Did you know that internet users watch live broadcasts three times longer than pre-loaded videos? How about the fact that those videos get up to ten times the comments? There are others startling statistics to consider as well, such as the fact that Facebook Live videos produce six times more interactions than traditional videos, and that their search popularity has increased by 330% in the past year.
The point is, we’re talking about an immensely popular platform – one that you might want to consider using as part of your business strategy. Of course, to take advantage of this properly, there are some things that you need to consider first. For instance:
1. You need to promote your Facebook Live feed both before and after
It doesn’t matter if it’s your first time going live or your 100th, you always need to make sure you’re keeping your audience aware of what you’re doing. If you don’t want to log on to the sound of a bunch of crickets, you need to put yourself out there and promote!
By promoting, I don’t mean sprinkling a few Facebook status updates here and there – you need to put up posts that people will notice. Consider using brightly coloured images that people will be sure to notice as they scroll by. You’ll also want to include all of your social media networks in the promotion – leave no stone unturned!
2. Choose a good time
If you’re going to do Facebook Live correctly, you need to understand that timing is everything. Just as it’s crucial to find the sweet spot for posting to Instagram to get maximum engagement, you need to find a time when your audience is awake and paying attention. If they’re stuck at work or school, you’re not going to get the feedback you want.
To figure out the best times for your promotion, check your Facebook analytics and see what times your audience typically engages with your posts. If you’re still stumped, put up a poll on your page and ask your followers what time they’d like to watch your content? In many cases, just going directly to the source is the best solution.
So, How Do You Get Started?
Facebook Live lets you stream video directly from your Android or iOS device. Though this might sound like a bit of a challenge, setting up a live stream is actually pretty straightforward. We’ll go over the details below.
Choose a Video Platform
If you only intend to put your live videos on one social media site, Facebook is by far the best choice. Their live platform is super easy to use, has a lot of features, and is always being improved with new, innovative options. On top of that, both live video and audio casting are available. Most Facebook pages now allow you to go live from either a desktop or mobile device, with the latter being much easier to use. Plus, with a phone, you’ll get the option to do face-forward or self-facing video.
Facebook Live Features
With Facebook Live, you can invite others to join your broadcast, which will automatically bring up a “split-screen” view. While this is happening, you can talk to your guest in real-time – just like a news program. You also have the option to invite or remove guests at any time.
Live Video: Great for Your Business
Live videos are becoming an increasingly viable way to bring traffic to your page, generate engagement, and hold the attention of your viewers. Best of all: it’s free! Still, at the end of the day, you want to be sure you’re utilizing the platform that the majority of your target audience is using. With Facebook’s popularity, it is always a great choice.
With Live video, you can engage with people who truly care about what you have to say, giving your audience a forum in which to ask questions, comment, or provide valuable feedback.
