by Over the past year, video has taken the content marketing world by storm.
The visual nature of videos allows users to process information with greater speed and alacrity than they can via written content. Thus the growing prevalence of video is showing no signs of slowing down, especially when you consider these video marketing statistics.
As a marketer, you need to learn how to take advantage of video to help your business increase sales by turning fair-weather visitors into loyal customers. Thankfully, you can create engaging live streaming videos on the most used social networking platform on the planet with Facebook Live.
In this post, you’ll learn:
- What exactly Facebook Live is and why you should use it to promote your business
- How to effectively establish yourself as an influencer via live video marketing
- How to recycle content in conjunction with the use of Facebook Live to maximize ROI
- How you can use video to unveil new products or record ongoing classes conducted by your business
- How you can make stronger connections with your audience by humanizing your brand through live streaming videos
Facebook Live for dummies
In a nutshell, Facebook Live lets users stream (you guessed it) live video content straight from their profiles. Think Periscope or Meerkat.
The advantage Facebook Live has over the competition however, lies in its inherent ability to share your videos with your own personal connections.
Unlike other apps where you have to invite viewers to sign up to the live streaming platform, Facebook Live can share your videos straight to the feeds of your family and friends, making it far easier to deliver your visual content to actual people.
However, the biggest draw of Facebook Live as it pertains to business, is the chance to humanize your brand. By regularly updating your fans and followers through video, you can create a more intimate relationship with them that will help increase engagement and fuel active discussions.
If you want to enjoy the benefits that Facebook Live affords for your business, but don’t know where to start, consider this post as your crash course on what kinds of videos you need produce for your social media marketing.
1. Become a thought leader
People gravitate towards influencers whose fingers are on the pulse of their audience. They produce content that resonates with the wants and needs of their target market, which helps establish their influence in the industry. If you are a subject matter expert and want to share information to the benefit of your audience, you can use Facebook Live to disseminate said information starting with your followers on that platform.
An example of thought leadership using Facebook Live is Robert Scoble. A blogger turned virtual reality advocate, he turned to the live streaming feature on Facebook to present exciting news and topics in his industry.
In this video, he took his audience into a futuristic retail store by interviewing the founder and touring the place at the same time. The topic fits within the theme he covers on his Facebook page, so the video content helps in building his reputation as a thought leader in his field.
Key Takeaways:
- Don’t be afraid to to be yourself. You’ll need to be genuine to help your audience associate you as a thought leader.
- Refine your niche to get the audience you want. Specialize in a topic that has more demand than supply and is within your expertise. Also, don’t forget to consider the size of the audience you can attract with your live streams.
- Newsjack and stay on top of trends. Publish your thoughts about trending topics and breaking news related to your niche and ask viewers to comment on your live stream to increase engagement.
2. Repurpose your content
Content repurposing is a technique that will allow you to recycle old content but spruce it up and make it salient by changing the presentation format. In this case, you can repurpose your old blog posts into Facebook Live videos.
If you have existing content that did not receive the traction you were expecting, you may want to record a video discussing it in depth to your followers live. You can break down the content into subtopics that can hopefully spur on some discussions on Facebook Live. You can create the videos for the other subtopics on the succeeding days, with the intention of bringing attention to your blog post. Just be sure to mention the link to your actual post at the end of the stream so viewers can visit it for more information.
Or, if you’re feeling contrary, you could flip this scenario…
Create a new video on #FacebookLive and promote it by writing a blog post. Click To TweetYou can even transcribe the video to give your audience more incentive to visit your blog post, in case they missed certain parts of the video at the time of publication.
Another neat repurposing tactic is to stream your webinars and podcasts on Facebook Live. You can video yourself while conducting a webinar on a different platform. From Facebook Live, you can encourage viewers to join your ongoing webinar or get a closer look at your podcast session.
Once the Facebook Live stream is finished, you can then direct viewers to download a copy of your podcast or webinar.
Best-selling author Carol Tuttle leverages Facebook Live alongside her podcast on Blog Talk Radio. She broadcasts on both platforms and uploads the podcast for download on iTunes. To make both pieces of content unique, Carol shows the link to her iTunes subscription and the number that viewers can call during the show in her Facebook Live video.
Key Takeaways:
- Be creative with your content to make it more shareable.
- Find ways to use different content types within Facebook Live to maximize results.
- Don’t forget to link between different content mediums so your audience can easily access additional information.
3. Feature your services
If your business is about selling lessons or sessions, you can set up the Facebook Live Stream to give viewers an inside glimpse at what your classes are really like.
Fitness expert Christine Dwyer put her Turbo Kick live workout session on Facebook Live. She made sure to set the camera in such a way that it would captures the reflection of all of the participants performing the moves. For a fitness coach like Christine, this is an exceptionally effective way to show viewers the kind of programs she organizes.
For brands selling products, you can use Facebook Live to show audiences exactly how your products work. Make an unboxing video, detail the product and show it off!
This is a great way to give your audience how your services work, which in turn could convince them to become your students or customers in the future.
Key Takeaways:
- Show everything about your product or service. Don’t hide or withdraw information, instead give a full account of what your product can or cannot do.
- Don’t be afraid to take criticism on the fly. There are always going to be haters and you may get some critical remarks during live streams. Remember to keep your head on your shoulders, and respond respectfully to avoid escalating the issue.
4. Get your audience to know your brand
The best way to get into your customer’s head on social media may not be what you think.
Don't focus on the brand, instead, shed light on the people that run the business. #socialmedia Click To TweetIt’s much more efficient to give viewers a behind the scenes look at how your company operates by showing who is involved in the process.
You can walk through a normal day at work on Facebook Live, introducing viewers to the different members of your team. You could even go further by live streaming events like product launches, parties, and team building exercises.
An example of an effective Facebook Live video that allows viewers to peek behind the curtain is the first episode of the “Chasing Daylight” video by Refinery29. Host Lucie Fink not only described the global initiative of the concept, but was also candid enough to give viewers a glimpse of the people working on the project.
The video also observed some of the best practices used in the live video regarding engaging and acquainting its viewers.
The purpose of showing viewers the kind of brand that you are through the people working with you is to bridge the gap between you and your audience. Often, consumers fail to see the people who put the work into building and developing the products and services you are using. By reminding your target market of the good people behind the business, you can bring your brand to their level.
Key Takeaways:
- Ask people to perform actions for you. Tell them to like something that was mentioned in the video (“Thumbs up if you like Hamilton!”) and ask them to share their comments.
- Make your engagement personable. Mention the names of users who commented on the video to make them feel a part of the live stream
- Be spontaneous. Sometimes, having a script to follow makes the video feel forced. To truly make a connection, you need to embrace the spontaneous nature of live streaming and just be your genuine self.
