Facebook Live video is an exciting new way to promote your business.
The concept is very basic, but the results are powerful. At the tap of your finger, you now have the ability to create live video content within a Facebook post on a Page, Group, or personal profile.
Your audience will embrace the opportunity to engage with your brand in a new way. They’ll share in the excitement created by spontaneous streaming content. It should also come as no surprise that Facebook is favoring live video within their platform as well, so expect your Facebook Live sessions to appear prominently in your audience’s home feed and get the best reach of any post type on your Facebook Page.
The feature first rolled out in August of 2015 to a very warm reception. Ushered in by celebrities and big brands, the new feature quickly earned the favor of users. All it takes is a creative jolt, an interesting topic, and you’re off to the races!
What’s better is the fact that Facebook will actually send push notifications as well as news feed alerts to fans of your page when you begin a live-streaming session.
What are some Facebook Live best practices?
Before you use the new live feature, get your bearings with the new interface and test your ability to come up spur of the moment content, with no chance to edit what goes out. After you get your footing, it’s time to try some advanced moves.
Here are some exciting Facebook Live video strategies you might want to try:
-
Two people on screen
While you might be quite the charismatic ham when it comes to creating video content, your audience will appreciate different faces in the stream. You could be holding the camera while another team member demonstrates a product, or answers interview questions.
-
The tour
Motion is an extremely compelling component of any piece of video content, and Facebook Live video sessions are no exception. If you have an office or a brick-and-mortar, the Facebook Live walking tour is a great way to provide your audience a behind-the-scenes all-access peek at your operations or to sell real-time value.
-
Demonstrate a process
If your audience is truly interested in what it is that makes your business or brand unique, they’re going to want to see the world from your point of view. Perhaps you’re a chef — what better way to share some live moments with your fans than to go live on Facebook while you prepare that delectable dish?
-
Schedule and inform
You’ll get an audience if you decide to go live, off the cuff. That said, Facebook recommends you let your audience know at somewhat in advance when you plan to launch your next live video session. That way, they’ll be sure to have set aside the time to tune in.
-
Be mindful of signal strength
This tip is purely technical, but it is also vitally important. If you don’t have a strong 4G or WiFi connection, Facebook will actually prevent you from even using the live feature. Especially in cases where you’ve advertised in advance that you’re going to be going live at a certain time, you want to make sure that you’re able to fulfill the promise to your audience.
What else do you need to know about Facebook Live Video?
- Once you go live on Facebook, you’ll be able to see which users are joining you as viewers in your live broadcast. They’ll be able to share responses such as likes, hearts, wow faces and more. Be sure to greet viewers by name and thank them for joining in.
- In addition to being aware of who is in your Facebook Live audience, you’ll also be able to see their comments alongside your video, in real time. This means that Facebook Live creates an excellent opportunity to host a live Q & A session. Interaction and authentic content are what Facebook users are known to crave most.
- When your viewers enter one of your live sessions, they’ll see the option to subscribe to your future live feeds. Encourage this action and it will lead to bigger and bigger audience sizes as you continue to offer live content.
- It doesn’t matter whether you orient your device vertically or horizontally. Facebook’s Live video interface is designed to use a square video, allowing your audience to view your content either in portrait or landscape, regardless of which orientation you choose when creating the content.
The Facebook Live feature is making a big splash. Take advantage of it and set your brand apart from competitors who are missing this great time to shine.
Taken from my article “How Should You Use Facebook Live Video?” on MaximizeSocialBusiness.com