5 Tips to Increase Engagement Using Facebook Live

In the past couple of years we have seen a staggering rise in the popularity of live videos on the internet, and sure enough Facebook Live has become one of the leading, if not the leading video streaming platform in the business world. Companies were finally able to reach a mass global audience through videography in real time, thus shattering the fourth wall and driving engagement and traffic through the roof.

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Naturally, with this kind of popularity comes great market saturation, and Facebook Live is nowadays a competitive arena in which businesses are fighting for every viewer. This means that the proverbial bar has gone up once more and that you need to step up your video streaming game if you want to stand out. Here are the best practices that will help you increase engagement using Facebook Live.

Define the purpose of the videos

Much like any other type of content you publish, whether it’s a blog post or a new 3D image, your videos need to have a purpose. In essence, for video streaming to bear the right fruit, it needs to have a sound strategy to support and guide it. With that in mind, your first order of business is to define the purpose and goal of your videos.

The keyword you’re looking to drive your video-streaming strategy is value. If you don’t have something of true value to offer to your viewers, then do yourself a favor and stick to blogs, tweets, and quality imagery. This way, you will at least prevent causing any damage to your brand image in the social media world.

On the other hand, if you have something meaningful to share to the world through quality visual content, then by all means go ahead and stream away!

Discover your purple cow and use it

In a sea of uniformity and incessant similarity, it’s worth having a purple cow to show off. This is fancy marketing lingo for “create a unique angle and use it to set yourself apart”. Remember, these are live broadcasts we’re talking about, so there is a need to keep things moving, to keep it snappy and interesting, and to have that distinct approach to streaming that people will immediately associate with your brand.

It will be up to you to create your unique angle that will improve engagement and inspire people to tune in, comment, leave positive feedback, and share the stream link with their friends. Whatever it is, make sure to turn it into a leitmotif in all of your videos to create that associative connection that will solidify your brand’s identity in the hearts and minds of your audience.

Monitor engagement levels

Knowledge is power. The age old adage holds true in the modern world better than ever before, as having the necessary insights to adapt your strategy and improve performance is the key to long-term growth and success. This means that you will need to monitor the performance and engagement of your streams in order to compile actionable data for the road ahead.

The best streamers in the world achieve this with the use of comprehensive social media analytics tools that monitor the chatter surrounding their brands in the social media realm. Tracking relevant KPIs such as likes, shares, mentions, context, discussions, and the general “vibe” of the brand in the consumer market is a powerful way to obtain crucial information and reshape your video-streaming approach if need be. Remember to monitor performance at all times so that you can improve and stay two steps ahead of the competition.

Be prepared, but don’t rely on scripts

If you could choose to read off a cue card in front of a large audience, would you still opt to improvise your speech and make it up as you go? Probably not, nor should you. Preparation is the key to an effective presentation, and the same goes for Facebook Live videos. That said, the key selling points with live videos are authenticity, spontaneity, and transparency.

This means that you need to strike a balance between being prepared and candid. People will appreciate your laid-back approach, no matter if the subject deals with important issues or if you’re simply entertaining the masses. With that in mind, a good rule of thumb would be to memorize key talking points, rehearse your soft skills prior to going live, and refrain from memorizing scripts but rather keep the conversation flowing naturally.

Build your audience with scheduled programming

On a final note, keep in mind that you stand a much better chance of building traction and recognition by taking a meticulous approach to streaming, and scheduling your programming. People love consistency in the online world, they love that know exactly when they can expect you to go live, and they love that you have a solid streaming schedule they can work into their routine. Fail to make a schedule, and you will needlessly dissipate your audience, lose momentum, and never really build the traction your brand deserves.

In conclusion

Facebook Live is one of the best additions to the platform since, well, the dawn of Facebook itself. It allows brands to connect with their followers on a completely new level and establish an emotional relationships that will last a lifetime. Use these tips elevate your standing in the industry by making Facebook Live the most powerful engagement tool in your arsenal.

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