Facebook Live has been available to all Facebook pages for a few months now. It is a great part of the standard Facebook app that enables you to stream live video from your mobile device. So how can you make Facebook Live work for you and your business?
Live streaming gives you the opportunity to connect with members of the public and other businesses by sharing real-time video of what you are seeing and doing. Whether you use live-streaming on your personal profile or your company page, you have a built-in audience. When you ‘go live’, the video is sent out into notifications and the news feed, gaining great organic reach.
Live-streaming videos give the opportunity to create an intimate, authentic and engaging connection with your audience. Your audience is able to see your brand as more than just a distant and cold figure; live-streaming personalises and humanises your brand.
How to Live Stream:
Live streaming couldn’t be easier and it doesn’t require downloading any extra software! The feature is available from within your regular Facebook app, and if you’re trying to broadcast from your company page, just make sure you’re using the Facebook Pages app.
Type in your intro – it’s a good idea to tell your audience what you’re covering in the live stream so as to give them a reason to tune in. You’ll then want to hit the little red video button and opt for LIVE VIDEO:
Now that we know how we can live stream, we’d love to share with you our top tips for a smooth live streaming, and of course some ideas for how your business can use Facebook live streaming!
How to get the best results for your live stream:
Have a Plan – To make sure your broadcast has the best results, plan what you’re going to talk about ahead of time. Know your topic and have a plan of things to cover, avoid rambling and keep to the point, but also allow for improvisation. Sticking to a strict script can lead to your broadcast feeling monotone and disengaging. Viewers are taking time out of their day to listen to what you have to say, make it worth it.
Soundcheck – When recording your broadcast, strive for great audio – speak loudly and clearly. If you have an ideal location for your live-stream but it has a lot of background noise – avoid using it, your audience needs to be able to hear what you are saying clearly. Consider using a lapel microphone.
Engage your Audience – To keep your audience engaged throughout the broadcast make sure to acknowledge them, this can be done in the form of responding to comments either during or after the live-stream. Not only will you see their live reactions (as per the image below), but this also shows that you are paying attention to what their needs and gives a further personal touch.
It’s a good idea to test what broadcast lengths your audience responds best to. Anywhere between 2-20 minutes is generally safe but it pays to see what your specific audience likes and use that as a gauge for all future posts. It also doesn’t hurt to test going live at different times to see when most of your audience is active and viewing, this will ensure you obtain the best results.
End with Direction – It’s a good tip to end your video with a call to action – direct your viewers to a specific place, whether it be a relevant page on your website or for them to private message yourself for further information.
Be Selective – Finally, be selective with your broadcasting. Don’t video anything and everything that you do, make your videos special – this way when you do go live, people will actually want to watch because they know it will be something of note – not just more spam.
Ways to use Facebook Live for your business:
“Behind the scenes” – find something relevant to your brand that may interest your viewers and take them there. If you are the owner of a sporting retail company, live broadcast from a training session where some of your products may be in use. This is a fun way of engaging your audience, rather than just talking at them about your business.
“Q&A’s” – pick a day and time and let your followers know that you be going live to answer any of their questions. This is particularly helpful if you are having an influx of queries on a regular basis. To get the most out of this, have your Q&A’s directed at a specific topic e.g. an event, a particular product range or service you provide. Q&A’s not only increase your engagement with your audience, but are also a great tool for market research.
“How-To’s” – find something relevant to your business and your specific expertise, and show your audience how to do it with simple steps. For instance, if you are a hairdresser, perform a “how-to” tutorial on a simple, on trend hairstyle they can do from home. This engages your audience in a fun way, while showing your talent and expertise.
“Product demos” – similar to “how-to’s”, perform live product demos for your followers. Take products from your business and show your audience how you would use them. Product consumption is a great way to engage your audience and get them thinking about using your product.
Video streaming is an incredible opportunity to engage your audience through a strong medium and showcase your knowledge. Video streaming adds personalisation and fun to your business and can help increase your follower and customer base. Video has always been a strong point for marketing and so Facebook Live achieves higher organic reach then other types of content. Make sure you utilise this excellent and easy tactic of keeping your brand top of mind and at your audience’s fingertips. For something that can achieve great results and take as little as 2 minutes to create, it is definitely worth looking in to.
If you’d like to talk creative ideas for your brand using Facebook live streaming, get in touch with Digital Marketing AOK.
NB: Thanks to our lovely marketing intern from the University of South Australia, Lidia Stitic, for her considerable contribution to this article.
