Facebook has become the world’s largest social network, started as a medium for connecting people with friends and enlarged into the greatest marketing platform. Facebook currently serves more than 2 billion active users in which more than 1 billion users are logging on to Facebook, users spend almost an hour every day and the usage continues to grow which is a great achievement. It is a continuously evolving communication channel and a marketing platform.
Facebook is a venue for most businesses and marketers to show off themselves through self-promotion and interaction with customers and prospects. Whether you are a big company or a start-up, Facebook as a powerful platform provides great space to keep the customer engaged, build brand identity, and widen your business reach.
Facebook Live Can Capitalize Your Business
Facebook is an integral part of online marketing strategy and works best when used consistently on your profile, groups, and community pages to reach a wider audience and connect with potential audiences. Some of the new updates and features such as expanded Video metrics, Live streaming in real-time, A/B testing, Product Ads, Cross-promotion with other social media platforms and Facebook Insight can be very beneficial to a legitimate business trying to carve out their niche in the marketplace. Among all other features, Facebook Live dominates in engaging the potential audience and increasing new audiences, building brand awareness, creating brand popularity and authenticity.
What Is Facebook Live?
Facebook Live is an engaging feature that lets users broadcast live videos in real-time from the Facebook mobile application. Facebook competes with other social media platforms such as YouTube, Twitter live and Periscope. Broadcasting a live video helps to find what is on your audience’s mind and look at live reactions to gauge how is your broadcast performing.
Before understanding how business can capitalize on Facebook Live, let’s discuss the steps to perform to start a live video broadcast:
- Launch the Facebook mobile application, Select Live icon on top of your profile and enter status: What’s on your mind?
- Choose the privacy level to the public- to reach new viewers.
- Write a compelling video description.
- Specify location and tag users to draw their attention.
- ‘Go Live’ and start creating an impressive video to attract more people.
Facebook Live supports filters, vertical and horizontal video mirroring, live commenting, and reactions from viewers. The user going Live video can block specific viewers if they desire. The maximum duration for a user to go live was initially 30 minutes but now it is increased for up to four hours.
- Plan Your Broadcast
Prepare yourself with a detailed content strategy. Take enough time to format your content flow whether broadcasting horizontal or vertical depending on the best way. Facebook Live provides a natural experience than a television advertisement or YouTube videos. Develop a content strategy to limit bad impressions and represent your brand to a wider audience.
- Mock a private broadcast for testing.
- Invest for a Tripod to avoid shaky cam experience.
- Avoid unwanted ambiance whether indoor or outdoor.
- Promote Before You Broadcast
Build hyper through teasers. Let people know your live stream in advance with teasers on Facebook and as well as share them in other networks to reach more audiences. Build anticipation through creative teaser content and ask viewers to subscribe (click the follow button); live notification allows them to know when you go live.
- Connect With People
Leverage the tag option to increase chances for discovering a new audience. Tag influencers to increase your video reach and draw new viewers. Location tagging personalizes your business by letting viewers know where you are and what you are up to. Inspire people for more than three minutes long to prioritize your video on top of the feed.
- Broadcast for a long time to reach a wider audience.
- Add a compelling video description with creative hashtags.
- A branded watermark or background can help with some context when people join live.
- Answer Questions In Real-time
The live comments and reactions make the experience engaging to viewers. Create a two-way conversation and be responsive when answering questions. Address the commenter with their profile name and share their opinion and thoughts and show viewers that you value their comments most. This builds brand popularity and people would get to know that you care for them.
- Showcase Your Event
Broadcast events on Facebook live and provide the opportunity for viewers to join your event who couldn’t attend. Have a strong internet connection and have the permission from the guest speaker to stream live video. If you are part of an event or exhibition marketing company, Facebook live streaming is a great way to engage the audience. Take the audience behind the scene of event preparation and build excitement by teasing about the speaker and celebrities. With the demographics obtained from the event, retarget the audience for your next event.
- Show Off Your Company Culture
Share industry updates, keep the audience informed on industry trends and build a loyal and engaged following. Show off your unique personalities and sharing your cultures would result in long term benefits for recruiting new employees, getting new followers interested in your brand and much more. Create Product demo and tutorials, Partner with influencers and get thousands of views.
Behind the scenes, videos give your viewers a peek at what goes into making the brand they love so much. Live streaming allows viewers to interact and ask questions.
- Shout Out
Live videos are instantly achieved after they are finished. Share a quick post thanking people for watching your live broadcast which would value customer relationships. A thanking post would boost your viewership who missed your live stream and insists on them to join your next broadcast. Appreciate your viewers and show them some love.
- Analyze Your Result
Facebook live provides a better way to show off your business human side by showing people behind your company. It generates three times the engagement of normal videos shared on social media. Facebook has various metrics that you can measure with your live video.
Measure your performance in certain aspects such as how many people you have reached, how many unique audiences, referrals and conversions, response rate and time, engagements: likes, comments, shares. Identify which strategy is performing and what needs improvement.