Beef up your social game: Go live

Beef up your social game: Go live

Last month, we talked a big game about influencing your audience and building traction and engagement with a targeted niche of potential followers or customers, depending on your craft. But as is the norm in the world of social media marketing, things change. Fast.

Don’t throw away what you know about social media marketing, but make sure you’re up to date with the latest algorithm updates that might be slowing your engagement. Tech bloggers and big-name publishers alike agree that video is king when it comes to marketing content on social media, but why not take it up an extra notch?

Facebook Live seems daunting, we know. But despite what you’ve heard, there’s a reason every marketing whiz should get together the courage to go live:

1-Live video ditches the algorithm – for now.

We’re not sure how long this will last, but Facebook Live videos will show up on newsfeeds almost immediately. On average, a live feed will take followers an average of about five minutes to find and join. That’s a lot better than timing linked posts or pre-produced videos and hoping the algorithm magically dumps them on your target audience’s feed, at least by our calculations.

2-Subtitles are here, and getting better.

There are still various issues to be worked out on this front regarding live video, but any Facebook video can now be uploaded with subtitles. Since audio will not automatically play on a user’s news feed, it’s important to make sure a talking head gets their point across while that user’s scrolling Facebook on mute (i.e. in class, at a meeting, or on the bus). Luckily, Facebook will load the titles in by scanning your video, and you can do the editing from there, making it an invaluable five-minute process that is bound to boost engagement.

3-Live Videos are a Two-Way Street

Any social media guru knows how to work the online community, and Facebook Live lets you do just that. As live viewers respond, like, react, and comment on a feed, the feed’s producer can immediately respond or comment in real time. This may not add any traction as far as analytics go, but there’s a priceless human element to a live feed that customers often miss out on in the online marketplace. Whether they’re researching contractors for a job or picking out a new fall outfit, shopping around online is a lonely process. Show your face, and build credibility on a new platform.