Earlier this year, Facebook introduced a new feature for its users called Facebook Live. This feature capitalizes on the recent trends of online video consumption and in-the-moment updates by offering the ability to broadcast live video with audio to your profile page, business page or group directly from your smartphone or tablet.

Whether or not you plan on using Facebook Live in your marketing strategy, if you’re a social media marketer you may want to understand how this social media trend works – then determine if it would benefit your business. Here’s the lowdown:

How it works:

  • You can broadcast live to Facebook from your smartphone or tablet using your device’s built-in camera and microphone
  • Followers can subscribe to your videos and be notified when you are live
  • You can see the number of people who are viewing the video live and receive live reactions, comments, etc. to help you gauge how your broadcast is going. You can also reply verbally to viewers commenting on your live video
  • After the broadcast the video remains on your page allowing for replays, unless you delete it
  • Viewers can share your broadcasts with their audience when you’re live or as they watch the replay

 

How it can benefit your business:

With so much content online today, it can be tough to develop a personality and a voice for your brand. Facebook Live provides businesses the opportunity to connect with their audience in a real, authentic and personal way. It allows viewers to comment and interact with the broadcaster in-the-moment, helping businesses to build a more personal connection with their audience.

Live video is also a great tool for capturing your audience’s attention. Earlier this year, Facebook published a blog post stating that people are three times more likely to watch a live video in comparison to a regular video. Because of this statistic, Facebook’s current algorithm ranks live videos higher in the newsfeed.

Overall, if you are looking to engage with your audience and expand your reach, Facebook Live is a great tool to help with just that. Let us know in a comment below if you’ve tried Facebook Live and what you think!