What Are Facebook Live Videos and How Should Small Businesses Use Them?
What are Facebook live videos and how should small businesses utilize them? If your small business has a company Facebook page but isn’t familiar with their new live videos feature, here's what you need to know.
Instead of using apps like Periscope or Meerkat to stream live video, you can now stream directly from your Facebook profile. To do this, according to Social Media Examiner, just "tap to update your status and click the live icon. Then write a quick description in the status update (this is your title). The description is what will go out in the news feed and in notifications." From there, you can choose if you want your video shown only to a specific set of friends or have it be public. Click on "go live," and you can either film yourself, your surroundings, or both! According to Facebook's Help Center, your video can be a maximum of 90 minutes, and can be seen by anyone who follows your page! The viewing audience and reach can expand even further if you begin to receive interactions from your followers on the page.
You might be wondering, as a small business, why would you need to know about Facebook live videos? Can they even be used as a marketing tool? The answer is yes. Here are some ways you can use Facebook live videos to your small business's benefit:
- Introduce yourself and your business: Extend the personal touch to your online audience and make a video introducing yourself and your business. Go around and give your audience a live tour of your business, talking to co-workers along the way. Give your audience a chance to see what a typical day is like in your business so they can truly understand your brand and the atmosphere of the workplace. If you're not sure what kind of live video to post first, this is a good introductory route to take.
- Film a business event: If your small business is celebrating something special like an anniversary, a new store opening, or a huge sale, stream it live to your audience. It makes them feel as though they were there, motivating them to actually attend the next event you have. And because the video will stay on your page after the live broadcast, anyone who can't attend the celebration can watch it whenever and wherever they have time after its been posted.
- Spotlight a certain product/service/employee each month: If you want to get in the habit of uploading live videos often, pick one day a month to highlight a specific product, service or employee through Facebook live video. Using live video keeps your Facebook page interactive and the audience gets to know more about your services and the company’s personality.
Contact us for more information about Facebook live videos and how a small business should utilize them.
