Facebook has realized that live broadcasting is a huge trend that is here to stay across social media. They’ve introduced Facebook Live since then, and now that people know how to use it and are paying attention, it’s time for marketers to start integrating live broadcasting into their social media strategies.
Facebook isn’t the first or the only platform to offer live broadcasting –we’ve seen that it is successful on platforms like Twitter, YouTube, and Snapchat. Small businesses are already using Facebook Live, and other networking sites, to ramp up their social media strategy. We already know that video posts organically reach way a way higher number of people than regular posts. Now studies suggest that people are actually watching these live videos three times longer than regular videos. What does this mean for you? It’s a huge tool that you should not be ignoring.
First things are first, you have to incorporate video content in your content calendar. If you don’t make it a priority and an item on the list, chances are that you’re not going to follow through with any sort of live broadcasting marketing strategy. As with anything, consistency is important. So schedule when your Facebook Live posts will be, what they will be, and then plan around them to make them happen.
What to live broadcast about?
Q&A – you can always answer questions that have come up on blogs, articles, or social media comments. A good way to prepare for this would be to select questions ahead of time and jot down a few notes for each answer so you’re not left sitting there, live, trying to think of something to say. Obviously if you want to be more interactive, you can ask followers to ask questions in the comments, but just be aware that there is no way to monitor what people will ask or say. There may be a lot of inappropriate remarks that come up. Have a plan with how to deal with this if that is the route you take.
Events –if your business is hosting, attending, or planning an event, you can take to Facebook Live to give your followers information on the upcoming event and the opportunity to ask you any questions they may have about it.
Promoting Products or Special Offers –if you have a new product or a sale happening, you can go live on Facebook to give a teaser, share a code, or demonstrate a product. There are endless opportunities here and it really depends on the type of business that you have.
Give a Behind the Scenes Look –you can use live broadcasting to interview employees, have clients give reviews, call in industry experts to answer questions on a topic and more. There’s an opportunity to show your office or a behind the scenes look at your business operations and what makes you tick. You can treat Facebook Live as your own little podcast for your specific group of followers.
Here are a few things to remember:
These videos are LIVE. So, be responsible and make appropriate preparations.
Mistakes made during live sessions can’t be reversed –have a plan for handling these as they come.
Plan out your approach ahead of time so that you’re not left with radio silence once you go live.
What are your thoughts on broadcasting live to customers, clients, and followers? Is it beneficial or an accident waiting to happen? What would your approach be to marketing with Facebook Live? Comment below!
