If you haven’t experimented with Facebook Live yet, now is the time.
According to Facebook, one in five videos posted on the social media platform is a live broadcast. Live videos get six times as many interactions and 10 times more comments than their pre-recorded counterparts. And when you go live, your audience will stick around to watch three times longer than they would for non-live content.
To help get you started with Facebook Live, we’re showcasing seven different ways you can throw your hat into the ring.
Livestream Your Events
Whether you’re hanging out at a conference or trade show, manning a booth at a community event or attending a competitor’s product launch, livestreaming your small business’s happenings gives your audience a window into your world. For maximum engagement on Facebook Live, let your viewers know ahead of time when you’ll be going live so they can make sure to tune in.
Hold Classes or Tutorials
Are you in a service-oriented business? Consider using Facebook Live to teach your audience how to prune their plants, change their oil filters or claim the earned income tax credit. Free classes, tutorials and webinars can draw a crowd, increase feelings of goodwill, and help to identify you as an expert in your field.
Host a Q&A
Does your audience have a long list of burning questions? Instead of answering them all individually in a hundred different emails and phone calls, why not go live for a large-scale Q&A session? Make sure you pin your live video to the top of your page after it ends so people who missed it the first time around can go back and watch.
Take Your Viewers Behind the Scenes
It’s one thing to see a finished product sitting on the store’s shelves; it’s quite another to see how that product gets from point A to point Z. Consider showing your audience what really goes on behind the scenes — everything from the sourcing of the materials to the assembly to the final quality check, all in real time.
Stay in Touch With Facebook Group Members
Facebook Groups take your normal Facebook page to the next level. You determine who joins, what’s seen and when people see it. It’s an exclusivity that isn’t offered to your regular, run-of-the-mill fans — and don’t those exclusive members deserve an exclusive experience? Keeping in touch with your group members via Facebook Live on a regular basis shows them that they’re appreciated.
Announce Exclusive Promotions or Sales
Anyone can post “25% off your next order!” on their Facebook page. Some customers will see it; some won’t. Some will take advantage; some will ignore. By making a big deal of it through Facebook Live, however, your promotion or sale seems more important. Bonus points if you tie it to a code word only provided in your livestream or make it time-sensitive to lend a sense of urgency to the matter.
Provide Real-Time Customer Service and Support
One little-known feature of Facebook Live is the ability to control exactly who has access to your livestream. You aren’t limited to broadcasting to your entire audience; you can broadcast to a chosen group or even a single person if you choose. This gives you the ability to connect individually with your customers, allowing you to troubleshoot a problem or provide additional support in real time.
It’s Time to Go Live … Facebook Live!
Facebook Live is one of the best ways to increase social media engagement, and there are tons of ways to use it to your small business’s advantage. The sooner you get started, the sooner you can start raking in the benefits!
Do you need someone to help your small business get camera-ready? Mischa Communications is at your disposal! Let’s talk.