Live streaming on Facebook is an extremely popular way for creators, businesses, organizations and public figures to connect with their target audience in real time. As Facebook Live continues to grow as a platform, more and more people are wondering if and how they can monetize their Facebook Live streams.
Can you make money from Facebook Live?
Yes, there are several ways to make money from Facebook Live streams. Here are some of the most common monetization models:
- Facebook Live Stars program – Earn a share of ad revenue from videos
- Receiving tips and virtual gifts – Viewers can send you tips and virtual gifts during a Live stream
- Product sales and promotions – Promote/demo products and include Shop Now buttons
- Sponsored content – Get sponsored by brands to promote their products/services
- Leveraging viewership – Build audience for other monetizable channels
- Affiliate marketing – Promote affiliate links and earn commissions
Facebook Live Stars Program
The Facebook Live Stars program allows popular creators and publishers to earn a share of ad revenue from their Live videos. To qualify for the program you need:
- At least 100,000 followers
- Regular posting of Live videos that generate engagement
- Content that complies with Facebook’s policies
If you meet the eligibility criteria, you can apply for the program and start monetizing once approved by Facebook. The ad revenue generated from your Live videos will be shared between you (55%), Facebook (45%), and any other rights holders.
Receiving Virtual Gifts and Tips
Facebook has launched several monetization features that allow viewers to send tips and virtual gifts directly to creators during a Live stream. This includes:
- Stars – Fans can purchase and send virtual stars to creators as a form of appreciation. 1 star = 1 cent. The creator exchanges the stars for real money later.
- Live Chat Stickers – Viewers can purchase special stickers (like applause, heart symbol etc.) from Facebook and send them in Live Chat. Creators get a share of sticker revenue.
- Viewer Funded Support – Fans can pay a monthly recurring fee to support their favorite creators through live chat badges, exclusive content etc. This is similar to channel subscriptions on platforms like YouTube and Twitch.
These features allow fans to directly fund creators during Live streams. The more engaging your content is, the more likely fans are to show their support through virtual gifts and tips.
How to enable Monetization Features
To enable monetization features on your Facebook Live videos:
- Go to the Monetization section under Facebook Live videos settings
- Enable the features you want like Stars, Stickers, Subscriptions etc.
- Set your minimum Star amount (min 1 cent)
- Create exclusive content for subscribers (optional)
- Go live as usual and monetize!
Selling Products or Services
One of the most popular ways to make money from Facebook Live is to promote and sell products or services to your viewers. There are a couple ways to do this:
Promote and Demo Products
If you have an ecommerce business or physical products to sell, you can showcase and demo those in your Live videos. For example, an apparel company can broadcast Live shows displaying their latest clothing lines. Viewers get a first-hand look at products before purchasing.
Make sure to highlight product features, periodically mention price/discount info, and include Shop Now buttons with product links so viewers can easily purchase. You can bring in higher sales by creating limited time discounts orbundles just for Live viewers.
Offer Services for Purchase
Service professionals like instructors, consultants, psychics etc. can generate leads and sales by offering paid services in their Live streams. For example:
- A fitness instructor can stream paid workout tutorial classes
- A psychic can offer mini-readings in exchange for a fee
- A nutritionist can do paid Q&A sessions
The key is to highlight the value viewers will get from your services and make the purchase process easy. Collect payment beforehand via Paypal, Venmo, Zelle or offer paid bookings through Facebook Calendar.
Sponsored Live Videos
Brand sponsorships represent big monetization potential for Facebook Live creators. There are a few ways to get sponsored:
In-Stream Sponsors
You can charge brands a sponsorship fee to promote their products/services in your Live videos. Mention the brand briefly during the stream and highlight their key messaging. Make sure to disclose it as a paid sponsorship.
The standard rate is $0.01 – $0.05 per view. For example, a brand may pay between $100 – $500 to be promoted in a Live video with 20,000 viewers. Rates vary based on viewership and niche. Gaming and beauty streams tend to have the highest brand sponsorship rates.
Dedicated Brand Streams
Big brands may pay you to do an entire Live video dedicated to featuring their products eg. an electronics company paying for an unboxing and review video showcasing their latest smartphone. These dedicated streams have higher sponsorship fees starting from $1000 and up.
Rear Banner Ads
This allows brands to purchase banner ad space that will be visible behind you during the Live stream. You can charge $10CPM (per 1000 views) for these overlay banner ads. The brand provides the banner image creatives.
Make sure to let brands know the date/time of your upcoming streams, expected viewership and audience demographics so they can assess if it aligns with their marketing goals.
Leveraging Viewership to Grow Overall Influence
Even if you are unable to monetize Facebook Live streams directly, you can leverage the audience growth and engagement to build your overall brand influence. Then monetize that influence through other channels.
For example, an author can do Live Q&As with fans about their books, gain more followers and credibility, and then earn money indirectly via increased book sales, more lucrative speaking engagements, bigger coaching client contracts etc.
Some ways Live streaming boosts your overall monetization influence:
- Build engaged follower count fast
- Position yourself as an authority in your niche
- Gain credibility and trust
- Promote your personal brand or business
- Drive traffic to money-making channels
- Collect viewer insights and improve monetizable content
Affiliate Marketing with Live Video
Affiliate marketing allows you to earn commissions by promoting other brands and companies. This works well with Facebook Live because you can organically share affiliate links without seeming overly promotional.
Some examples of integrating affiliate marketing into Live streams:
- A fitness vlogger reviews quality workout gear and shares affiliate links to purchase
- A chef recommends kitchen tools and appliances via affiliate links from Amazon
- A gaming streamer shares deals on gaming accessories using affiliate codes
The key is to recommend affiliate products that are highly relevant to your audience and seamlessly blend the recommendation into your Live content.
Most affiliate programs offer 4-10% commission on purchases and even higher for digital products or software subscriptions. This can add up quickly, especially if you have thousands of Live viewers.
Best Practices for Monetizing Live Video
Here are some top tips to monetize your Facebook Live streams effectively:
- Build a sizable audience of at least 5000+ engaged followers
- Stream consistently – at least 1 Live per week
- Produce engaging, high quality videos that deliver value
- Promote your upcoming streams in advance across all channels
- Make it easy for viewers to purchase products/services featured
- Encourage viewers to use monetization features like Stars and Stickers
- Collaborate with relevant brands as an influencer
- Focus on niches with the most monetization potential – gaming, beauty, business etc.
Monetization Challenges
While Facebook Live presents many money making opportunities, it also comes with some challenges:
- Very competitive – Requires building a sizable engaged audience to see meaningful revenue
- Unpredictable income – Earnings fluctuate depending on viewership and engagement with each stream
- Time consuming – Requires consistent streaming and audience engagement
- Capped earning potential – Facebook’s 45% ad revenue share limits potential earnings
- Account bans – Violating Facebook’s rules could get your account banned and cut off revenue sources
Conclusion
Facebook Live offers a variety of ways to earn money by engaging with your audience in real time. While monetizing Live videos takes significant effort and time investment, the potential upside can be well worth it, especially as the platform continues to grow.
With a strategic approach focused on providing value, leveraging all monetization features, collaborating with brands, and building your overall influence, Facebook Live streaming can become a standalone revenue channel or supplement income from other business activities.