October 31, 2017
Live video marketing has become an extraordinary trend in the online marketing world over the last two years. Thanks to the introduction of Facebook Live, Instagram Live and Livestream for example, brands are working harder than ever to bring educating, fun and interesting live videos to their customers.
What is Facebook Live and why do brands want to use it?
Facebook Live lets people, public figures and Pages share a live video feed with their friends and followers on Facebook, broadcasting to wide audiences. The power of this format is immense and far-reaching. Facebook Live presents a fantastic opportunity for brands to broaden their audience and share their content with the wider world. It also creates the opportunity to:
- Have engaging conversations with followers – Live is the best way to interact with fans in real-time, to answer questions, hear what’s on their minds and gauge responses via Live Reactions
- Reach new audiences in new ways – while current fans are able to keep up with the latest news, Facebook Live allows new followers to discover who they are too
- Connect instantly – Followers can receive notifications, so that when the brand goes live again in the future, they know exactly when to tune in
As we move quickly towards 2018, we have seen more and more brands using this exciting tool and anticipate even higher usage in the coming months with the goal of increasing brand awareness and boosting audience engagement – helping to bring their brand to life on the page.
What does Facebook Live work well for?
- News stories
- Big reveals / brand launches
- Behind the scene events
- Engaging with audiences in new ways
What are the benefits of broadcasting Facebook Live?
- Makes the most of videos on Facebook: Videos are favoured by the Facebook algorithm and lead to great organic reach. In addition, people spend on average 3x more time watching Facebook Live videos than regular video content (Source: Facebook)
- Connects with users in real time: Facebook Live videos are more likely to appear higher in News Feed when live, as brands will be connecting with audiences in real time (Source:Facebook)
- Takes advantage of video tech: Now that Facebook has added live video functionality, fans have more reasons to engage with the brand
- It encourages leads and sales: The conversion element of Facebook Live shouldn’t be underestimated as real-time connection can drive action by presenting offers and enticing discounts
- Can generate ideas for future content: By finding out what audiences like and dislike, content can be repurposed or created based on responses during the broadcast
Technical Requirements:
- Broadcasting content on Facebook requires video encoding software or hardware that supports real time streaming protocols (rtmps)
- Getting Facebook Live up and running will need dedicated technical resource from your social media agency as well as a lot of planning prior to the broadcast
Top Tip: Facebook has introduced scheduling for live videos which means that fans can subscribe to the feed in advance and therefore build audiences proactively.
Community Support:
- Facebook Live is a huge opportunity for brands to interact with fans in new ways; by directly responding to comments in real time, customer service can be optimised
- Successful management of Facebook Live events requires dedicated community management to monitor feeds and engage with fans
Top Tip: Direct moderation of Facebook Live content is an opportunity to reinforce value propositions; this should be reflected in the campaign strategy in order to maximise potential.
Final Tips from us:
- Live doesn’t have to be ‘Live’ – it’s possible to broadcast pre-recorded content with Facebook Live
- Geo-target specific audiences or locations to fine-tune your targeting
- Tie it in with other marketing activities to boost impact
If you need technical expertise or want to find out how to take your social offering to the next level, contact us at agency:2 on 0203 567 1380.
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