4 Reasons To Add Facebook Live To Your Marketing Strategy

Originally Published in my PR Insider.

Anyone who tunes in to television news is familiar with those moments when the anchor announces dramatically that “we are now going live” to a reporter who’s on the scene of whatever extraordinary event has grabbed the attention of the news crews.

But in all your years of watching such broadcasts did you ever imagine that one day you might have the ability to “go live” with your publicity efforts? Well, that day has arrived (which could mean that flying cars and robot maids aren’t far behind).

Just recently I was talking with our social media team about the popularity and benefits of Facebook Live, a social media format that allows people to speak directly to an audience in a visually interesting and content-rich format.

Anyone with a smartphone can literally “go live” on Facebook to express views on a new theme park ride, demonstrate how to prepare a gourmet meal, teach guitar lessons or talk about whatever topic moves them on that particular day.

And it’s free!

But the even more exciting thing to me is how this can be used by anyone who wants to promote their brand. For example, a financial professional who writes a blog on retirement issues could in addition share the same information with clients and potential clients through the live video.

So just why would you want to make this one more part of a well-rounded publicity campaign? I mean, after all, you’ve got that blog that’s serving you well, right? And you already post on Facebook.

Here’s one reason.

As wonderful as the written word can be, video has a significant advantage because people acknowledge they are more inclined to watch something than they are to read it. In fact, 80 percent say they would rather watch live video from a brand than read a blog, and 82 percent prefer live video to a social media post, according to a survey conducted jointly by New York Magazine and Livestream, a technology company that streams live events.

Given those statistics, it’s clear you should give some serious thought to Facebook Live as an excellent way to promote your brand.

I asked Jay York, our senior social media strategist, to share some additional reasons why Facebook Live is a worthwhile addition to your branding efforts.

• People will get to know you better. These live videos will give your audience a more intimate look at you as an individual. It never hurts to humanize your brand so that the people you are trying to reach come to view you almost as someone they know personally.
• You’ll be promoted. Facebook prioritizes and promotes live video, so you’ll get a chance to stand out with live video in a way you never would with a routine post. How does that work? Facebook sends out a message announcing that you are live so your followers will know to tune in and find out what you have to say. That means you can get a considerably larger reach with the video than you would with a post.
• It’s interactive. You can ask people to post questions and comments while you’re broadcasting and you can respond to them live.
• People can share the video. Once your live broadcast ends, the video doesn’t just disappear never to be seen again. It’s still available on your Facebook page where people can continue to view it and share it with their friends.

I see this as just one more way to promote your brand by sharing your wealth of knowledge with others. The ever-evolving social media technology is one of many reasons why working with a team of professionals is vital, if you’re not up-to-date on all the possibilities it offers. It’s their job to insure that you get the most out of your social media efforts, now and in the future.

Yours almost live!

Marsha

P.S. If you’d like professional help with your social media, as well as getting quoted in the press and being interviewed on radio and TV, give us a call. This is what we’ve been doing for our clients for 27 years. To learn more, please call us at 727-443-7115 Ext. 231. We’d love to hear from you!