Live video marketing is playing a much more important role (as it should be!) in the lives of business owners. I’ve said it before and I’ll probably say it again, video MUST be part of your marketing plan this year. It grows every year, so you might as well get on the bandwagon now! I like to keep a list of video ideas for my planning.
You may be thinking, “Okay great. You have a list of video ideas, but what the heck am I supposed to talk about?”
That is probably the most common question I get from clients when I tell them that they need to be recording Facebook Live every week. You gotta have a plan! Here are some of my favorite video ideas.
What’s new?
Using Live video to share news from your industry is the number one priority. If there is a disruption in your industry, if you’re attending an event, launching a new product or service, or you’re simply changing how something works – this is the perfect platform with which to break the news. This is one of my favorite (and easiest) video ideas.
An easy way to do it is
You will become the go-to with your tribe for updates.
Keep an eye on the trends
As a business owner, you should always know what’s going on in not only your industry but also in your part of the world or even just business trends. Relevant, trending topics typically get a lot more views and engagement than something that isn’t on a trending topics list. This is what your tribe is already talking about, so joining in the conversation is an easy way to get some attention.
One suggestion – try not to get too hot with the takes on particularly spicy subjects such as politics and religion. Those are two topics that should stay out of your business, unless you are in politics or religion, of course.
Bring some guests
If your audience is interested in hearing what you have to say, then they might be just as interested in what others have to chime in on the topic too. Bringing friends, business partners, and others in the industry on your Facebook Live for interviews or simply for commentary and discussion can give you a leg up. Natural conversation is a lot easier to find than constantly creating your own material. Plus, you will have access to their audience as well, so it’s another way to expand your tribe.
I have been a guest on several Facebook Lives and Podcasts. I absolutely love the opportunity to share my knowledge with others. And really, I just love to meet new people and talk anything business.
Ask your fans
One of the benefits of a consistent weekly Facebook Live is that it keeps you in constant contact with your tribe and brand fans. People love to be engaged directly, so don’t hesitate to ask them if there are any topics that they want you to cover.
You can open up the floor to questions and answers. You can ask them to email you directly with questions to answer on your next live. You could also use the polling feature in Instagram Stories to get some interaction.
Really though, live Q&As tend to be pretty successful because people like seeing a response to their thoughts and concerns in real time.
Viewer shout-outs
Even if you’re not going to be taking questions from them directly, you should always involve the viewers in your Facebook Live video marketing at least a little bit. For instance, if you got some excellent comments or questions over the past week, mention the viewer by first-name (or screen name if they’re on Twitter, Reddit or other platforms) and talk to the comment for a while. Similarly, don’t be afraid to glance at the comments in live chat and riff off what the audience is saying. Make them feel more involved and like part of a community and you’re more likely to keep them coming back. Don’t be too rigid in hunting the comments for something to say, just keep it natural.
Use past blog posts
You probably already have loads of content on your website, so use that as the topic for your Facebook lives. It’s a great way to repurpose that content that you know is performing well. A lot of the content is evergreen, so it can be used over and over again. At the very most, you may need to update a few statistics or sentences, but that will take way less time than creating a whole new post or video topic.
Have fun with it
Not everything has to be super brand relevant. Facebook Live video marketing offers you the chance to put your hair down and to humanize the brand a little more than you usually have the opportunity to. People want to know your human and they want to relate to you. Being casual sometimes is one of the best ways to do that.
So on occasion, your weekly stream can simply be hanging out and doing something fun with the audience. For instance, if you have an engaging artistic talent like singing or playing an instrument, don’t be afraid to take a break to let your expressive side out. You can make a fun stream out of demoing or opening your own products, especially those that have just recently released, as well. Or if you are a work from home mom like me, then you could live stream spending some time with your kids.
Stay relevant, stay