Facebook Live For Your Business
You’ve probably heard about it, or at least you have seen a notification pop up–Facebook Live is kicking butt.
What is Facebook Live?
Here’s the story from Facebook themselves, circa January 2016: In December, we started testing the ability for people to share live video on Facebook, and it has been inspiring to see all the ways that people have used Live to connect with their friends and family. Today, we’re excited to expand the ability to share live video to everyone in the U.S. via iPhone, and we plan to start rolling this out to the rest of the world over the coming weeks.
Facebook Live is now available for iPhone and most Androids.
Why should I go live on Facebook?
Metrics
Simply put, the metrics can be through the roof. As Amy Porterfield and Kim Garst describe in this podcast, your business needs to get on Facebook Live, even if you are camera shy.
[Tweet “Why use #Facebook Live? One word: Metrics. Via @brandyourself_mn”]
Stories
Create a brand that is personable, and connect with your ideal customer. Facebook Live is raw, authentic, and sometimes a bit goofy. When have your followers ever seen this side of your brand?
[Tweet “Use Facebook Live to better tell your brand’s story. Via @brandyourself_mn”]
Easy content
We all know video performs well on social media, but it’s intimidating to post when you have no professional equipment. Facebook Live is here to save you. Users expect a smart phone-quality video when you go live on Facebook, which means you don’t need any equipment or editing tools.
Where do I start?
Tips from Kim Garst
In this post, Kim Garst outlines in great detail how to get your first Facebook Live broadcast started. Once you get yourself set up, you may want to check out her follow-up post on creating a successful broadcast. Our favorite tip is engaging with your viewers, rather than pretending you are lecturing from a podium.
Tips from Mari Smith
Mari Smith also divulges her Facebook Live best practices in this post. Our favorite tip from her post is to edit the broadcast once it’s ended. She also sets a minimum of five minutes for each broadcast, a nice benchmark for beginners.
Tips from Social Media Examiner
In this post, a trusted social media marketer offers a comprehensive start-up guide and list of best practices. We love the tip to repurpose your live video on other platforms.
Tips from Facebook
You can’t go live on Facebook without learning what they have to say about a successful broadcast! While this post is full of great tips, our favorite part is the long list of sample videos. Our favorite is Tony Hawk showing off his moves on the half pipe.
[Tweet “Facebook Live tips straight from #Facebook. Via @brandyourself_mn”]
My creative juices aren’t flowing.
No worries, we’ve all been there. Hopefully this list will offer inspiration.
Brewery
Ask your head brewer to give a live tour of the taproom and brewhouse, explaining technical aspects along the way.
Go live at a sampling event or tasting class to show off the goods. It’s good for people to hear someone else talking about how great your beer is, and it shows authenticity that you let people critique the product on live video.
Festivals are fun! So, please, go live at them. Whether it’s a tour of the grounds, or tasting notes from the festival goers, folks will want to see what they’re missing out on.
Host a live Q&A with a well-known face at your brewery. This might be a long-time beertender or your head brewer. Come up with a few off-the-wall questions ahead of time to prevent the video from getting too formal or stuffy.
[Tweet “Facebook Live inspiration for your brewery. Via @brandyourself_mn”]
Beer Distributor
Show off your warehouse, as well as the team hard at work. Walls of beer are built to impress.
Head out to a summer event on the patio. Ample sunshine, live music, and people enjoying a cold beer make for great subjects.
Give the sales team some attention by sharing their impressive displays. Extend the length of the video by showing people where they can find products in the store, and making suggestions for purchases. Just be careful to not showcase your competitors!
[Tweet “Facebook Live inspiration for your beer distributor. Via @brandyourself_mn”]
Anybody & Everybody
Sharing your business’ unique brand on Facebook is a simple, affordable marketing strategy. Whether you are an accountant celebrating the end of tax season, or a retailer hanging holiday decorations, your business has a story to tell. Start sharing it.
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