February 21, 2019
More and more, consumers are looking ways to connect with brands in a personal way. They want to see and interact with the actual people who make organizations tick. Enter Facebook Live.Facebook Live broadcasts can be a great way to tap spokespersons, industry experts or influencers to reach target audiences with real-time interaction and direct connection. This can be especially effective when looking for call-to-action results. Being asked to do something by a credible person who is sharing their time and speaking to you directly be a motivating.
LCWA has coordinated an increased number of Facebook Live broadcasts into client programs, helping to increase program results, engage and grow social followings, highlight milestones and more. Here are five tips from the LCWA social media team for successful Facebook Live broadcasts:
- Choose your spokesperson(s): Depending on your client’s industry, audience, social voice and program goals, it’s important to select the right person to be the “face” of the brand. For example, an in-house expert or influencer could discuss a fun new product launch, or a doctor can talk about a new health care initiative. Sometimes, programs may have multiple aspects or be part of a longer campaign, so a series of broadcasts with multiple spokespersons from different angles can help keep momentum and interest flowing.
- Prepare your spokesperson(s): Consider preparing the spokesperson in a similar way you would for a broadcast interview. Create talking points and discuss best practices. Based on how tech savvy a spokesperson is, a detailed overview for setting up Facebook Live on his or her device may be needed. Overall, a walk-through session is recommended prior to the broadcast.
- Promote the broadcast: Post engaging social content on all channels in the week leading up to the broadcast. Make it as simple as possible to understand what Facebook Live is, why you’re doing it, who the spokesperson is and where/how to access the broadcast. Graphics with a photo of the spokesperson can add apersonal touch. If there will be a series of broadcasts, tease the whole program. For some clients, it may be good to draft an internal email for board members or other stakeholders announcing the broadcast and how they can get involved.
- Provide remote support: If the call-to-action revolves around visiting a landing page, or you want to share supporting resources, link can be posted during the broadcast in the comments sections from your computer while logged-in to your client’s Facebook account. This makes it easy for viewers to get to where you want them to go and makes the broadcast more interactive.
- Find new ways to use the video: The broadcast will stay on the Facebook wall just like any other post, and can be downloaded, and incorporated in future social content, used as an example when pitching interviews to broadcast outlets, shared internally or uploaded to client webpages and more. If there were a series of broadcasts, you can make a video playlist on Facebook for easy access to the whole program.
Whether clients are seeking to promote events, campaign awareness, thought leadership, seasonal/timely topics, products and more, incorporating Facebook Live into overall social media strategies can be an effective way to break through the fourth wall and increase call-to-action results and brand loyalty.