Do you like doing things that scare you? I can’t say my answer to that question is yes, but sometimes we have to get over our fears and just do it. To that end, you may have noticed I started doing Facebook Live broadcasts from the Oui In France page not too long ago. The response has been fantastic and I couldn’t be happier with the feedback I’ve received. Let’s talk about this Facebook Live in France thing and why I decided to try it out.
Why I’m doing Facebook Live in France
In case you’re not familiar with Facebook Live, it’s a feature Facebook rolled out back in the spring of 2016 where page owners can broadcast video in real time and engage with those watching in the comment section. Anything goes and there are no do-overs.
I don’t know of any bloggers doing Facebook Live regularly and sharing French life with their audiences outside of Paris. And not many women anyway, so maybe I’m one of the first to do this sort of thing and that’s kind of cool.
And let me tell you. It’s scary as hell. It’s terrifying to put yourself out there and try to balance everything that’s going on. That’s why it took me this long to get started.
Blogging is one thing. YouTube videos are another. But live video? Man, it’s in its own category. Especially when you don’t have any experience giving tours or speaking in front of an audience live.
What if I bomb? What will people say? What if people are nasty to me? What if I stumble over my words? What if I trip and fall? What if I’m boring? The what-ifs are paralyzing.
Know what “what if” never crossed my mind? What if people love it? For some reason, that thought never popped into my head. Funny how we get lost in self-doubt.
Anyway, back in January, I finally said enough is enough and went live for the first time a few weeks later on Feb. 1.
To my surprise, over 50 of you joined me live and we kept walking for 90 minutes! My first shaky, off-the-cuff broadcast was an overwhelming success and no one was more shocked than I was. It racked up over 3k views in about a day and so many of you shared it and left kind comments encouraging me to keep going.
So here we are. I have kept going and I thank you so much for your support. Blogging and living abroad can be lonely sometimes and seeing a simple message of support makes my day. You have no idea.
So what kinds of broadcasts will I be doing on Facebook Live in France?
You tell me! This is for you, so of course your input matters.
As you know, I don’t live in Paris, so my angle on Facebook Live is showing you everyday French life and beyond. So far we haven’t tackled too much of the “beyond” and have stayed in the Maine-et-Loire department of France where I live. We’ve walked around a small town, gone to a Saturday market, and just today, visited Angers (embedded below).
I try to share stories, cultural tidbits, tips for when you visit these places, and anything else that pops into my head. You get the perspective of an American woman living in France who certainly doesn’t have it all figured out.
One of the other things I wanted to mention is that if you’re on the fence about something in your life — pursuing a new job opportunity, booking a trip, starting a blog, trying a new gym, whatever… just go for it. Take action and move forward.
I didn’t have all the tech figured out when I started doing Facebook Live (and got owned today by cold weather killing my battery) and wasn’t completely sure of my plan. I’m still not. Things go wrong. Doing something is the best way to learn what to do and not do, so trust yourself and take that chance. Figure it out as you go. You won’t regret it.
Why am I doing Facebook Live in France?
Facebook Live is a way for me to connect with my audience in a different, more intimate way. The conversation flows in two directions; it’s not just me presenting to you. We get to talk and experience things together, in real time. You can see and hear me. It’s a way for you to discover a little bit of my world and to see some of what makes France such a special place. I think there’s value in that.
France has been my home for 6 years now and it’s changed me, taught me, and challenged me during that time. Facebook Live lets me show you parts of France that maybe you’d never otherwise see, or that maybe you’ll soon visit.
It lets me share my corner of France and I get excited about that.
What’s the point of life if we never get excited about anything?
Life is meant to be shared, so that’s what I’ve always aimed to do with the Oui In France blog. Now we’re just exploring another medium to add to the mix.
Many of my readers are Francophiles, and connecting via live video is a way to inject a little bit of France into your lives. If sharing my part of France with you puts a smile on your face and is a positive part of your day amid so much negativity in the world, then it’s something I’m going to keep on doing.
On a personal level, I knew doing live video would be a major challenge and scare the heck out of me. So that’s why I jumped in headfirst. I had to majorly psyche myself up for several weeks, but I did it. Pushing myself to try new things in life is important and I knew I could do this. Challenges are good things.
Also, here’s another major reason why I got on board with doing Facebook Live in France. Anyone who keeps tabs on social media news knows that the FB algorithm changed recently and now prioritizes content from friends, family, and groups in newsfeeds over content from pages. It does, however, like live video.
What’s next for my Facebook Live in France broadcasts?
I don’t know where this will go in the future, but as long as I’m having fun and you’re enjoying it, I’m going to keep on making live videos. Maybe we’ll visit a castle, more small towns, or even a winery.
To follow along, first make sure you’ve liked/followed the Oui In France FB page and that you’re seeing notifications. To do that, on a desktop, head to the Oui In France FB page by clicking here and make sure you’ve selected the options to like and follow and get live video notifications, as shown next to the yellow arrows below.
On mobile, navigate to the indicated areas as shown below.
A few closing thoughts
Lastly, as I’ve mentioned before, my blog isn’t my full-time job or anything close, so I’ll continue to do Facebook Live in my spare time.
To support me in this endeavor of doing Facebook Live in France, tell your France-loving friends. Share the broadcasts with them during the broadcast and after. I don’t have an advertising budget or donation page at this time, so every share counts to help me get the word out and grow. Your support is everything.
Maybe purchase something from the Oui In France shop. Interact with me when we’re live by leaving a comment. 😉
For those of you not on Facebook, I upload each live broadcast to YouTube afterward, so please be sure to subscribe to my channel.
As always, thank you for being here.
P.S. I think it’s important to shine the spotlight on others doing awesome things, so check out Corey Frye’s FB Live walking tours of Paris. Also subscribe to Oliver Gee’s The Earful Tower podcast. He does FB Live as well and is super fun.
P.P.S. If you’re a content creator and are curious about FB Live or blogging in general, always feel free to reach out if you ever want to chat. I’m more than happy to tell you about my setup, give you some tips (or tell you what I’ve done wrong), collab, or just support you. We’re in this together. 😉
Here’s my latest broadcast from today in Angers:
Due to cold weather issues, the broadcast was broken into 2 parts, so after you watch Part 1 below, you can click here for Part 2.
PIN ME:
Bravo to you! You seem like the kind of can-do person who would succeed at a new venture.
Thank you! People really seem to be enjoying it so far 🙂
I think you are amazing
Aww, thanks Jo-Anne!
Bonjour Diane ! How brave you are to do that! American spirit at its best. The quality of the videos is awesome and sound is perfect when we ear your live comments so informative. Your voice is very charming like a pro Tour guid! Some ideas for your next live videos : brocantes, vide-greniers, castles, wineries, wine farms, villages, artisans/craftmen. I guess you should gather more and more followers .
That was an inspirational read Diane, if you were to start a donation page in the future I would definitely support you if it was a fixed donation for everyone. Not the more you pay the more you receive model favoured by some Facebook live tour guides.
Thank you, John! Really appreciate that. I’m still a little bit away from any type of donation page but may loop back to you to get you opinion on a few things, if that’s OK. Merci encore!
By all means much as I enjoy Paris it’s great to see other parts of France and I love watching your tours, Angers was a great watch it looks a lovely place to visit.
All the best
John Fowkes
Thanks Philippe! Always great to have you watching live. A familiar “face” is really comforting. Thank you for the suggestions. Hoping to bring a few to life as we head into spring. 😉
Well done for overcoming your fears and DOING IT! I totally agree that there’s nothing like taking yourself out of your comfort zone – in fact, I have a poster on my wall saying “Don’t let your fears stand in the way of your dreams”. I also took my courage in two hands and did a video of myself presenting my novel, which was scary – but I was amazed to see how many views it had, compared to a normal blog post.
Keep up your live Facebook. I’ll try to catch you one of these days.
Thank you! Congrats on doing a video about your book! People really seem to like the sort of thing. Thanks again for your support!
Your poster is an awesome idea Harriet. I’m glad you did your video presenting your novel, tackling something outside our comfort zone is a big win!
Good for you Diane! Everyone keeps telling me that I need to do the same thing but I’m terrified! Every time I turn on live I freeze! haha oh my. Useless. I can’t believe you were on for 90 minutes! Give me your strength and wish me luck!
Thank you and sending you some good vibes! I try to stick to a loose plan. You could totally do it!
Bravo! It isn’t easy to put yourself out there. #allaboutfrance
Thank you! It gets easier each time.
So inspiring to see you tackle life head on Diane, I think it’s great that you’re going live. I’m terrified of doing it but have heard great things about its reach. I’ve watched some of your sessions and think you’re a natural! Thanks for sharing with #AllAboutFrance
Wow super well done for biting the bullet and loving it so much! It’s something I’ve vaguely thought about too for my blog, but I’m scared witless of it -still too much of an introvert for it. Maybe one day?
#AllAboutFrance
Sending you a truckload of confidence Annette. Make sure you tell us all when you do it so we can watch too. #AllAboutFrance
Well done Diane, I know this takes a lot of work to plan, upload etc. Keep going, your audience is loving what you share. #AllAboutFrance
Good for you! I have never done a live anything, or even a non live video. The main reason for this was rubbish internet at home, think struggling to hit 2mbps and even worse 3G mobile phone coverage. However, this week the village has been treated to fibre optic and we now get 20mbps or more and I’ve finally managed to get the 4G working on my phone, coverage still not great here in the sticks, but we’ve come a long way! #AllAboutFrance
I really admire you for your attitude Diane! I haven’t even summed up the courage to talk directly to the camera on Instagram stories yet, so Facebook Live is a long way off… Keep up the good work 🙂
Thanks so much, Nadine. I really appreciate that. It gets easier with time. You can do it… supporting you from afar. 😉
You seem like a natural to me! I never would’ve guessed you this was something that had been scary to you.
I’ve just discovered your youtube channel while laying in bed recovering from a minor case of the flu or the coronavirus…not sure which, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed exploring French life with you!
You were born to do this, I think!
You’re sweet, Lauren, thanks!! I hope you feel better soon! Rest up 🙂