Facebook Live was launched on the social network platform in April 2016. This Facebook feature allows all users to share a live video. Given the immense popularity of online video these days, it is not surprising that the social network has decided to embark on the video-sharing trend.
Online videos are a real marketing advantage for businesses. After watching a video, about 75% of users visit a company’s website. This allows to increase traffic to your website and also increase sales.
For example, the platform work.com increased its conversion rate by 20% due to an explanatory video posted on their website. Using Facebook Live can therefore help a company increase its sales by tapping into new audiences.
The presentation of Facebook Live
Facebook Live allows users to share live videos using smart phones that support either iOS or Android. Whether you represent a large company, a celebrity or not, everyone can use Facebook Live.
The videos are broadcast on the Facebook newsfeed and can last up to 90 minutes. Live videos are preferred because they are more likely to appear at the top of the newsfeed compared to other ‘non-live’ videos. Moreover, even if a live video is finished, the video will remain accessible on your Facebook page.
Finally, viewers can interact directly with your video using emoticons and comments.
Elements to prepare before your Facebook Live video
Before releasing the video through Facebook Live, it is important to prepare beforehand so you can produce a quality video that will encourage users to watch live.
Promotion
When creating a live video, your goal is obviously to get as many views as possible. It is therefore essential to promote your video before its release. Facebook advises users to promote their video at least one day in advance. It thus leaves users enough time to think about watching your video.
If you have not yet established a broad community on the platform, you could do a little advertising on Facebook by boosting your publications concerning the live broadcast. This will enable you to obtain maximum visibility before the diffusion of the video.
Quality content
Make sure that your video is not an end in itself. It is also essential to produce quality content. So, before recording your video it’s important to think about interesting content that will encourage users to react with you live.
Think about the exact issues you want to address while streaming so that there is no dead air during your video.
Here are some examples of interesting content for future Facebook Live videos:
- Popular and trending topics: give your opinion on current hot topics in the news (e.g. the US elections)
- Q&A: Enjoy the live interaction with your subscribers by answering their questions about your products or services
- Interviews: Invite colleagues or figureheads for a live interview
- Shows: If you are a musician, play a few songs live for your subscribers
- Behind the scenes: Let your subscribers discover what happens at the heart of your business (e.g. present your entire production team)
- Demonstration: Show your subscribers your favorite recipes or use one of the latest flagship products (example: discover the latest iPhone 7)
High-resolution video
Be sure to provide high-resolution video quality. Also, do not give your subscribers a headache: consider using a tripod or even a selfie stick to stabilize your online video.
Title and description
Whether your video is on YouTube or Facebook, writing a good title and a good description is essential to encourage users to watch your video.
First, choose a catchy title containing 1 to 3 keywords. The title should be short and explicit.
Then write your description so that people can understand what the subject of your video is from just a few sentences. For example, the description for the Facebook Live from the White House on March 4, 2016 is particularly clear:
Subject: “We have excellent news this morning regarding the job market and the economy. “
Catch phrase: “President Obama wants to tell you all about it.”
Invitation: “Take a seat in the Roosevelt room next to other economists and listen to him speak.”
Be sure to have a good Internet connection
Before launching a Facebook Live video, it is important to make sure to have an excellent Internet connection so that the distribution of your video can take place unhindered. Opt for Wi-Fi or a 4G connection.
Tip: turn on airplane mode on your smartphone (while leaving the Wi-Fi enabled of course) to avoid receiving calls while streaming your video live.
Broadcast your video on Facebook Live
After making sure to provide quality content under the best conditions (good internet connection), you must then encourage user interaction when broadcasting your video on Facebook Live.
Encouraging interaction
When you’re live on Facebook, greet your audience by thanking them for watching video. Moreover, it is highly recommended to address the live commentary by naming users. Customers especially appreciate hearing their name and this will encourage new users to interact with you directly.
Singer Michael Bublé did not hesitate to greet the first person that sent him a comment for his first Facebook Live video. Also, encourage people viewing your video to follow you so that they can receive a notification to see future videos. This will enable you to build a community interested in what you have to offer on Facebook Live.
Video length
The longer your video is, the more chance you have of being viewed by Internet users on Facebook. It is therefore recommended that you record a video for at least 10 minutes to allow time for users to come watch your video live.
Facebook Live allows you to create videos up to 90 minutes, so take the opportunity to present your best products while frequently interacting with users.
Be creative
Be creative and vary the topics of your videos. The more you use Facebook Live, more chance you have that people continue to view your videos while interacting directly with you.
Offer different content based on the examples provided earlier in this article, and make sure your videos are always interesting for users.
For example, if you sell kitchen products it is important to get inside the mind of the consumer. If you want to increase the sale of an electric hand mixer, put yourself in the place of a consumer and show them the best ways to use the product.
Conclusion
With Facebook Live take the opportunity to get closer to your community by offering exclusive live videos. This will promote the popularity of your company on the web and increase your sales.
The videos on social networks generate 1200% more shares than photos and texts combined. Do not hesitate to create videos with Facebook Live!
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