You’ve probably been hearing a lot about Facebook Live lately—I bet you have even seen user generated videos popping up all over your Facebook timeline, too, right?
Last August, I wrote about how Facebook Live wasn’t a real streaming contenter…yet! But it’s made some major strides since last summer.
Let’s Review: What’s Facebook Live, and What Makes It So Great?
Facebook Live allows you to share real-time video directly from your smartphone, letting your viewers see whatever your phone’s camera is filming. While you can’t see or hear the people who are watching, your audience can type messages to you in real time.
Your live video gets displayed right in your viewers’ Facebook timelines, along with everything else they care about and follow. This allows for some amazing access to your followers!
There are some limits, though. Facebook Live isn’t available for all business pages…yet. Right now, it’s only available on personal profiles in the U.S. who have iPhones and to those that have blue-verified fan pages.
But I have a feeling Facebook will be rolling it out to all fan pages before we know it!
Bottom line…start learning now how your business can utilize this amazing resource.
Here Are 10 Ways To Use Facebook Live For Your Small Business
1. Give your followers a peek behind the scenes of your business.
This is a great opportunity to show some personality as a business owner. 
What’s a typical day like for you as a business owner? Do you have a favorite morning routine you swear by? Or maybe give a behind the scenes tour of your office!
What’s a typical day like for you as a business owner? Do you have a favorite morning routine you swear by? Or maybe give a behind the scenes tour of your office!
The possibilities are endless and this content will be unique, because you and your business are one of a kind.
2. Show everyone a slice of your “real life”.
Especially if you’re a personality-driven brand, this is a great way to share your life outside of your business: your pets, your new home renovation, your gardening projects, etc. Use it as a time to connect with your followers as a real, live person. Remember, people are going to connect with you as a person before they connect with you around your business, product or service!
3. Hold a live Q&A.
Since anyone who’s watching your Facebook Live stream can type a message that will immediately show up on your screen, it’s a great tool to answer your followers questions, in real time!
It’s value based to your tribe and you don’t have to do a ton of advance preparation. The best part is that it is happening live, which strengthens the connection between you and your community.
This is also a handy tool for some research! What is your audience most curious about? What problems do they need your help solving? Make sure you’re tuned into what your audience needs to know during these Q&As, and you’ll have some serious marketing ideas right at your fingertips.
4. Be the teacher! Your Facebook followers can be your students.
If you sell products, give a demonstration or a tutorial. If you sell services, give everyone a preview of what’s working for you.
YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world after Google, in large part because people love to learn from videos. Use Facebook Live to share some content with your audience on a topic that you know will resonate with them. Prepare a short video teaching your followers something useful, and watch those Facebook shares go crazy!
5. Share your take on current events or developments in your niche.
As a business owner, you probably make it a priority to stay informed about new developments in your field. You’re probably also very in-tune with current headlines that are sure to pique your followers’ interest. So, share your opinion about it! What’s your take?
Your chosen topic might already be trending on Facebook if it’s a hot new story, so jump in while you can! When you summarize a news story that resonates with your followers and then give your analysis, it’s a powerful way to establish your authority and increase credibility.
6. Host interviews.
Who would your audience love to hear from? Is there someone else in your niche who can add value for your followers? Would it be fun to hear from some of your company’s employees?
You’ll want to keep in mind that you and the person you interview will need to be physically together, or you can use Skype while you point your camera at the computer screen. With a little planning, this can be very effective.
7. Show off your latest product or service.
Build some buzz when you showcase your brand new product or service. Depending on your product or service, you can demonstrate how it works or by sharing how it solves a pain problem they have. When you solve your customer’s pain points by providing them exactly what they are looking for, guess what happens? They buy :-)!
8. Broadcast a live event you’re attending.
Do you have plans to attend a conference in your field or visit a place your audience might enjoy? Let each of your followers be a fly on the wall, and use Facebook Live to broadcast everything you’re seeing so they get a sense of what it’s like to be there.
Make sure you still engage with your audience while you’re doing your walkthrough of your surroundings. Don’t forget—you can always answer the questions your followers are sending your way!
9. Share a Story From A Client or Customer.
Sharing a story or a testimonial that a client or customer has given is extremely powerful! There is an old saying that facts tell but stories SELL. This is sooo true. Additionally, in today’s marketplace, did you know that 92% of consumers listen and TRUST reviews from other consumers?
10. Repurpose Your Video.
Facebook Live automatically saves your video to your page for anyone who misses the live broadcast. But don’t forget to make the most out of your Facebook Live content! Could your video be turned into a powerful blog post, newsletter, or social media post? Don’t forget to upload it to YouTube!
Particularly if your broadcast really resonated with your audience, this is just the beginning!
Start Planning Now!
Well there ya go…10 Ways To Use Facebook Live For Your Small Business. If you begin planning now, you’ll be ahead of the competition when Facebook Live is available to you. It’s not too often you get your very own video channel that appears right in the newsfeed of your followers’ most-visited social media platform. I would love to hear from you…how do you plan to use Facebook Live for your small buiness?
