People like watching videos. And evidently, they love watching live videos. With people interacting 6x more with live video vs. pre-recorded, livestreaming has proven itself to be a super-powerful marketing tool.
With Facebook being one of the most used social network sites, Facebook Live seems to be the most effective way of maximizing your reach and converting more viewers to loyal followers and customers. While posting on the Facebook marketplace or creating a Facebook business page can be useful in selling stuff online, live streaming offers its own benefits.
So, what’s the secret to success with this tool? We put together a to-do list to get the most out of your Facebook Live broadcasts.
Schedule your broadcast
Timing can mean everything with a live broadcast. Think of it as a meeting. You wouldn’t ask someone to meet you when you know they’re at work or asleep.
Check your page insights to see when your audience is most active. This can give you a good idea of when to post. If you plan to go live regularly, make this a consistent time. Your audience can be reminded to tune in at a certain time every week, ensuring that you have regular viewers each time.
We also recommend that you go live for more than an hour. Facebook gives longer videos a bump in the distribution of newsfeeds. The idea here is to be online long enough to get a lot of eyes and engagement. If you offer a large time frame for viewers to join, it will help you extend your reach. Just be sure to keep them participating, whether that be commenting, reacting, or purchasing!
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Prep your inventory
Planning ahead will set you up for much bigger success and keep the endeavor less hectic. Write or type up your sale tags and get your product lists in order well in advance. If you want to save yourself the effort of creating sales tags, you can also print out live helpers, which are pictures of your product, and their identifier number, the number customers type to claim the associated product.
Or you can go big and use the CommentSold Overlay, which displays the product photo and the identifier number at the top of your live video at the click of a button. You don’t have to fuss with any messy paper, and the whole selling process goes smoothly with the help of the Overlay!
Hold a pre-broadcast team meeting
Will you have anyone assisting you? Having an assistant or two will greatly help you to keep your hands free and focused on engaging your audience. They may even help you entertain the audience themselves.
If you have these helpers or models available to you, holding a short meeting before the event can get you on the same page. Make sure you all have the same expectations for the event and that everyone knows their role.
Set up and troubleshoot equipment beforehand
Set aside time to assemble and troubleshoot all your equipment. You don’t want a tech failure to happen at the height of audience engagement. You can greatly reduce that possibility by setting up and testing all your tech. This also includes your router. Don’t forget to test your internet connection before going live!
Learn what it takes to get started and go pro with Facebook Live Sales
Promote in advance
While live streaming is a great way to reach a potential customer and generate sales, promoting in advance will attract more viewers to your Facebook live video. A teaser video can generate hype well before the live broadcast starts. Entice your audience with a hook. Offer incentives to tune in and you’ll be sure to get more viewers on board. One or two simple Facebook posts can also be used as reminders for viewers to tune in.
Don’t forget that you can also cross-post this on all social media channels to boost your reach further. Build anticipation for the event wherever you can. Just be clear about when and where to show up for it.
Make it personal
The main appeal of Facebook live is that it’s conducive to having a two-way conversation with real-time responses. Viewers want to participate in conversations, so make sure you make them feel involved. Address viewers by name and give them shout outs. This is especially important when conducting a live sale. Nothing is more special than a personalized shopping experience. This is way more unique and exciting than pressing a “Add to Cart” button on a static screen.
Get exclusive
By its very nature, interacting with Facebook Live broadcasts is a pretty exclusive experience. Only those who are watching live can interact in real time.
You can make this feel even more exclusive by holding a giveaway, sharing a behind-the-scenes look of your business, unboxing a shipment of new arrivals for your shop, or giving them a limited time offer during the broadcast. Exclusivity is irresistible to viewers. Use it to your advantage.
Related Reading: Why Top Brands Use Facebook Live
Involve your viewers
The beauty of a Facebook live video is that you can interact with your viewers while generating sales. There are no rules when it comes to getting your viewers involved. There are so many ways to engage an audience. Think of fun contests and games that would make your viewers want to play along.
You can also conduct a live poll about what brands they like or what products they’d like to see come to your shop. Ask them how they would pair your products to create the perfect outfit. Demo an outfit before putting it up for sale. Ask them what they think of it. Show them similar items that can be paired with the outfit. Provoke those personal responses! The possibilities are endless.
This is also a great way for a potential customer or existing one to get to know you personally and the products you’re selling.
Stop worrying and breathe
It’s easy to get nervous at the thought of the unexpected happening on a Facebook live broadcast. Here’s the good news: Audiences prefer authenticity over perfection. It shows that you’re only human, just like them! If the unexpected happens, point out the humor in it. Joking with viewers is just another part of that human touch that customers crave.
If you’re still worried, try doing a dry run in advance. We know it can be a little bit nerve-racking, but the benefits of broadcasting live will more than make up for it. This is your chance to be off the wall and creative. Have fun with it! And remember, practice makes perfect!
