Facebook Live – what’s it all about? Is it worth the effort?

Running a small or medium sized business means, as we all know, that we don’t have large marketing budgets to play with, so it is important to make the most of what we can, when we can – Facebook Live is currently an opportunity to do just that.

I love that Twitter gives us the ability to raise the profile of our business for little spend and that’s why I am also currently very keen on Facebook Live.

Don’t get me wrong it’s stressful, nerve wracking and daunting …..but right now, as I write this (mid Sept 2016) it is definitely worth it, read on to find out more.

Is Facebook Live really worth it?

So, is Facebook Live really worth the investment of energy and time, is it worth pushing yourself out of your comfort zone?  From what I have read, seen and experienced myself – Yes, it is – make the most of it while you can!  And of course share the video far and wide on all of  your social media accounts 🙂

Over the last month I have been keeping any eye on the statistics from my own business page and I have seen from my own very brief experience, that the figures showing the increase in Reach are jaw dropping:

• First of all an additional finding – Facebook Posts with images had double the Reach of posts which didn’t have an image.
• So now the important bit ………Facebook Live videos had a 42% increase in Reach and 6 times that number in Views than posts with an image.

Interestingly Facebook Live videos which were boosted (3 days, £8 total spend) had a massive 9,892 % !! increase in Reach and an increase of 525% in Views than those which were not boosted.

I am a novice at this and these figures will change – I am sure the Facebook algorithms will be updated and the Reach of the videos will decrease – but we all know how hard it is to engage people without paying for Boosts on our business Facebook pages – so my advice is make the most of it while you can, and boost when you can.

Some simple tips to get you started

My recent video “How to cope (and enjoy!) networking when you are not a natural networker” was viewed by over 2,000 people! Pop over and have a look.

I am planning to cover one topic a week in a live stream – I like being able to use the intonation in my voice and facial expressions to bring business hints and tips alive and I am so pleased with the feedback I have had from people who have watched them.  So please do like my Facebook page to pick up hints and tips over the next few weeks and months.  

So my 5 top tips are:

One: Plan what you are going to say.  Talk about something you are passionate about, which reflects your business, or gives a good insight into your business, and write it down.

Two: Make sure you end with a call to action.

Three: Hold your phone vertically and practice videoing yourself – play it back.  Check what is behind you, around you and check the lighting.

Four: Make sure you have lots of bandwidth or you are in a good signal area.

Five: Summarise what you want to say onto one piece of A4, work out where the camera is on your phone and position the notes just behind here – then it won’t be obvious when you refer to your notes 😉

And ….. don’t forget to link your Twitter
Account with your Facebook page to expand your reach further 🙂

 

Find out more:

“How To Do Facebook Video Marketing The Right Way” is a superb Blog by CoSchedule and covers video and live video.

I have many more hints and tips – let me know if you would like me to help you get started with Facebook Live streaming 🙂

Happy videoing  😉

Please contact me if you would like help with your own Facebook Live journey.

I help businesses grow by helping the business owner work out what they need to do differently and helping them do it.

If you would like to discuss how to grow your business please contact me to arrange a time to have a chat.