Facebook Live, the now popular audience engagement live-streaming plan, has been in existence since August 2015. Facebook is the heart of social media. It, therefore, goes without saying that Facebook Live is certainly walking in the footsteps of the mother-app, Facebook.
In the last five years, brands and organizations have made commendable efforts to make Facebook Live deliver on this front and sure it has delivered.
Despite the many good things we can say about the usage of Facebook’s live video option, many businesses are yet to fully exploit the benefits of live video.
In the realization that not everyone is a techie, Facebook has made this option easy to use. Anyone, from busy company executives to inexperienced individuals can use Facebook Live on their phones without much trouble.
If you decide to be more elaborate with your streams, attaching your hip broadcasting equipment, going live on Facebook is never a challenge. You also don’t need to worry about the quality of your video streams, provided your system and internet capabilities are top-of-the-line.
Today, we break down the less-talked-about top 5 branding gains of using the Facebook Live video-streaming tool.
1. Reminders and Promotion Capabilities
Several other social networks have in-built live-streaming options, but Facebook still stands out.
On the Facebook Notifications tab, you can tell when your favorite Page is live. Users can also set their reminders, so they don’t forget to catch up with the latest live events from the brands they love.
You want to see a swell in your brand’s reach and exposure? It’s time to go live on Facebook.
2. Helpful Insights
If you already have numerous followers, you should celebrate. Facebook Live displays a ‘See Video Insights’ tab below the live video for people and brands with more than five thousand followers.
From the Facebook native analytics tool, you can see your engagement numbers and make live-streaming adjustments if you need to.
Social media influence rates depend on the quality of content you churn out from time to time. Previously, it was difficult to know what works and what doesn’t. But help has come and a simple click on the ‘See video Insights’ bar gives you up to a two-month analysis of the performance of your videos, both live and recorded. If you happen to spot something that resonates pretty well with your audience, why not zoom in on it and iterate?
3. Facebook Live forgets not
You want to see your videos even after the live-streaming session has ended. It gives you two advantages: First, you can play back and assess for quality and the errors you may need to avoid for next time. Two, the video stays on your page for more viewership – an opportunity to accumulate views and interactions.
The followers that might have missed the live event are presented with another chance to have a go at it.
4. Increased attention spans
According to Facebook, 20% of all the videos uploaded on their network originate from live streams and users spend three times more time feasting on live video than playbacks.
For starters, that’s an impressive stat that is already on an upward curve with the dedicated Watch functionality.
5. Negligible spending
Branding and advertising on most platforms is an expensive affair. Getting space on TV prime-time is no walk in the park.
Businesses and nonprofits are spending billions of shillings each year to get the word out to their prospects, sometimes with minimal returns. That is where Facebook live comes in – it is way less expensive to do live streams and get your name on the streets while engaging your audience at the same time.
Facebook Live exposes you to the audience you would want to reach. If you are an event organizer, for example, the chances of a rack-up in your ticket sales from live streams (virtual events) are very high. The initial virtual event attendance may be disappointing, but watch out, you could be in for a full house in your upcoming physical event.
Prepare for the unexpected
Every time you do a live video, it is good to remember the possibility of undesirable comments and negative reviews. It is a good idea to prepare your team in advance – just in case. Some of your followers may be unhappy about some of your products and may try to slow down the exciting buzz you are generating in the social space, sometimes for justifiable reasons. Such moments are part of the business. If you are not sure how to deal with the negativity, get a social media manager to help you out.
