We have previously offered suggestions on how to use Facebook effectively as a business tool. Yet, as the platform continues to evolve, so must your implementation strategy likewise expand. Facebook Live can also be employed as part of your marketing plan to increase business and sustain your customer base.
Facebook Live is exactly what it sounds like: Live video presented via Facebook. Facebook Live adds possibilities that are not possible with traditional Facebook itself, including the ability to interact and engage with followers in real time. Because it is live, there is a perception of authenticity that doesn’t exist with static posts. And you can easily monitor engagement and reaction using Facebook Live so that you can improve how and what you deliver.
Viewers are willing to spend three times as long watching live video than traditional, recorded video. For this reason, Facebook Live is a wonderful bonus for savvy business people who use Facebook as part of their marketing plans. But Facebook Live can be used for more than just reaching consumers; imagine replacing costly and time-consuming office meetings with quick and focused Facebook Live updates to your team. We see a number of possibilities for using Facebook Live.
Present Important Information
While live dissemination of information may be less engaging, it can be incredibly efficient and cost effective. What once could be accomplished during press conferences or as part of corporate meetings, conceivably costing companies excessive money for time and travel, can now be done from anywhere to everywhere. From virtual meetings and press conferences to online training sessions, Facebook Live can be an efficient means of information distribution.
Provide Virtual Tours
For organizations that benefit from on-site visits to their traditional land-based locations, virtual tours utilizing walking commentary and Q&A can be highly successful in expanding the number of potential customers who are able to experience those locations “live.” There is no reason now why people who cannot afford to travel to your location can’t instead virtually visit you and tour your facilities.
Promote Events
If you have an important upcoming event or are launching a new product, you can schedule announcements via Facebook Live. This approach allows you to generate interest and excitement in a way that traditional marketing simply can’t do.
Answer Questions and Comments from Customers or Clients
Perhaps the most common usage of Facebook Live is as a vehicle for interactive Q&A session. This is more engaging than merely presenting information, and it is especially effective when you are introducing a new product, discussing a new concept, or dealing with a critical issue of some kind. It also is a great way to solicit input about something you have published on a blog or in marketing materials.
A Technical Note
Facebook Live can be used via mobile devices and with microphones, but it is a good idea to spend a little extra to ensure you are using good, solid, reliable video equipment. Your use does not have to be at a technologically professional level, but low-quality sound and visual appearance will ruin your efforts faster than anything else you can do. If participants have to struggle to see your images or hear the presentations and conversations, they will logoff – and many of them will not give you a second chance.
Using Facebook Live can animate your marketing in unique and exciting ways, and it is particularly effective in reaching and engaging younger generations. These consumers are even larger in number than the Baby Boomers, and they have access to far more money at their age than any previous generations. Appealing to them is something that will distinguish successful businesses from marginal or unsuccessful businesses, so it is important to use the tools with which they are familiar and which they enjoy. Facebook Live is exactly that.