Facebook Live: Harnessing the Immense Opportunity it Provides

Facebook Live is a real time solution that can help your business present itself visually to your niche. Marketers have reasons to be very excited about Facebook Live as they find it to be a tool of immense benefit for their business’ brand building, if harnessed properly.

Benefits of Facebook Live

• Available to everyone on Facebook
• Connects with iOS, Android and the Facebook Mentions app
• Allows live interaction with followers in real time
• Gives you the chance to answer questions from followers
• It's a creative way to reach new audiences
• Instant user-friendly connection with your target market

Your followers will receive notifications whenever you decide to do a live video broadcast on Facebook. It will show up in the news feeds of your top followers. It allows you to tell your story in a personalized way. Since visuals are the most popular posts shared on Facebook, it's a way to satisfy followers who crave live action.

Keep in mind that you have the option to stream live on Facebook using your own camera equipment and software through your profile, page or via the Live API. Even if people miss the live broadcast, the video will still be published on your profile for all followers to see. You can remove the video whenever you want.

Topics to Choose for Live Streaming

• Hot topics that followers are already talking about.
• Engagement by answering questions from followers.
• Delivering breaking news and behind the scenes reports.
• Online interviews.
• Share inside stories of your business.
• Perform a song or display original art.
• Product demonstrations.
• Promote your upcoming event.
• Provide an inside look at your business working culture and process.
• Address customer queries and FAQs.
• Share your favorite events/memories/live stream with your network.

Overcoming Public Broadcast Fears

If you have reservations about using Facebook Live consider its benefits and how it can help build your brand with visual action. Some business people who have not prepared themselves for making media presentations may have a fear of being judged and are worried about their appearance. If those are the reasons that are holding you back, think about how you can gain an edge over your competition. Keep in mind that you don't have to be on camera to give a live narration to a video.

Facebook gives you plenty of tools to control your online broadcasts so that they aren't disrupted by trolls. If you want to practice videos you can click "only me" in the privacy settings, which also determines who can comment on your videos once you go live. After you commission a video transcription you can edit the content as needed.

You can always delete comments that don't fit your presentation either during or after the broadcast. If you broadcast from home and don't want people to know your remote location, you can control whether your location is shared by using the "location services enabled" selection on your device. If you want your location to be shared because you want to attract people to your business, you'll need the setting to be enabled.

Having Fun with Live Video Broadcasting

You have up to 90 minutes for your live broadcast. Facebook recommends that your broadcast lasts at least ten minutes to attract the most viewers. After downloading the Facebook Live app, simply tap the "go live" button next to the camera icon to begin your video broadcast.

Before going live you should decide who your live audience will be by tapping the privacy setting. As friends join in, they can type comments that accompany your video post. By tapping "finish" you will complete your live broadcast and it will then be published on your page. You can then share the video or the transcript like a regular post.

The way to tell if a video is streaming live is to look in the top left corner for a red icon with the word "live" and the number of current viewers next to it. Facebook gives live videos priority in its news feeds over videos that are no longer live. You can use Facebook's tools for your page to customize who gets to see your video once it has been published.

People who like your live broadcasts can click the "live subscribe" or "follow" button to get future notifications of your videos. It helps to encourage people to do so during your live broadcast. The best way to get the best response is to let followers know ahead of time when you plan on going live.

Tips for Using Facebook Live

• Use a strong WiFi signal or 4G connection for best broadcast quality.
• Test your internet speed with the SpeedTest app.
• If the "go live" button is gray it means you have a weak signal.
• Write a catchy description to accompany your live post.
• Mention people's names so that they feel excited to participate.
• Signal the end of a broadcast with a closing line.

How to Market Live Streaming

• Create buzz around different social media channels about your live events up to a week in advance.
• Actively engage with Facebook group members and try to inform them well in advance.
• Use paid options for live streaming promotion.
• Inform subscribers or customers about the show via email campaigning.
• Write a catchy description before going live.
• Ask viewers to subscribe so they that can be notified the next time you go live.
• Save and share your video across different video channels.

Conclusion

Using Facebook Live for video streaming broadcasts is a great way to connect with mobile users, but it also connects just as well with desktop users. It's an effective and powerful way to re-purpose your online content and to engage with your followers in real time.

Also Read: How to Use 5 Facebook Features to Increase Visibility