In this article, you'll learn:
- How to create a test Facebook group.
- How to pre-record a live sale.
- How to schedule your pre-recorded sale to post on your Facebook page and group.
About Pre-Recorded Live Sales
A pre-recorded live sale is a sale you record in advance so that you can broadcast or play it later. Shops can post pre-recorded sales to their Facebook page or group and link the post to CommentSold so that shopper comments can claim and cart items, just like a standard live sale.
With a pre-recorded live sale, shops can offer shoppers the live sale experience when the shop's real-time schedule doesn't allow for an actual live sale (i.e., the shop staff will be on vacation, closed for a holiday, or otherwise unavailable).
How Pre-Recorded Live Sales Benefit Your Shop
- Stick to a live selling schedule your shoppers love even when you're busy or have travel plans.
- Prepare for big promotions and holiday seasons with mini live sales you can post throughout a day or week.
Create and Connect Your Facebook Test Group
To pre-record a live sale, you'll first need to create a Facebook test group.
First, you'll need to create a test group in Facebook and add the CommentSold app to that group.
- Select + Create New Group in the side menu of your Groups page.
- On the Create Group page, complete the following:
- Group Name. Include "TEST" in your group name to distinguish it from other groups linked to your CommentSold account.
- Choose Privacy. Select Private to keep shoppers from accidentally joining your test group.
- Hide Group. Select Hidden to prevent your test group from showing up in searches.
- Select Create.
- On your new test group page, locate and select Group Settings at the bottom of the side menu.
- Locate and select Apps at the bottom of the settings page, then select Add apps at the bottom of the pop-up.
- Search for CommentSold using the search field in the top-left corner of the page.
- Select CommentSold, then select Add.
Next, you'll need to connect your test Facebook group to your CommentSold account. This will allow you to stream the sale feed you'll use for your pre-recorded sale.
- Select Social Setup in the side menu of your CommentSold dashboard.
- Select Facebook Groups from the menu at the top of the page.
- Locate your test group in the Groups section and select Enable Group.
- Don't see your test group? Select Re-Connect Facebook to refresh your connection.
Pre-Record Your Live Sale
When you pre-record a live sale, you broadcast your sale to your closed test group. Treat it like a regular live sale; you'll download the video from your test group once it's over.
Start your live sale as you usually would, but on Step 3: Choose Where to Go Live, you'll choose a different destination.
- Select Choose Where to Go Live, then select Go Live Normally.
- In the Stream Targets section, select your Test Group. De-select any other targets, such as your mobile app or webstore, so the sale doesn't broadcast to those platforms.
- Select Go Live in the bottom-right corner of the pop-up.
Since you are pre-recording this live sale, you won't have a live audience. That means no real-time shopper questions or SOLD comments. Those will happen in the Facebook post of your pre-recorded video once the post goes live.
Treat this live sale broadcast as you would any other. Talk up the product, fit, design, and other essential points, and feel free to interact with the video as if you have shoppers there. You can ask questions (e.g., Don't you just love this design?) and other engagement strategies to give that live interaction feel.
Once you end your live sale, you'll want to download the video from your test Facebook group.
- On your group page, locate the live sale video and select the Expand icon in the bottom-right corner of the video frame.
- Select the three-dot icon in the top-right corner of the page, beneath your user icon.
- Select Download Video.
Your video file will download to your current device. Download times will vary based on the length of your live sale video.
Schedule Your Pre-Recorded Live Sale on Facebook
Once you download your pre-recorded video, you can schedule your future post on your Facebook page and group.
You can directly schedule your video post on your Facebook page and group.
- On your Facebook page or group, select Photo/Video in the Write Something (group) or Create Post (page) section to create a post.
- Write your post in the body of the pop-up.
- Copy the Product Selection Name from CommentSold and paste it into your post.
- Your product selection name should not contain any spaces (i.e., WeddingGuest rather than Wedding Guest). This links the pre-recorded sale post to CommentSold products and allows shopper comments to cart items and generate invoices.
- Make sure to include a # in front of the name (i.e., #ShopTheLookJan1, #StockingStuffers).
- Select Add Photos/Videos to add your pre-recorded video to the post.
- Select Calendar Icon to schedule the post for the desired future date and time.
- Choose the date and time when you'd like Facebook to post the pre-recorded video, then select Schedule.
If you're posting the video to your page and group (or even to just one of them), consider using the Facebook Planner feature in your Facebook Business Suite. You can save time by only drafting the post copy once and benefit from recommended posting times based on when your followers are most active.
- On your Business Manager (or Facebook page), select Planner in the side menu.
- Select Create in the top-right corner of the page.
- Select the checkbox to the left of the Facebook Group(s) and/or Facebook Page where you want to post the pre-recorded video.
- Write your post in the Text field.
- Copy the Product Selection Name from CommentSold and paste it into your post.
- Your product selection name should not contain any spaces (i.e. WeddingGuest rather than Wedding Guest). This links the pre-recorded sale post to CommentSold products and allows shopper comments to cart items and generate invoices.
- Make sure to include a # in front of the name (i.e., #ShopTheLookJan1, #StockingStuffers).
- Under Media, select Add video to add your pre-recorded video to the post.
- In the bottom-right corner, select the drop-down icon to the right of Publish, then select Schedule post.
- Choose the date and time when you'd like Facebook to post the pre-recorded video, or select a recommended time.
- Select Save.
Once scheduled, you can view your post in the planner calendar.
Learn More
- Post Products to Facebook. Learn the various ways you can post items for sale on your Facebook page and group.
- Create a Shop the Look Video Post. Learn how to feature and sell multiple items on Facebook using product selections.
- Going Live with CommentSold. Learn how to stream a live sale to your Facebook page and/or group.
- Connect Your Facebook Account. Learn how to connect your Facebook account, page, and group to take advantage of social selling via product posts and live sales.
