Facebook Live Video is one of the major breakthroughs in the social media sphere. As one of the world’s largest social media platforms, Facebook has expanded its communication methods to real-time updates to one’s followers. A regular user can post their personal experiences with their family and friends, a public figure can keep their fans updated with their latest gigs, and businesses can market their latest products and services to their target customers.
Businesses need to stay up-to-date with the current marketing and promotion trends, and using Facebook Live Video is definitely one of them. This new and fresh way of communicating with other Facebook users is something a marketer should know about. Read on to find out more about this exciting social media feature, and how to incorporate this into your marketing strategy.
In relation to Facebook Live Video, it is a fact that on average people watch live videos more than three times longer compared to when it is uploaded after a while. This is one of the reasons why the mobility of its viewing is being expanded by Facebook. Live video viewing is becoming more popular on mobile devices due to its convenience to Facebook users.
In the beginning, Facebook Live Video has been available to iOS users in selected countries. They were studying how people would perceive the feature and the effectivity for communication. Now, media companies are the power user of live streaming on Facebook with 18 times more live videos than brands and company pages.
Facebook Live and Instagram Stories are a great marketing opportunity right now. But since Facebook has a considerably larger user base we’ll focus Facebook live here, and we’ll cover Instagram Stories in the next article.
Facebook Live Video allows you the flexibility of preselecting your audience. This way, you can address your target market directly. You can also use this to interact with others within your niche and industry to exchange ideas and opinions on how to develop your business better. You can also host a session with influencers and select audience as a forum for your business.
Facebook Live Video allows your audience to watch the video and make comments at the same time. All of those in the session can read the stream of comments as they are being made. It can allow you to make real-time constructive changes to cater to what you read about. It also allows your audience to interact with other participants as well.
What Makes The Facebook Live Video So Important?
Your target audience is. They are the ones who you are presenting your brand for them to know your product or service offering to satisfy their needs and wants. They are the ones who make your brand more popular and even viral on Facebook, and even on other social media platforms.
#1 Facebook Live Video can allow your followers a more personal and engaging online experience. They are able to watch your featured content as it unfolds. You can use this to showcase brand events like shows, games, or contract signings. You could also have behind-the-scenes footages for the feeling of exclusivity you can give to your followers, and even random office antics to show business and team culture.
#2 A day in the life of a public figure can be broadcasted through Facebook Live Video. This can supplement posts that they have been sharing with their followers to establish a closer bond between them. Companies who sponsor the star can team up for the live video as part of their marketing strategy as well. As the comments on the video start to pour in, the public figure can see how people respond to their activities while the sponsoring company can also have an idea on the effectivity of using the personality as their endorser.
#3 Facebook Live Video allows you to articulate more about your business and your offering. Verbal and non-verbal communication can be conveyed more clearly while they watch you live online. You can have a better connection with your audience as you build context through emotions.
#4 Utilizing Facebook Live Video to bridge emotional gaps is effective as well. According to surveys, more than 77% of Americans have a deeper connection with those who sent them personalized messages compared with those who sent them emails or text messages. This gives them a more personal feeling of intimacy with your business whenever you respond to them.
#5 Facebook Live Video is also be used to broadcast sporting events. Climax of races, marathons, and cycling tours can be featured, and users will be able to interact with the live video via linking and commenting on it. Marketers can entice the users to interact by offering a prize at the end of the event.
#6 The food and hospitality industry can also utilize Facebook Live Video for their audio-visual content. Aside from those who are directly affiliated with the industry, cooking videos are becoming the hype among the younger demographic. This also increases community engagement, thus bringing more interaction with the users.
#7 Those in the health and fitness industry can also make use of Facebook Live Video for their marketing and promotions. More and more people across the globe are getting more conscious of their health, live exercise sessions is a good way to go. Though comments and interactions can only be made after, your viewers will enjoy being one with fitness with people across the globe.
#8 The Q&A sessions during Facebook Live Videos allows your business to garner the confidence of your audience. Your credibility in answering the questions on the spot can help verify your authenticity and transparency. It helps build the trust of your current followers and help potential customers learn about you and what you have to offer.
#9 Facebook Live Video is an opportunity for you to improve customer service relations. You can use this to provide solutions to common problems and concerns that your current customers experience. You can also conduct after-sales care to those who you have serviced to follow-up how they are with your product or service offering. When you do these, your customers feel that you are listening to them and are proactive enough to cater to that.
#10 You also save time and manpower during Facebook Live Video sessions. When you address your audience during live Q&A, it allows other people with the same concerns to watch your response, therefore, avoiding the same concern being asked over and over. It also frees your staff to do other equally important things for your business.
#11 Use Facebook Live Video for product or service launches. This helps boost your conversion online. As it is an interactive feature, you can address concerns by the audience and read their comments as your activity goes along.
#12 Share your latest news via Facebook Live Video. Providing your audience a blow-by-blow account of your breaking news lets them be on top of the information chain. They give credit to your effort by citing you as their source. Getting the latest scoop, and sharing it and their opinions about it can be conveniently done in one social media platform.
#13 You can look into the future of Facebook Live Video in terms of generating income for your business. 74% of B2C marketers utilize videos for marketing while 92% of B2B marketers use those as well. There are experts who suggest that when the feature is already globally established, monetization can come across the mind of the company.
#14 Facebook Live Video can contribute to the increase of social media traffic. This is estimated to be about 74% of the total traffic. Video viewers are most likely to purchase your business offering by 1.7 times more when they have live access to it, compared with reading newsletters you send them and visiting your website.
These are just some of the numerous ways you can use Facebook Live Video for your business marketing. Real-time broadcasting helps users have a more personal experience with your brand. They are able to get to know you in a more interactive scale, communicating with you in a candid manner.
Here are some tips to help you with your Facebook Live Video:
- #1 Have a stable foundation for your recording device. Use a tripod or a selfie stick for stability, and also to have it more secured. You may also use a GoPro, or a similar device when it involves something quite adventurous.
- #2 The audio and visual quality of the Facebook Live Video should be among your primary concerns. Get the best device with the best audio and visual quality you can afford, or borrow for the meantime. You can check online for suggestions, especially in the multimedia industry.
- #3 When shooting your Facebook Live Video, lighting and angles are important as well. Conduct trial shoots to check that all the controlled elements for your shooting are in place. Have backup plans readily on hand to make for any unforeseen events while you are live.
Danny says
Facebook live used to have much higher reach, now it dropped but it still performs better than ordinary videos. Good tips btw.
Kim says
With everybody going crazy over live interaction, FB live video is absolutely one of the best features out there, especially when utilized for q&a, you get the chance to address all inquiries and show you are confident with your offering … that’s brownie points 🙂
Cristen says
Hi Adam,
Thanks for this, it’s appreciated!
From my point of view, the first point that you noted – “#1 Facebook Live Video can allow your followers a more personal and engaging online experience” is a foundation of the live video and video in general. It’s purpose is to create stronger relationship with your followers. I believe that videos will be used even more in this year and looking forward to discover more ways to upscale my business with videos.
Paige says
Thank you for sharing these useful insights.
The fact you shared “on average people watch live videos more than three times longer” really shocked me but it does make sense, to be honest I never used Facebook Live Videos as one of my Social Media marketing strategies but I’m considering it now.
Magdalena says
Live videos can be powerful for your brand but make sure you are prepared for your audience questions and keep a positive attitude when answering their questions.
Also make sure you test the audio quality of you recording device before you start the live video.
Joy says
I just noticed that if you are a member of a group, you can go live inside it and take advantage of that group audience, with the right software to stream pre recorded videos as live videos I can promote my affiliate offers for free to group members. Be right back :joy:
Tanya Kidston says
Yeah, FB live video has been around for sometime now and I always wanted to try it out but I’m not confident enough. Thanks for the pointers, I’d do my first live video real soon.
Adam says
Do it now, don’t put it off. “Soon” is not soon enough 🙂
Mayra says
The last time, me and my partner did a Facebook Live Videos for our new product launch which was a course about how to make money reskinning apps instead of – webinar which we normally do – and we got a higher number of viewers which meant more sales for our course.
I will surely try it again with one of my next product launches and see if I will get the same result.
Adam says
Sounds great! Do that and let us know how it went 🙂