It's no secret that we at The Kingdom absolutely adore Facebook Live. Facebook's live streaming video feature first launched in 2015 and has since grown in popularity. Facebook is marketing Facebook Live heavily to users right now, with huge ad campaigns focussed on encouraging the average person to broadcast what they're doing in the moment. Live video streaming has been such a success for Facebook that other social platforms like Twitter and Instagram have adopted it. But Facebook Live is much more than a way to share a quick video with your friends – it's one of the most powerful social media tools available.
Now, Facebook Live just got even more powerful: users can now broadcast from their desktops and can broadcast only audio.
We'll discuss that in a bit, but let's do a quick review and cover the Facebook Live basics first.
Why is Facebook Live Great for Marketing?
Did you know that Facebook Live videos instantly pop to the top of a user's newsfeed? Think about the power of that – any video you decide to begin streaming is automatically thrust into your fans' attention. This visibility is a huge advantage, especially when you consider that the majority of a Facebook Page's posts get buried in your fans' newsfeeds by Facebook's algorithm. Facebook Live also lets you pull some amazing metrics from your video, giving you insight into how many viewers you had live and have viewed your video all time.
That means that Facebook Live hits the marketing sweet spot of Attention + Metrics = Measurable Results
What's New with Facebook Live
As mentioned above, Facebook Live has been gaining some serious traction. Not only are average users embracing the live streaming phenomenon, but Facebook Live has become a powerful vehicle for some of the world's top brands. Buzzfeed even used Facebook Live when they were interviewing former President of the United States, Barack Obama.
But Facebook Live required its broadcasts to be done on a mobile device, which directly impacts the recording quality of a video. Even users recording with the latest cameras and on the fastest Internet would need external accessories like mics and stabilizing stands in order to achieve polished video products.
Now, Facebook has opened up these restrictions. Users can now broadcast audio only or broadcast from their computers.
I know what you're thinking: aren't computer cameras often worse than phone cameras? Well, yes. But as you've probably noticed from your YouTube explorations, there is some truly tremendous recording equipment available.
Businesses interested in releasing professional-quality live broadcasts can use recording accessories to capture the audio and video with much better equipment than what's available on any computer or mobile device.
One of the concerns we've heard about Facebook Live from businesses (other than "But we're B2B!") is about the production quality. These people were concerned that the mobile device recording quality would negatively impact the perception of their brand. The new ability to record from desktops, though, means that this concern is now eliminated. So what's holding you back from using Facebook Live?
How Can Marketers Use Facebook Live?
There's a lot of power to be unlocked from the live streaming phenomenon. If you've read this far, you might already have some ideas in mind on how to leverage the instant attention that Facebook Live can bring your brand or business.
At The Kingdom, we use Facebook Live to make The Kingdom Live, where we discuss topics and questions that have recently come up in the business. Not only are CEO, Adam Steinhardt, and Zaahn Johnson, Operations Director completely entertaining, but The Kingdom Live lets us show off our knowledge and help new and veteran inbound marketers grow. For us, that means we're not only growing our audience, but increasing our own expertise along the way. And, as we've said before, the more answers you give, the more trust you build with your audience.
Facebook Live can be used by businesses in other ways, too. Here's just a few ideas:
Employee Interviews: Take five minutes to interview one of your coworkers. Showcase the talent and expertise, as well as the personality behind your company. Everyone from the CEO to new interns should be considered. These employee interviews are sure to be a hit with not only you fan base, but the interviewee's friends, too!
Showcase how your product or service is delivered: Whether your business manufactures, executes a service, or provides a B2B service like a consultation, your fans will be interested in learning "How It's Made." Try giving a tour of your plant, an explanation of a job in progress, or an in-the-moment insight into a current project or proposal.
Answer Questions: Solicit some questions from your other social media channels and promise to answer them during your next Facebook Live session. No takers? No problem. Make a list of common customer questions and answer them during the recording. Many of our Kingdom Live sessions take just this form.
Customer Testimonials: Nothing is more powerful in building trust that offering up happy customer stories. The next time your client or customer visits, ask permission and then record a quick testimonial with them. Whether your happy customer thinks your ice cream parlor has the best rocky road or your CFO client thinks your business provides the cleverest technical solution to their business challenge, customer testimonials provide great insight into the quality of your business.
Whether you're holding your iPhone in hand or have configured a recording set up with your computer, Facebook Live puts the power of video marketing within your grasp.
You can learn more about how Facebook Live can be used to supplement your marketing efforts here. You can also browse our the backlog of The Kingdom Live episodes here. Let us know if this post sparks any questions, too. You can ask us anytime by using our live chat option below, by asking us on social media, or by contacting us here.
