Free advertising is a plus for any business owner. But free advertising that has the potential to truly reach a large segment of your market is actually quite invaluable. We’re talking about Facebook Live here (currently only available from a mobile device), which is fast becoming an extremely effective means of reaching the masses.
Why It’s a Good Move
Whether on your business page or personal profile, Facebook Live works because it’s not only free to use, but Facebook sends a notification to your followers that you’re doing a live video. Which means they don’t have to happen upon it to see it, Facebook automatically directs viewers to you.
Additionally, it’s a great way to establish trust with your current and potential customers. Doing a Facebook Live video shows vulnerability – since it’s live, you may mess up, stumble over words or do any number of things that show you’re a real person. Yes, that involves some risk, but it’s worth it (that doesn’t disregard the need to prepare in some way for your video, of course).
Tips for Success
When you start doing Facebook Live videos, you’re not going to see immediate results. Like anything else, you’re going to have to work at it. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Be Dedicated – Whether your following is five people or 500, you need to have the same dedication and commitment to the information you provide. Like with any online marketing tactic, it takes time to develop a following, but your dedication should remain constant.
- Be Generous – You’re only going to maintain an audience if you’re giving them something of value, typically a piece of advice that conveys your expertise.
- Be Consistent – Commit to doing a Facebook Live video consistently so your followers can rely upon it. Whether that’s committing to 8 A.M. 5 days a week or every Monday afternoon, your audience needs to be ready and waiting because they know when you’ll be there.
We also recommend that you start by doing your Facebook Live videos on your personal profile. The people that like your business page must be “following” it as well in order to get the notifications that you’re live. However, your “friends” on your personal profile will get the notification unless they have manually removed the follow option. Post your live videos as “public” on your personal profile and then share them to your business page. Establish a strong following with a lot of engagement on your videos (comments, likes and shares) and then transition to your business page if you see fit and ask your followers to come along.
Like many of the other developments in online marketing, Facebook Live is a great resource for your business that you should be utilizing. Always take advantage of the next big thing for your business. Getting ahead of the curve means better results in the long run.
