Top 4 tips for Doing Live Stream Marketing on Facebook

By: Joyce Ho

Facebook livestream has been popularly used to broadcast live moments and connect with other users instantly. Thanks to its convenient interface, anyone with a smartphone and a Facebook account can stream live video. Marketers are all excited about this trending marketing technique because 80% of people would rather watch a live video from a brand than read a blog. Facebook live is changing the way people communicate and if you are thinking of doing live stream marketing for your business, be sure not to miss these top 4 tips!

1. Be creative and authentic with your content



You can never be too creative with your live content. Live streaming is a fun and potentially a powerful way to connect with your followers and create new ones along the way. Brands can consider posting videos on Q & A sessions, How-Tos, company/product tours, influencer collaborations, or fun challenges. To increase authenticity, “behind the scenes” style clips are usually very effective at showing the authentic side of your company and in turn increase brand favourability and identity. Don’t forget to try out Facebook livestream’s built in creative themes, filters, or even the Live 360 and Live Audio features. Be creative and tell your unique story!


2. Engage with your viewers



Depending on the content of your video, there are many ways to engage with your viewers. People enjoy watching live for that intimate, real life interaction. Therefore, try to answer their questions on the video or in the comment box. As a publisher, you can dedicate the video to a Q & A on a certain topic and address the questions from the comment box. You can also do a fun challenge and ask your viewers whether or not they think the challenge can be completed. Facebook live videos generate 10 times more comments as non-live videos, according to Facebook’s stats. That’s allowing for more than 1.5 billion online users to like, react, comment, share videos, and get the feel that they are part of the action!


3. Post about your live stream ahead of time

Although live streaming is all about the instant, in-the-moment feel, it is often not a bad idea to notify your viewers about it in advance. Make sure to spread the word about your anticipated live stream with a catchy description such as “I’m going live tomorrow at 3:00 pm! This week’s topic will be a Q & A session on Implants. Leave your questions below and I’ll try my best to answer all of them!” You can even put hashtags to categorize your content into #science, #tech, #food, #sports, #entertainment, #travel, etc.

Make sure to tell your viewers about the upcoming video and ask them to follow your Facebook page for future notifications. Just because people missed your live video at that moment, doesn’t mean they can’t watch it later. After your live feed ends, the video will automatically be uploaded to your timeline. So keep spreading the world about your video!


4. Invest in production



Zuckerberg has explained that Facebook has increasingly prioritized videos in the news feed because people are moving towards more immersive experiences online, like videos. Lives can conveniently be broadcasted from mobile devices or desktop computers. Although Facebook live videos seem like a spontaneous, low cost marketing for businesses, it still takes effort to make it look easy!
67% of viewers express that quality is the most important factor when watching a livestream.

It is important to have the right equipment based on where you are filming:

• When making an indoor video, make sure to secure your phone/camera with a tripod or place the desktop on a flat surface.
• Lights, microphone, and (phone) camera should all be of reasonably high quality.
• When shooting a live outdoor event, it is often worthwhile to invest in a high quality microphone designed to capture clean and clear audio.
• Outdoor environments require additional attention to lighting and brightness. You may need to adjust mid-stream for changing lighting.
Creating high quality videos can bring out your brand individuality and build trust with the potential customers with whom you interact.

In the online world where information is so saturated, it’s often hard for businesses to stand out. Live stream is changing the way brands communicate with their online audiences. By using this form of marketing, you engage a still novel way of building a positive brand image. After all, it's not really about what you have to offer, but the way you offer it. Follow these top 4 tips, be creative, and go live today!

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