By now, most of you have probably interacted with Facebook Live. But for anyone who hasn’t used it, or is curious about the potential business benefits, here’s a quick rundown.
What Is It?
Facebook Live is a feature on the Facebook mobile app that lets you live stream video. Friends and followers can view the live stream from either their timeline or your page. While a user can view the live video from any device, you can only live stream through the mobile app.
Why Use It?
For starters, video is dominating all aspects of social media right now because it attracts more engagement than regular text-only posts. This is especially true for Facebook live, since viewers can like, share, and comment in real time.
Furthermore, it’s just a really good way to provide authentic, valuable content to your audience in a very personal, transparent manner. James Spann, for example, uses Facebook Live during severe weather outbreaks so that viewers have an additional way of getting the information they need to stay safe. At WideNet, we use it to stream our WideNet U seminars and other events (like we did at this year’s Digital Summit until Al Madrigal yelled at us).
Lastly, you can archive and edit your live videos for reusable content in the future.
How Do I Use It?
Facebook Live is very simple, and you can start streaming in just a few quicks steps (you need to make sure you have a smartphone or tablet with the Facebook mobile app).
1: Pull up your page through the Facebook mobile app (for businesses, you’ll need to use the Pages app).
2: Click “Live” at the top of the page.
For businesses, you’ll need to tap Publish, then the Go Live icon.
3: Type a description of your video, and then tap Go Live. Your stream will start.
That’s it! Once you start streaming, your video will pop up on your timeline and your followers will be notified.
For some more information on the basics and best practices for Facebook Live, check out this article at the Facebook Help Center.
If you’re interested in adding Facebook Live to your social media marketing plan, call WideNet today.
