3 Ways Brands are Using Facebook Live

Facebook Live, the real time streaming tool, has achieved some pretty remarkable feats.

With 159 million views to date, Candace Payne’s viral Chewbacca Mask video, represented the greatest example to date of the commercial ripples possible with Facebook’s Live tool. Marketing Land reported that the mask sold out at eCommerce sites of Kohl’s, Walmart, Target and Toys R Us. In the article, author Matt McGee says that the live video throws “cold water on the idea that social/viral marketing can’t drive eCommerce sales.”

Even though YouTube has a live streaming option, the ease of setup with regards to Facebook Live makes it much more accessible to experimental and authentic appearing set ups.

Publishers are capitalizing on it to create content similar to their subject of expertise only appearing more authentic in the handheld manner the digital generation has grown accustomed to. Brands on the other hand are using Facebook Live to tell their stories, take viewers behind the scenes of their events, talk about why they took certain decisions or just have a heart to heart.

Harvard Business Review

Recognizing that its content, in digital and print form, is often far behind the trends and current events it addressed, Harvard Business Review has decidedly started creating content via Facebook Live featuring professors and practitioners speaking about trending topics.Vayner Nation
Gary Vaynerchuk of VaynerMedia uses Facebook Live to livestream his #AskGaryVee Show, while also utilizing Twitter’s Periscope for optimum broadcast impact. The live format allows viewers to share their questions and receive immediate feedback, something marketers alude Generation Z craves.

Shu Uemura

As of March 2016, the average organic reach for Shu Uemura was only 9,719. As the lead makeup sponsor for the KLCC Fashion Week in April, it wanted to drive contextual traffic to the offline event and activate its presence. After going over its online engagement stats, Lion & Lion chose to employed a video content strategy with Facebook Live.

So the idea is to give your viewers access to content that they wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else, that makes them feel like they are a part of a community. That’s where the magic happens.

Interested?

Before starting your Facebook Live session, here’s a few things to do first:

 1 - Test your current internet connection and get a back up on in case things go south. Nothing could be worse than having an engaging session cut midstream.

2 - Communicate the forthcoming session. Share the date, time, timezone and topic. Be sure to include an eye catching creative in there as well.

3 - In at least 200 characters, write a brief description on the topic being broadcasted. Go easy on the brand name dropping; no one wants to watch an ad.

4 - Address commentators by name, greet them individually, read their question out loud, remark on how smart/important the question is and then answer it. If the comment was a compliment, thank them sincerely.

5 - Broadcasters can stay live for up to 90 minutes, but varying on your target audience and message, keep it short, educational and entertaining.

6 - Once you have a reasonable number of live viewers, remind them to follow your page so they can get updates and notifications whenever you’re going live next.

7 - Choose a unique and memorable line to indicate the broadcast has ended like “Thanks for Watching! Click the Follow Button to Stay Updated for Next Time.”

By breaking away from the clutter of content consumed on Facebook, early adopters of Facebook Live will see clear results with their activities. Remember to keep your content entertaining, authentic and most importantly fun.