From real-time fan engagement to event broadcasting, the benefits of going live on Facebook make it popular for creators and publishers alike. With Facebook Stars, select creators* can now earn money from their live videos as well.
Stars are a virtual good that fans can buy and send while a creator is live. They earn one cent from Facebook for every Star received. Below, we’ll take you through some best practices so you can make the most of Stars.
*Stars is currently in Beta and only available to a limited number of creators at this time — check your eligibility and learn more here.
Introduce your community to Stars
Let your viewers know that they can now support you by sending Stars. Film yourself explaining what Stars are and what viewers will receive when they send Stars (such as thanks, personal interactions, or recognition from you — or you can let them know they can support you by sending Stars without anything in return). Pin the video to the top of your Page to help your viewers know what to expect. Broadcasters should also promote Stars and the value provided in each livestream.
Ray Higdon, for example, introduced Stars to his audience with this launch video. Ray is a motivational speaker, business coach, trainer, and dad, who shares marketing advice on his Facebook Page. In his launch video, he explained the value his fans can get from sending Stars, including his plans for giveaways, recognition, charitable donations, and a free coaching session for the top Stars sender.
Go live regularly
Set a regular time to go live on your Page and alert your viewers, to promote scheduled viewing. Try going live at least 2-3 times a week for 30 minutes or more. You can schedule your live broadcast in advance — this helps with viewer retention as they will know when to tune in and can set reminders.
Many creators and publishers have seen the benefits of going live on a regular basis. Beauty creator Braannxo‘s regular livestreams keep her followers consistently engaged. Although she doesn’t promote an exact time, she lets her viewers know they can catch her every night from 6-9 PM CST for a new beauty look she creates on the fly. Similarly, musician Marc Rebillet goes live multiple times a week and uses the reminder button to allow fans to receive notifications before his broadcasts begin. He also engages his fans by soliciting suggestions during Facebook Lives to incorporate into his next songs.
The way I ramped up for my last tour was by doing livestreams on Facebook, two-hour livestreams every Sunday, usually during the afternoon, where I would make music, take calls from fans, and have fun. After the livestream was done, I’d add a hyperlink in the video description to my ticket website. We ended up selling out all but one of the shows.
Create a Stars goal
Stars Goals allow viewers to contribute to a target or an objective that you set in a more meaningful way. Goals appear as an overlay and should include what you are saving up for and the goal amount. Both the set-up and enablement of Stars (mobile or desktop) are required in order to offer a Stars Goal during your live broadcast.
Travel vlogger Idressitalian goes live multiple times a day “to bring Italy” to his fan base. He successfully used the Stars Goal functionality to hit a whopping one million Stars in one day, promising to visit his top Star senders. “Stars is easy for me. Stars is easy for my fans. There's magic when someone sends stars!” he added.
Matthew Santoro, who creates videos with “amazing facts and creepy stories,” uses challenges around a Stars Goal to encourage fan participation. For example, he has previously set a goal of 100,000 Stars to purchase new production tools for his videos.
Promote Stars regularly
Continue discussing Stars in your live videos and in the video descriptions. Beauty creator Braannxo, who goes live with makeup tutorials several times a week, consistently calls out the value of sending Stars. In the description of this video, for example, she reminds fans that her weekly top Stars sender chooses her makeup look on Mondays, and that her monthly top Stars sender receives a 30-minute one-on-one beauty session.
Dry Bar Comedy made a straightforward explainer video to let their fans know how to send Stars and the benefits of doing so. In this case, Stars will help Dry Bar support comedians and bring more comedic content to viewers. Country musician Hillary Klug also touched on how Stars serve as a means to aid creators that are important to you. "I highly recommend Facebook Stars for other artists and musicians like me," Klug said. "It gives fans a way to show their appreciation and support. I love this feature and I'm very proud to use it on my Facebook Page."
Recognize and interact with your Stars senders
Give shout-outs to Stars senders during your live broadcasts by calling out their names, answering their questions, or responding to their comments. Stars senders are highlighted in your video comments, making them easily identifiable. Learn more about the many different ways to engage with Stars senders.
Comedian Mojobrookzz goes live almost every night to engage with his followers. He allows fans to call in and get relationship advice, and makes sure to shout out Stars senders during all of his lives to show appreciation.
Reward big Star senders by pinning their comments or give them a more elaborate shout-out to express your gratitude. Your interaction with Star senders may help other viewers notice the value of sending Stars. Use the Star sender filter at the top of Live, which is where creators can see a list of Star senders ranked by Star amounts.
Review your Stars insights
See your estimated earnings on Stars and your Top Stars Senders in Creator Studio > Insights > Earnings. By reviewing your insights regularly, you can make decisions on future content and learn more about your audience.
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*Stars is currently in Beta and only available to a limited number of creators at this time
