Facebook Live for Brands

It’s no secret anymore that social media is integral to digital marketing efforts. That’s why your company already has a Facebook account. If you’re playing the social media game right, you already have a content calendar and social media policy, too. You’re making regular posts and responding to users. If your social game is really on point, you’re also boosting posts to reach a new audience and increase your brand awareness. In short, you’ve got your Facebook bases covered.

But that’s just the beginning.

Facebook offers a lot of features – and chances are, your brand’s Facebook activities are just scratching the surface of all the many, many possibilities. One feature your brand likely isn’t taking advantage of yet is Facebook Live.

What is Facebook Live?

Facebook Live is a live streaming service that allows users to broadcast video to their followers or friends. It functions similar to Meerkat, Periscope or Snapchat. Like Snapchat, Facebook Live features filters and will soon have drawing tools, too – but unlike Snapchat, the videos created have more permanence. Once the broadcast has finished, it posts to a company or user’s timeline as a video that can be watched over and over again.

Facebook Live for Brands

Live streaming gained popularity through apps such as Meerkat and Periscope – but in order for brands to take advantage of that popularity, they’ve had to grow their followings from scratch on these platforms. Facebook Live allows brands to leverage the popularity of live streaming without building a new audience. For many brands, their largest following is already on Facebook.

How you use Facebook Live will depend on your brand. In general, businesses are using Facebook Live to connect in real-time with their audiences. Using Facebook Live, brands can share:

• Behind-the-scenes footage (employee interviews, office tours, etc.)
• Live events (conferences, concerts, etc.)
• Product demonstrations
• Product launches or company announcements
• Live Q&A sessions

Despite the name, Facebook Live doesn’t actually have to be live video. Some brands have experimented and had success with posting pre-recorded video. As of yet, Facebook hasn’t announced any restrictions on using Facebook Live just for live video.

Tips for Using Facebook Live as a Brand

Using Facebook Live, brands can engage in one-on-one interactions with their existing followers. If you are new to Facebook Live, start with these best practices:

Let your audience know when you plan to broadcast. Your current followers can sign up for alerts that let them know when you’re broadcasting live, but by making announcements and teasing what kind of content you’ll be sharing, you will build interest and anticipation.

Provide a compelling description for your video that will capture your fans’ attention and inform them what the broadcast is about. If your users don’t know what to expect – or aren’t interested in the subject of your broadcast – they’re not going to watch.

Engage with users during the broadcast. Facebook Live is all about engagement and personal, one-on-one interactions. Use your broadcast time to answer viewers’ questions and address them by name.

Experiment with different types of broadcasts. Be creative with the content you share. Try different approaches – as well as broadcasting at different times of day to see when you get the biggest audience.

Measuring Your Success

Understanding how your audience is interacting with your content is key to success – which is why Facebook Live features a host of measurement options. Be sure to take advantage of these options. In addition to the video metrics previously available, Facebook recently rolled out two new metrics to give brands better insight into when users are tuning in to their broadcast. “Peak Concurrent Viewers” shows the highest number of viewers who were watching the video during the live broadcast. “Viewers During Live Broadcast” provides a visual representation of how many viewers were tuned in to each moment of the broad.

Using the metrics available for Live Video, brands can get a better understanding of how long it takes their audiences to tune in, when the broadcast peaks, how many viewers are staying in and when they’re dropping off – all of which can help you create better, more engaging content in the future.

Go Live Today!

Interested in learning more about Facebook Live – and how you can integrate it into your current social media marketing plan? Contact us today! Our social experts are here to help you.