3 Ways to Effectively Use Facebook Live for Your Business

Sharing is caring!

Live Streaming has become a popular tool to connect and interact with your audience real time.  This digital marketing tool started to gain significant attention with the birth of Meerkat and Periscope and has since been adapted by Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and even YouTube.  This new breakthrough technology has allowed brands to break down the usual limitations of traditional marketing methods and create real engagement.

The real-time factor of Live Streaming adds a certain authenticity to you broadcast because anything can happen.  You just need to think back at Professor Robert E. Kelly’s experience when his kids suddenly interrupted his BBC interview, instantly making him and his family an internet sensation.  You also don’t know what type of comments or feedback you’re going to get from your audience.  And this gives Live Streaming a very unrehearsed, raw, and real feel to it, which people simply love.

The Benefits of Using Facebook Live

If you are thinking about using Facebook Live for business, I’d like you to focus on just one number: 1.94 billion.  That’s the number of active monthly users on Facebook as of the first quarter of 2017.  And that number is bound to grow even more.

Facebook gives you firsthand access to its rapidly growing audience through its Facebook Live feature.  If you have found that your ideal clients are heavy Facebook users, then, Facebook Live is definitely the tool to use for your Live Streaming broadcasts.

Facebook Live is easy to use and you can access it through a web browser on your desktop or laptop computer and it is available on the Facebook Mobile app for both Android and iOS users.  It is also a rapidly evolving Facebook product, since the Facebook team has been very vocal about developing better options for Facebook Live users.

Facebook Live now offers the following features: Live Contributor access for Facebook Live on Pages, Pin Live Comments, Video Permalinks, Crossposting (after your broadcast has ended), Video Insights for Profiles Reporting Metrics, and the recently announced Facebook Live Two Person Split Screen Broadcast, which we featured in a recent blog post.

We can definitely expect more good things to come from Facebook Live over the coming months, so it’s something that’s worth including in your marketing strategy as soon as now.

Is Facebook Live Appropriate for My Small Business?

Many people ask me this question, when it comes to considering Facebook Live for their marketing strategy.  And my answer is – why not?  Facebook Live is a tool by which you can increase brand awareness and create better engagement for both you and your brand.

Most business owners shy away from Facebook Live because they don’t want to be in the limelight, while others say that they don’t want to take away the focus from their brand.  But you ARE your brand.  As the owner of your business, are the face, brain, and heart of your brand.  I can’t think of anyone better to share company updates or talk about your products and services better than you can.  So, you’re not at all taking the spotlight away from your brand, you’re simply sharing it and owning up to it.

I understand that it can be nerve wrecking at first, but Facebook Live will help you add a human element to your company brand that is invaluable for you to tell a story that resonates with your audience.  It all depends on the right marketing strategy.

How do I use Facebook Live for My Small Business?

If you are an in the experimental stage and would just like to test out Facebook Live for your business, here are 3 ways that you can start.

Teaser for a Company or Product Launch

Don’t underestimate the power of your social network.  Chances you are you have between 100 to 1000 friends connected to you on Facebook.  This number would probably include family, colleagues, and acquaintances who would vouch for you and your business, if given the chance.

Your Facebook friends include the people whom you would share your great idea or business venture to, because you trust them and you know that they will support you.  We don’t hesitate to share every single little thing about our lives with them on a regular basis.  And this makes them the perfect audience to share the good news with.

Run a Facebook Live broadcast to your personal network at an ideal time when you know that everyone is online.  And take this opportunity to talk about your company or product launch.  You don’t need to overthink it.  Simply tell them what the company or product is, what it does, and don’t forget to tell them what makes this company or product special to you.

The beauty of Facebook Live is that it helps you connect with your audience in a way that an article or image cannot because you are able to pour out your emotions and share your passion to your viewers with a simple video.

Once you are done, you can even use your Facebook Live video as part of your marketing materials for your campaigns.

Engage with Your Facebook Group Members

Many businesses are now building their communities on Facebook through Facebook groups.  These communities comprise of existing customers and potential customers who share the same interests as what your business is advocating.

If you have a Facebook Group which you are managing for your business, then, Facebook Live is the best way to create personal interactions with your Facebook Group members.

Create a poll before your Facebook Live broadcast so you could learn and understand which topics the group would like to discuss.  This will help you plan what to talk about during the broadcast.  It will also mean a lot to your group members to know that you are active in the group and that you know what their pain points are.

Facebook Live may just be that missing link to push your potential clients to actual conversions through simple and regular interactions in your Facebook group.

Use Facebook Live for Customer Service

Many big brands have now taken to social media as an additional avenue to respond to their clients and resolve their concerns.  In business, it’s very important that your customers can reach out to you through a channel that they are most comfortable with.  Social media is perfect for that, since most of your customers are on social media all the time.

Turn your Frequently Asked Questions (otherwise known as FAQs) into a Facebook Live broadcast.  This will allow you to address your customers issues real time and gain significant feedback from them – which they will LOVE.  As a customer, you want to know that the company you have purchased your product from or are currently subscribed to is one that actually hears and responds to your concerns.

And since customer service has now ended up being too automated, it’s the perfect way to add a “personal touch” to your customer service efforts.

Marketing Tools are available but it’s up to you to make a start

These are just 3 ways that you can try out Facebook Live for your small business on a budget.  You don’t need to invest a lot of tools in order to implement these 3 tips.  All you really need is to be prepared and just be yourself.  Your audience loves authenticity and honesty.  So all you need to be is you.