Usually, a brand launches a video campaign for three reasons: to make it viral and to gain awareness, to increase engagement and to restart the marketing machine. But is it possible to achieve these goals using live videos from Facebook?

In 2016, the rise of live video on the internet has made this digital trend popular with the various live streaming platforms available on the Internet. In less than a year Facebook Live has established itself as the leader of live video on social media. At the same time, the new Facebook feature has become a strategic marketing tool being a real opportunity for companies who want to share video content.

It feels like being connected

According to studies conducted by Facebook, users spend, on average, three times more time watching a Live Facebook video than any other type of video. Facebook live allows to broadcast a video on the platform directly from a simple smartphone or a connected camera. People interested in a brand can watch the video on its page in real time from a smartphone or PC and interact.

Facebook lives offers a totally different interaction experience as the comments scroll one after the other, under the video and the author of the video also sees these comments and can respond to them live. Also, reactions appear at the bottom of the video and disappear quickly, so that everyone can “take the pulse” of the audience.

For businesses, Facebook Live offers the opportunity to engage with their community in a more authentic way, to create proximity and to raise engagement. In addition, Facebook Live makes it possible for companies to know the total number of people who have seen their live video and to see their audience at every moment of their live. There are many ways to integrate Facebook live video into your content strategy and it may be the most exciting tactic to revive a brand at the moment.

Preparing your improvisation

Improvisation? There is no such a term in marketing.

Live broadcasting, by its very nature, does not allow you to accurately predict its progress. Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean you have to improvise. Like all online content, live webcasts on Facebook must have a goal. Before you begin broadcasting, think about what you want to say (or do), and why you want to use this format rather than a more traditional format.

Preparing yourself for a live video is not the only requirement. You’ll also need to prepare your audience. You would never organize a party without inviting anyone, though? Your live broadcast on Facebook follows the same principles as any other event: if you want your audience to respond, let them know.

A testing phase?

Of course it’s necessary, and marketers insists on this phase. If you’re preparing a video ad campaign, you’re going to need hundreds variations of the video in order to achieve improvement and performance. What variations? The moment of the packshot, the style of call-to-action, the type of word used … the variations are very numerous according to the target. It’s the same if you’re about posting a live video.

Countless uses

In terms of digital strategy, the possibilities of using Facebook Live are countless. Digital marketing professionals recommend that they be used for presenting a new product or service, promoting an event, offering training to your customers, demonstrating how you can help them or solve their problems, inviting your clients or prospects to discuss with you by organizing a question and answer session, showing “backstage details” of your company … and there are many other possibilities.

The limit is the imagination.