There’s no doubt social media plays an important part of everyday life. Sites like Facebook experience hundreds of millions of regular users every month. It only makes sense marketers would try to capitalize on this usage. In fact, many of them are including Facebook live marketing tactics to boost sales.
Live video feeds are increasing in popularity year-over-year. Consider how people consume more than 100 million hours of video content on Facebook alone. While the live video feed is still relatively new to the social giant, the potential is staggering.
In reality, about 80% of consumers would rather watch a live video stream from a brand than read a blog. It’s the engagement factor that gets their attention which is one of the reasons why platforms like Twitch are so popular.
OK, so what happens if you’re convinced to do some live streaming for your brand? Well, here are nine of the best ways to get into Facebook live marketing. If you haven’t updated your digital marketing strategy, perhaps you should.
1. Using an Influencer
Influencer marketing is a widely used platform. It’s when you essentially sponsor someone who is doing a live stream. This helps you reach that particular influencer’s audience.
Why is this valuable? Because it’s an audience you might not have access to otherwise. Someone watching the individual on live stream might not know your company exists. And spreading awareness of your brand is vital in today’s high-competition market.
As many as 83% of consumers trust peer recommendations over traditional advertising. And as many influencers are often viewed as “peers” on social media, this impacts sales and leads for a brand.
In some ways, influencer marketing is more effective than simple ad placement. Advertisements are usually based on bid rates, but all have a degree of randomness. If 100 brands are competing for ad space on Facebook, only one is chosen at that particular moment. With an influencer, your ad is delivered immediately.
The best way to use an influencer is by making sure he or she is connected to your industry in some form. The influencer’s audience is already interested in the industry, which means there is a greater chance of making a connection. You wouldn’t want to use an influencer for gaming if you sell kitchen supplies.
2. Creating a Video Talk Show
One of the reasons why so many people visit sites like YouTube is because of channels that create a regular pattern of content. A lot of viewers tune in for daily information, and it works to boost brands and subscribers. In reality, the same can be done while live streaming on Facebook.
Of all the ways to incorporate Facebook Live tips, this is perhaps the most involved. It takes quite a bit of work to plan out a regular talk show or recurring informative piece, especially if it’s live. However, the engagement factor for the brand is often worth the effort.
You should address hosts, talking points and formats in advance before trying a live video stream. It’s very easy to have what’s called “dead air” when the topic or conversation comes to a close. It will also reduce the risks of making mistakes and veering off topic.
Facebook suggests you stay live for at least 10 minutes. It helps draw an audience as it’s unlikely many of your viewers will be online when you start. The longer the broadcast, the better the result. Just make sure you don’t fill that time with “fluff” and “filler.”
Engage your audience.
3. Be Authentic
The voice of your brand is a vital component in marketing. Staying true to it is imperative if you want to engage an audience. During a live Facebook video, the pressure is on to remain authentic. For one thing, you can’t go back and edit a part out of the video before someone sees it.
As many as 80% of people state how authenticity is a primary factor when deciding to follow a brand. This means you need to be true to your industry, audience and word if you want to have the most success in Facebook Live marketing.
Most successful video developers, regardless of what platform they’re on, center around consistency. This is for both broadcasting times as well as the style of content. For instance, you wouldn’t see a political news show dive into reviewing children’s cartoons.
If your brand revolves around computer technology, focus on that aspect. If you add a comical flare to your material, make sure it’s represented in each piece. Fluctuating too much between style and content can easily lose an audience whether it’s a live stream or not.
People will watch the Facebook Live stream because they appreciate your brand’s view of the world. Don’t deviate from that focus or you’ll lose viewers.
4. Engage the Audience
Being engaging means more than just offering some entertaining view points. It’s about connecting with the audience and making them part of your show. For instance, many video producers are considered engaging because they: a) ask the audience what they think; and b) respond to the most pertinent comments from viewers.
Platforms like Facebook, Twitch and YouTube are popular live formats as they give viewers a way to directly interact with the broadcaster. If the person doing the live stream finds a comment worthy, he or she often replies. It would be like being able to talk directly to your favorite movie star while they’re filming.
While Facebook may not have the most direct interaction when it comes to live feeds at the moment, the comments and message systems are helpful.
Engagement such as this connects the viewer to the brand on a more personal level. Instead of a basic infomercial, viewers feel more like watching a friend delivering a live feed. And that’s the key to social video engagement of any kind: be social and not salesy.
5. Brand Videos to Make them Memorable
Nearly every successful brand has some kind of slogan, logo or other element that makes it memorable. For example, what do you think about when you hear, “Just do it?” Nike has been using that slogan for a very long time.
While some online video producers spend a lot of time coming up with branding, sometimes it can happen because of your content. For instance, Philip DeFranco’s outro for his show on YouTube involves the words, “…and I’ll see you tomorrow.” It’s something that gets stuck in your head to the point where you expect it.
You don’t want to copy the success of others. Instead, you want to find your own way to brand your business videos in Facebook Live.
Color schemes, tools and even your attire are ways to create branding for the video. It often takes a bit of imagination to come up with something that resonates within the audience. However, the ends certainly justify the means.
Another way you can add branding to your content is setting up a memorable background. What happens behind the focus of the video is often as important as what’s going on in the foreground.
6. Show Something Unique
A lot of live videos are popular as they take the audience to places they normally cannot visit. For example, concerts are widely watched as many can’t afford the tickets or live in another geographic location.
Think of die-hard sports fans who spend hours watching their favorite teams instead of going in person. This is why channels like ESPN have such a profound following.
A lot of viewership has to do with the “backstage” mentality. It’s all about taking your audience to see something special or is usually off limits to the public. A lot of popular vloggers started off by sharing their daily lives within their own homes.
From a business perspective, a live video stream on Facebook from a local trade show or something similar could result in greater viewership as well as local brand recognition. Conferences, meetings and any other gathering that is non-sensitive can quickly draw a crowd.
Why not set up an interview of someone in your industry to broadcast on Facebook? It gives your brand as well as the individual exposure. Of course, you want to make sure the content of the interview is something that people will want to watch.
7. Run a Contest
Businesses have been using contests as a way to gain exposure for many years. This is especially effective if you have something of incredible value to offer. One way to use Facebook Live video feeds is to announce the winner.
This does two things:
- Gets people interested in the brand to compete for the contest.
- Gives people a reason to “tune in” to watch who wins.
Essentially, it’s the same premise of watching an award show like the Golden Globes. Sure people can read who won in an article the next day. But many of them want to experience it live.
You can run a myriad of contests directly from your website, which coincidentally will boost traffic once you stream a live video about it. Of course you’ll have to pay attention to certain laws in your area. Offering a raffle could land you in legal trouble if your locale doesn’t allow them.
Something as simple as a gift card to your business could be a good start. You don’t have to offer up millions of dollars to pique the interest of viewers. Just keep in mind the more grandiose the offering, the more interested people will be to win.
8. Create Tutorials
One of the driving forces behind why people browse the Internet is to learn how to do something. In fact, “How-To” content is one of the most effective ways to create material on the Internet.
Of course this is going to depend on your business and industry. Some things are impractical to show live because of time allotment. However, you can always show parts of a project as part of an ongoing, weekly series.
The point of going beyond your business is to further connect with the audience. Up to 45% of people will unfollow a brand if the content seems more self-promotional than anything. You don’t want to create an advertisement for your products. But showing people how to use them properly may help boost viewership.
Besides, tutorials and how-tos are a great way to show the audience you’re trying to help them. Content like this begins to build trust, which impacts how consumers view your brand. You want to make sure you add the human element to marketing campaigns regardless of what kind of platform you use.
Another upside to creating tutorials is boosting customer service. Teaching people how to use something properly reduces frustration and may impact item returns in the long run.
9. Promote Your Upcoming Live Feeds
Lastly, make sure you promote your upcoming live feeds while you’re broadcasting. Not everyone is going to know when your “show” starts, and those who are watching the video late may want to return if they like the content.
While you can rely a little bit on people sharing your content in their own Facebook feeds, never assume you’ll have an immediate flux of traffic. By letting people know when your next Facebook Live event is going to happen, you may entice visitors to come back.
For instance, some brands have a weekly show starting at a specific time. At the end of the current feed, or even at the beginning at some point, they inform visitors when they can watch the next video.
Things like this are important to present consistency. When you watch television, does your favorite show come on at random times throughout the day? No. They are scheduled for a reason, which translates very well to the Facebook community. People don’t want to guess when you’ll be live. They need structure and reliability.
Expanding Your Reach
Content marketing doesn’t merely center around blog posts or articles. On the Internet, video is also considered content. Go beyond the website and pay-per-click campaigns to reach your audience. Using social media to make your brand more likeable goes a long way to boosting consumer relationships.
Have you considered adding a Facebook login onto your WordPress site?