Imagine holding a meeting without setting up chairs, pouring coffee or making nametags—and still getting immediate feedback. Think of the benefits of giving potential customers an inside look at your kitchen or your new office space. What if you could show donors in real time the difference you are making with their investment? You can. Other companies and organizations are doing these things, and many more, with Facebook Live.
From the local museum and a coffee shop around the corner to national giants, companies of all sizes are using Facebook Live, a free tool, to enhance their brands and literally show and tell their stories in real time. Owners, social media specialists, entertainers, entrepreneurs and politicians are jumping at the chance to discuss, showcase, highlight, entertain and inspire through this new feature. Anyone with a Facebook account can create a status and be live in seconds—having a reliable signal may be your only limitation.
A few notable successes:
Dunkin’ Donuts used Facebook Live for the first time as they showed millions of viewers the process of creating a Valentine’s Day cake from their corporate kitchen. After realizing the potential, they created a Valentines Day contest for most creative marriage proposal. This has now become a key component of their marketing efforts.
Chevrolet teased viewers with glimpses of their much-anticipated electric car, the Spark, prior to its release via Facebook Live, allowing super fans an early look at this product before its official launch.
Martha Stewart gives cooking lessons real time to promote her brand.
How could you use Facebook Live? Five ideas for you to consider:
1. Discuss a topic your viewers or customers are interested in—if you were to post a few days in advance to gain insight into some ideas or suggestions customers have, a Facebook Live session gives you the opportunity to address these in real time. Being able to talk to them shows the “human” in the business, which is something the viewers can relate to.
2. Give an inside look at your business. Literally, give a glimpse behind closed doors. Capitalize on the cool factor with certain areas, such as entertainment companies or sporting teams. An exclusive locker room tour, a chic company rec center, or showing the inside of a tour bus could really get a lot of views from many demographic groups.
3. Promote or broadcast your event—a concert, celebrity appearance, political rally, clothing sale, or sporting event could all benefit from the addition of Facebook Live to your media mix.
4. “Tease” a new product or idea—whether it’s a tech company showing off new toys or Air Jordan sharing glimpses of a new sneaker, fans and viewers would even more eagerly anticipate the arrival of the actual product.
5. Answer FAQs—getting the same questions over and over? Answer them “in person” and then save the video so others can view it later.