Facebook Live is still alive!

Facebook live is still alive

What is Facebook Live?

Facebook Live is a 
real-time video post that appears directly on your Facebook page as it happens. It is public 
and allows your followers, as well as the general public, to view the content as it unfolds. You can film directly from your phone, wherever you are.

Customers love genuine, unscripted content

Connecting to your audience through Facebook Live streams is authentic and can’t be altered. No fluff, no post production, just you and the situation. Consumers are force fed mass produced content on a daily basis and yearn for the ‘real’, especially in regional business. The possibilities are endless, but it’s important to harness what is going to have the most impact on your customers as a live video. What will they enjoy watching? What message are you trying to convey? Customers love unaltered content that shows the genuine business face. It builds trust and shows there is no pretence. It is a nice break away from controlled, edited content and shows the ‘real’ face of the business, you!

What do you want to say, or show?

Interacting with customers helps you build a rapport that lasts. It’s crucial to know beforehand what objectives you want to achieve by going live. You must know what message you are trying to convey as it will build, strengthen or (potentially) weaken your brand image. If it’s a gimmick, forget it. To get you started, here are some of Circle Media’s suggestions:

• Arrival of stock
• Loading and/or delivery of a new supply of stock
• Demonstration of your work e.g painting process in action
• Repair or replace product parts
• During a field or demo day, part of a ride-and-drive day
• Questions and answers with a staff member
• Describing various or specific features of a product
• Product reviews or product comparisons
• Introduce new staff
• Visiting a client’s farm. Talk about the crops
• Sitting in a product – show the view and talk about the features
• A walk through of the store/showroom/yard
• Launching a new product
• Announcing the winner of a competition (live draw)
• Styling of a room with your artwork or products
• A how-to layering your most popular scarf/necklace/top to achieve the desired look

Invite your customers to make contact with you directly in the comments section of the live video. At the end, always sign off with your contact details and thank them for watching. Select a particular time zone according to your target audience’s location or known high engagement times.

Facebook live

Speak as if your customer were standing in front of you

Facebook Live allows you to show values behind your company. The insight into your business creates a sense of excitement among your customers, giving them an on the ground, personal experience in the palm of their hand. A sneak peek into a field day, on country or demonstrating the latest piece of machinery makes customers genuinely interested in your brand. If you speak as if they are standing in front of you they will feel genuinely engaged. Speaking candidly and fluidly gives customers a feeling of familiarity, and often leads to them feeling comfortable to approach your business to engage with your products and services in to the future.

It’s ok to practice beforehand

When you go live for the first time, a little nervousness is expected. Don’t sweat it. A little practice conversation before you go live helps you reinforce what you’d like to say.  Look for any technical difficulties, lighting or background noise (if possible). A quick run through will help things run smoothly, just don’t script it.

Mistakes happen. It’s ok.

While you are streaming on a Facebook Live stream you are interacting with many customers at a time. A slip of tongue or a slight mistake can still happen as you are live and there are no cuts. Conversations are easy, normal and effortless. Don’t get discouraged if an error occurs, you can keep it light and laugh or just continue. It will make your live stream enthusiastic and fun.

It’s also a good idea to build some buzz by posting earlier in the day announcing your live event. Let people know that you plan to go live at a certain time, and where possible, give them a teaser at what you plan to discuss. This builds anticipation and encourages more followers to tune in when you go live.

Engaging your audience whilst streaming

Encourage your viewers to interact with you during your Facebook Live stream. A question and answer session, demonstration and/or responding to the questions asked by your viewers during the broadcast engages people quickly. Think about the time of year, what are people needing or doing in your industry currently? What do they want to ask about?

Give a slight delay at the beginning of the stream to give people time to join. Introduce yourself and give a rough overview of what you plan to discuss. This will keep the people interested who tuned in early, while giving others time to begin watching.

Allow time for your viewers to join your Facebook live stream. Don’t share important information as soon as the video starts, as more of your audience will tune in within a minute or so. Grab the attention of your audience at the initial stage. Developing a connection from the beginning of the stream makes it easy to engage the audience for a longer duration. Be authentic, make it presentable and also share your brand statement in the midst of your live stream. A strong technique is to reinforce your brand values or statement frequently at short intervals as followers will keep joining in at a different time durations.

Facebook Live - post analytics

Analytics – How did it go?

Analysing how you performed in the live stream is a good idea. It’s handy to know what worked and what didn’t, so that you know where you may improve. Sometimes it’s just a matter of building on your confidence in front of the camera. Or perhaps using a tripod to steady the phone as you film. Check the comments made by viewers during the live stream which will help you identify any problems and positive outcomes. Businesses can also monitor how many views the past broadcast gets days or even months after it was live streamed.

In Closing

Up to 80% of people who view a Facebook Live video will watch it after the live stream. This could be later that night, the next day or the following week. That’s more than double the reach and a ‘real results’ option to add to your social media mix.

For additional advice on how to go live and what to say, read our blog Facebook live: your digital marketing advantage.

To learn more about how livestreaming can work for your business or to get started on your own social media strategy, contact Circle Media today.

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