box.
Click on Start Test.
Click on the Go Live button that appears on the next screen – not the other one I mentioned earlier!

Now you’ll see you’re going live.
I recommend clicking the arrows by your video so you can expand the screen and really see what’s going on from a visual standpoint. This way you can carefully check out your background and make sure nothing looks weird.

After a few seconds, you’ll see the red button appear where you can end the test broadcast when you’re ready.

Now go to your Facebook business page. There, you’ll see your test broadcast. And you’ll see that only admins and editors of your page can see this.

But let’s say you can’t use a desktop or laptop computer for your Facebook Live, and you need to use your mobile phone. Then the Test Broadcasts feature won’t be an option for you, but there is a workaround.

In a mobile scenario, you can at least test the basics of your event on your personal Facebook account before going live on your business page. That’s because the mobile version of Facebook Live on personal pages has an “Only Me” option that isn’t available on the mobile version of Facebook Live for business pages.

So, on your phone, go to your personal FB page.
Click on Live.
At the top, click on where it says “Public – Post”
Select “Only Me”

Then test your Live video. Then view it on your timeline, and delete it when you’re done! This will at least give you time to practice before the real event and check things like the Wifi connection and lighting.

If Facebook Live still makes you queasy, click on the video here in the top right corner, where I show you a less nerve-wracking alternative called Facebook Premiere. You just may like it.