Facebook Live is quickly growing in popularity and will remain a HUGE trend for the foreseeable future. For those that might not have heard of this fairly new feature, Facebook Live is a live video broadcasting platform designed to connect users with people (friends, family, customers, etc.). With Facebook Live, users can take audiences up close or behind the scenes for literally anything.
Broadcasting live is easy and only takes a few simple steps, which we’ve shared below:
There are a number of ways marketers can improve Live broadcasts. Two of the most effective ways are promotion and presentation. It is crucial to promote the Live broadcast by letting the audience know the time, date, and purpose. An extremely effective way to promote is by posting short videos that preview what content you will be covering during the Live broadcast. While the promotions are running, focus should shift to ensure that the presentation is adequately planned. Be sure that all Live broadcasts start with a warm smile and an inviting welcome. During the welcome, the presenter should introduce themselves, what organization they represent and briefly give a road-map of what the Live video will consist of. Providing a road-map will allow viewers to understand about how long the broadcast will last, which will help keep their attention. It’s also very important that the presenter keep a confident and exciting demeanor to prevent viewers from dropping off of the broadcast. Finally, and most importantly, the Facebook Live broadcast should end with a call to action (i.e. “Click the link above to buy tickets,” “Sign up now,” etc.)
Facebook Live also works well to reach events’ preferred audiences. Facebook recently announced that Live broadcasts can now be conducted on “Events” and “Groups” within the Facebook mobile application. Therefore, you can broadcast special pre-event promotional Live broadcasts right on your designated event page! This helps build hype for events and can help boost ticket sales with the proper call to action.
Facebook Live is also a great tool for Destination Marketing Organizations (DMO). DMOs can broadcast all sorts of great details about a destination like a beautiful sunset, firework displays, special events, or even a ribbon cutting for a new hotel! Showing fans of a destination’s Facebook page exciting, unedited live videos will allow them to see the authenticity of a destination, which means that planning and presentation will be crucial in order to portray the destination in a positive light.
Although Facebook Live broadcasts can be nerve-racking and have the potential to get off message or off track, the reward is worth the risk. Here at Saffire, we did our first Facebook Live video and then paid for a $20 boost to our fans. Out of 1,050 fans, 547 watched the video, 756 saw the video in their feed, and our total cost per video view came out to ONLY $0.04 per view.
As event season is ramping up and DMOs are planning their budgets, it is very important to add Facebook Live advertising into your marketing mix and planning for at least the rest of 2016 and into 2017.