On Facebook Live and My Amazing Followers

Nobody will want to look at me. It won’t be very good. I’ll give away all my secrets for free. The comments will be mean.

There were so many reasons not to follow through on the idea of a live video tour. And a lot of days, I talked myself out of starting. In fact the equipment I used on Saturday was purchased almost a year ago and had never left the drawer. But holy cow – the response to my first Facebook Live walking tour has completely blown me away. Clearly this was the right move.

If you don’t know the concept yet it’s pretty simple: if you can’t get to Paris, I’ll bring Paris to you via a series of live walks. And you’ll get a free guided tour in the process. To my knowledge I’m one of the first (if not the first) to offer this kind of thing, and it looks like we’re at the start of a great adventure.

The first one was on Saturday and if you didn’t catch it, here’s the replay. It’s around 25 minutes long. If you dig it please share with your traveler friends. :)

Like I said, the response from all of you was incredible – you don’t know how awesome you are! The video is currently at 15.5k views, 700 likes and over 200 shares. That’s viral, at least by French Frye standards. I could have never predicted that, and it resulted in all sorts of lovely things. I was contacted by travel agents, old high school friends, and a history teacher asked if she could play the video in her classroom. One woman typed “Marry me” during the broadcast, lol.

I can’t thank everybody enough for the love. I guess the best way to pay it back is to make more videos. :) This project will evolve as it goes, but for now I’ll try to do a live walk once a week, probably on the weekend to give you the best chance to watch live.

I’m also toying with the idea of finishing each walk with an “after show” segment, meaning that a few minutes after the walk is over I’ll start a fresh live broadcast somewhere in a cafe. That’ll allow us to chat over a coffee and talk about the walk, and you can have a bit of a vicarious cafe moment in Paris. What do you think?

Lastly – and this is important – I don’t want you to miss the next broadcast! I’ll of course announce each one ahead of time, but if you also want to receive a reminder notification whenever I go live you can go to my Facebook page and do the following:

FB89E3BD-70D7-4E45-A034-DDA9B7268E1A

I hope to see you all for the next video, coming soon. I feel like this could become something really great thanks to all of you. Let’s see where the adventure can take us! Oh and…

HAPPY 2018!!!

41 comments

  • You are very self effacing, Corey. You should be very proud of what you do because you do it so well, be it a guided walk or your new venture, Live Facebook tours. I am sure you will garner many more followers which in turn will lead to more tourists taking your very interesting tours.

  • Congratulations on two things: 1. An amazingly successful Episode One, and 2. Conquering the evil self-doubt demon. You’ve taught me a valuable lesson and provided me a glimpse of Paris I don’t anticipate seeing live for many months. For that, merci beaucoup.

    2018 has the potential to be grand for you;don’t let anything stop you! I, for one, will be cheering you on!

    • Excellent, thanks for that Missy! I can always use an extra cheerleader on my side. :) I look forward to making more videos, especially now that I’ve gotten past the jitters of the maiden voyage. I too think 2018 can be the breakout year for me – I’ve had this blog and the FB page for several years but I’m now more focused on actively growing them. Let’s see what we can do! :)

  • I absolutly love this video ! I would love to go to Paris someday but until I do….. Corey I’ll be watching you and your walks! Great idea to do this for your followers! Of which I am now! Thank you and we’ll be watching!

    • Thanks a lot Ann. I love that you’re following along now! I think we’re going to have some fun with these live walks, and who knows what it could evolve into. Exciting times! Have a great 2018.

  • Awesome stuff (if still a bit rough of course, and that is alright) for folks like me who are fb-abstinents by free decision. i love all the bits you showed us and – apart from a wonderful mediterrean eatery with one table with a partial view of a corner of Luxembourg Garden i learned something: the damages on the arches by artillary fights… thanks a lot and happy new year to you.

  • I really enjoyed your first Facebook Live walk in Paris! You did a great job. You may give away a few secrets, but in the long run you will grow your brand, make people happy and grow as a person. Here’s to you and making 2018 your best year yet!!! (I also think the coffee chat afterwards is a great idea.) 😄🌏🌍🌎😃

    • Thanks Laura, I think the live video idea will definitely be worth it in the long run, for lots of reasons. In fact I think that I turned a page on Saturday, a page that I’ve waiting a long time for. Thanks for the support and encouragement! I’ll see you on the next video.

  • Corey – I am sooooooo proud of you. Well done for following through with your idea – how wonderful. Hugh and I are very excited about being a part of your walking tours again, for the moment, until we meet again in Paris, from Australia!
    This is the start of a sensational New Year for you Corey and for us too!

  • Congratulations on such a successful first tour, Corey — but maybe more importantly, congratulations on conquering your fear of failure. It’s truly inspiring how you’ve done that over and over again in your life … and it’s heartwarming to see that your efforts are being rewarded. I hope this will lead to many new opportunities for you. And I do hope you’ll consider doing these more regularly! Even if you just wander into a cafe or stroll along the Seine it will be a pleasure to tag along vicariously. Bonne année !

    • Thanks Heather! I hope to do a video every week. I already see that lots of opportunities might spring up from these. Somehow I’d forgotten just how much people LOVE Paris, if you can believe it. This project really speaks to people and I’m so glad the “gamble” is paying off. Thanks for YOUR support over the years! Hugs.

  • Corey I already told you on FB, but I will tell you again- your walk was awesome & I am so excited that you will continue. I also love the idea of the cafe after-chat. Would love to see your recommendations for different cafes so I can try them when I visit in March. Would love to buy you coffee! Thanks for stepping out & taking that leap of faith to start these live walks. I look forward to many more! Bonne Annee!

  • My biggest goal (pre-retirement) was simply to have fun at work. Pretty simple, and looks like you’re doing it. Looking forward to your next live tour … all the best!

    • Thanks Margaret, yeah enjoying your work makes a huge difference doesn’t it? Also the feeling that you’re being productive and contributing something to the world. This experience has amplified that feeling for me and I’m very grateful to everyone like yourself who have been generous with positivity and praise. I can’t wait to continue the adventure with you!

  • It was amazing! I can’t wait till 2020 when we will be back in Paris. Looking forward to the next video. I might even stay awake or set an alarm so I can watch it “live”.

  • Corey, please don’t feel you need to respond to my comment. I just want to say that what you have, in yourself as a person and in your passion for such a wonderful place, is such a rare combination.If you gently nurture these gifts and appreciate them you can’t go wrong. Be kind to yourself. What we all see in you is a person who is full of passion, knowledge and reverence for a place that we, your followers, love too.And we so appreciate your willingness to share what you have with us.I hope you’ll cast away any self-doubts, have lots of fun and continue to show us the Paris you know and we love.The universe needs you! Really, it does.

    • Maria – OF COURSE I will respond to a comment like that! :) You are so kind to say such things. This whole experience has been a wonderful affirmation of all things I’ve been working toward over the years. I’m lucky to live in an age where technology can broadcast my interests to the world! I knew I was comfortable as a tour guide but getting in front of the camera was uncharted territory; the good news is that once I started talking about Paris the passion took over and I was able to be my usual tour guide self. :) I can’t wait to see what we all can do with this project. 2018 promises to be an exciting year.

  • Hey Corey, really impressed with this concept,. It beats the hell out of walking the streets on Google maps, which is how I normally satisfy my Paris cravings from Australia when not actually there myself. Keep up the good work!

    • Thanks Dave! Yeah on my live walks people’s faces aren’t blurred out, so there’s a plus right there! Glad you’re interested in the project and I plan to make more videos soon.

  • A super start to your original idea project. I don’t think anyone else has done this. So pleased you got over that wall of doubt and just walked off the cliff. I look forward to more of these. Hoping you take us into some of the lesser know places in Paris. last spring I and my two daughters loved our walk with you in the Canal St. Martin area.

    • Thanks a lot! I do believe I’m the first to do this, at least on a regular basis. I think it could be quite an adventure! Hope to see you on the next one which should happen this weekend.

  • I’m not the first to say this but we’re all very proud of you! Me especially because I am following your lead… I am a Canadian living in Los Angeles. I recently married my American husband and am in the process of immigrating. I have 30 years of Hospitality & Tourism Experience and am planning to give tours of LA’s Downtown Historic & Arts District through Airbnb Experiences once I receive my green card! Until then, I too have been ‘giving it away free’ via an APP called CoolCousins. Here is my link in case you are interested in putting a face to my name :) https://www.coolcousin.com/cities/los-angeles–ca–us/patricia-40208065
    Your virtual Fbook Live tour has inspired me to learn more about LA’s History and practice my skills publically, so thank-you! And as I mentioned before in a comment, I look forward to visiting Paris next Fall and booking you for a tour with my husband! He is a Horror Film Director and I’d like to plan a spooky tour of Paris for him ;} Merci Beaucoup! P.

    • Hi Patricia! That’s a very cool story, all the best with it! And if I could inspire you in some tiny way than all the better. I’m working on a new tour that would be perfect for your husband; it’s going to be based on the more gruesome and dark history of Paris – executions, curses, crimes etc. Definitely keep that in mind for the fall! So glad to have you along for this project can stay tuned for another video this weekend! I’ll be advertising it soon.

  • hi corey love your blog! and your beautiful photos and paris of course,and now these live tours what fun is like being right there in paris ,can you have these wonderful facebook lives on youtube maybe too? but as long as they show up on your blog its ok[ because i dont belong to Facebook] thank you glad you did this anyway even with the doubting [ no need to doubt]

    • Hey Karen, thanks for the support. I do think these videos would lend themselves well to YouTube and I’ll probably start at channel once I have a few of them “in the can”. So keep an eye out for that announcement. :) Hope you’re well and I hope you can join along for the next walk!

  • The live tour was absolutely lovely Corey! I run into your page by accident today, and I watched the whole broadcast, it was great and I enjoyed every minute of it. I visit Paris 3-4 times a year (I would have done it more if I could), and I will definitely take a tour with you. Don’t let the fears and thoughts prevent you from doing what you love.

    • Hi there, thanks for the kind words and enthusiasm! Next live video tour is Sunday at 4pm Paris time. Hope you can join live, if not it’ll be on FB for replay like the other one. I’d love to meet you in Paris and arrange a tour one day! You know where to find me :) Take care.

  • Bonjour Corey! I recently discovered both your site and also the Earful Tower, one of my new favorite podcasts (!), where I love listening to Oliver Gee and your “Corey Storeys” ! Your live tour was fantastique. Thank you so much for bringing some Paris to me. I wondered where the “Midnight in Paris” stairs were, and it turns out I may have walked within a couple blocks of them without even noticing! Obviously I need a guide :-) I adore Paris, and I would go there all the time if I could. You’re a Parisian inspiration. My husband and I have only spent a few weeks in Paris (over the last 4 years) and we have fallen in love with it. What a joy to “walk” with you there and learn some cool facts. We would love to take a tour with you when we go back later this year. Thank you so much for doing this!

    • Hi, thanks so much for your support and interest. That’s what keeps me going! Paris is easy to fall in love with if you have a bit of a romantic in you or creative spirit I think. I certainly have been smitten for a long time! I’d love to take you on a tour next time you’re here, until then you can join my next FB Live video tour this Sunday at 4pm Paris time. All the best to you!

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