Facebook Live For Business
For the uninitiated Facebook Live are “real-time video posts on Facebook.” Think Periscope and Meerkat. Facebook Live is now one of the best ways for businesses to interact with followers and engage in conversation. In an instant, you are connected with customers and brands, each one following your every move, live! So, what are the benefits of using this interactive feature for your business?
1. Throw away your editing skills. Millennials and Generation Yers don’t care about fancy, perfect videos. They want real, engaging material that brings their favorite brands to life.
2. Live streaming is about connecting with your audience. Facebook Live’s transparency not only breaks down barriers, it creates a real connection that your followers can trust.
3. You can bring your audience behind the scenes. The typical, you’re the consumer/I’m the business owner marketing plan doesn’t work anymore. People want to feel a part of the things they purchase.
4. You can broadcast live events. Give your audience a V.I.P. look into a conference, a concert, or any event. Either let them sit back and watch, or engage with them throughout the filming process. Answer their questions via tweet or text and see what sort of new following may emerge.
5. Host interviews with company employees, clients, celebrities, or fans. It’s like having your own live T.V. show where you’re brand is the host.
6. Address blog comments and FAQs during a live video session. Customer service is an important part of any business. It will also help build an archive of content that you can then use in blog posts or marketing materials.
7. Tease new products before they hit stores. Show your loyal fans a preview and capitalize on the excitement. Consider providing a link in the side bar where they can preorder.
A few other perks include:
- Being able to see how many people are watching as the video is shooting.
- The video automatically saves to your timeline.
- You can share, tweet, or embed the video after it’s complete.
Facebook Live may seem daunting, but there is a solution. Make sure you have a plan and even having a few notes in front of you wouldn’t hurt. Skip the teleprompter and allow for some authenticity to slip through—an awkward pause, an off the cuff joke—it’s all a part of the new marketing platform. Your followers aren’t expecting perfection, so it’s ok to be yourself. Don’t forget to implement a call-to-action so that your viewers are more likely to tune in next time.
If you need a little boost of creativity to get started, here are a few businesses that are doing Facebook Live right:
Tough Mudder is an endurance event series known for its military-style obstacles and huge sense of community. Not long ago, they broadcasted their Merrell Michigan Training Event with Coach T. Mud. By bringing the event right to their audience’s desktop or mobile device, they had the choice to follow along with the training or simply get a sense of the brand.
Benefit, who hosts a series called “Tipsy Tricks” every Thursday, uses Facebook Live to take polls on what product the audience would like to see next. It’s sort of like a beauty-themed, choose-your-own-adventure game! They also encourage their fans to submit ideas via comments or Snapchat to help them brainstorm future topics to cover.
Grazia UK is an Italian women’s magazine that uses Facebook Live to document behind-the-scenes footage such as their editorial meeting, cover shoot, and GraziaFB Brexit Debate. “This is a fantastic opportunity to bring Grazia to life for our readers, and at the same time launch our real-life community, in partnership with the biggest social media network in the world,” said Grazia Editor Natasha Pearlman.
Tastemade hosts a series called Tiny Kitchen, a miniature cooking concept inspired by Japanese kawaii pop culture. Although Tiny Kitchen began as a pre-recorded series, the people at Tastemade decided to use Facebook Live to record a real-time cooking demonstration.
Buzzfeed recently used Facebook Live to host an epic live dance battle. This interactive competetition required audience members to vote on performances and submit suggestions for dance moves.
Feeling inspired, yet? Than it’s time to go out and try Facebook Live for yourself. If you still need a little support getting started, check out Tips on How to Use Facebook Live for Business where you can learn how to broadcast on Facebook Live, analyze your video’s performance, and some other tips and tricks to get the most of the platform.
