A Beginner’s Guide to Facebook Live Streaming
Own your corner of the marketplace online. Take any advantage you can get. One of social media’s most underdeveloped digital marketing opportunities is live streaming. Facebook live streaming, Twitter’s Periscope app, and Instagram all have platforms. Simple, inexpensive, and engagement-friendly broadcasts can get you that edge over the competition you want.
Live streaming isn’t going anywhere. It’s only going to grow in the years to come. Currently, over 20% of the videos posted to Facebook are live streamed. For brands looking to compete, digital strategies for live streaming is not limited to anyone. You can set up a page today and begin streaming, gaining potentially 1,000s of watches. The average live video on Facebook gets viewed for 3 seconds which doesn’t say a lot about quality of the video but what it does communicate is that there’s plenty of curious eyes and ears interested in having a look.
There are plenty of ideas for how to do a live stream on social media, ranging from doing a live tutorial or how-to video to doing a Q&A. The great thing about Facebook is you will also have a video stored there indefinitely long after the live stream is done, allowing followers who missed it see what you did. That could mean bigger numbers for your next live stream, if you promote it right. Plan your live stream around answering the questions, ‘Why do people follow us on social media?’ and ‘What value are they receiving from these live stream videos?’
Unlike what you’ll post on YouTube or other video sharing platforms, live stream isn’t a sit-and-watch. It’s real-time engagement. Anyone watching may send comments, likes, or share your video. Don’t hesitate to acknowledge them and anyone watching. Ask a question to users, encourage them to leave comments, and interact. Did you know Facebook Live videos will generate as much as 10 times the comments as non-live video? That’s a huge jump!
Creating live videos for social media marketing brand development, you don’t necessarily need to have a concrete plan for it as long as it’s engaging. User-sourced questions, responding to comments, and engaging is fun and doesn’t necessarily need a theme. If you have a growing audience, this is a nice way to interact with them and build some familiarity. You don’t want to create meaningful videos though. Have something of a purpose, be it a Q&A, an interview, webinar, store opening, product release, or something similar.
It also bears keeping in mind that live streaming alone isn’t going to win you enough ROI. It shouldn’t operate exclusive of other strategies. A multi-platform digital marketing plan should supplement with live video or incorporate it as one of several strategies. Do keep in mind the majority of people who will watch your video will do so within 24 hours of it airing. After that 24 hours has passed, take a look at your analytics report and see who watched it. This data can determine how to proceed with live streaming on Facebook and help you determine whether you’re getting enough return.
Talk to a social media marketing expert today and get connected with a long-term digital marketing plan. Live streaming is only one part of that. Facebook Live is a huge marketing opportunity! If it suits your brand, hit it up and see those numbers come in.
