In the past couple of years, live streaming has grown in popularity with services such as Periscope and Ustream. If you are not sure what live streaming is, simply, it is a live broadcast which your viewers can watch in real time.
Over the last few months Facebook has been rolling out it's own live streaming service Facebook Live, making live streaming accessible to just about anyone with a smart phone.
Here are 5 reasons why should you be including live streaming through Facebook Live as part of your marketing strategy.
1. Your content is featured high up on the News Feed
As a new service, Facebook are investing heavily to help Facebook Live stand apart from their competitors. As such, all Facebook Live streams are appearing higher in peoples News Feed's (many times, right at the top). This means that if a customer likes your page on Facebook, they will be more likely to see your live-stream the next time they log in, even if the stream is archived (more on this later).
2. It sends a notification to all your fans
Another tactic Facebook are using to encourage people to use Facebook Live is sending notifications to your fans as soon as you start streaming. It's likely that you have already received one of these notifications, they read 'Company name is live' followed by a short description. Even if your fans don't join your stream, you are still placing your brand in front of them.
3. You can engage more with your customers
One of the great features of Facebook Live is the live comments section. This allows you to communicate in real time with your fans. Let's say you are broadcasting an unboxing of your new product. Some of your viewers may have questions about your products' features, availablity etc. Now you can reply directly to your customers and start building a more personal relationship.
4. The broadcast is archived
You may be worried that you won't attract many viewers when you start streaming and honestly, it is likely that you won't. Don't let this deter you though. First of all, the more live streaming you do, the more viewers you will attract.
Secondly, all of your live streams are archived (saved) on your Facebook page as normal videos. This will allow you to use the video as a marketing tool even after you have finished streaming. Additionally you can go back through the comments later and personally respond to any you missed or any more that have been added.
5. It helps you stand out from the crowd
Live streaming is not a new technology, but with Facebook making a big push for Facebook Live, it is now in front of a larger audience. Facebook Live is still in its infancy meaning that a lot of businesses have not yet jumped on board. This is the perfect opportunity to get ahead of your competition and stand out from the crowd before live streaming becomes the norm.
In short, by using Facebook Live you can get your company seen by more customers due to Facebook's big marketing push, you can build a more personal relationship with your customers and you can set yourself apart from the competition.
You may not feel comfortable being live in front of the camera at first, but as with all things in life, the more you do it, the easier it gets. Don't let your competition get ahead, start live streaming now!
Need some ideas on live streaming subjects? Keep your eyes peeled for a new blog post on this theme in the next couple of weeks.
Thanks,
Dave Proud
Video Producer