So you want to use Facebook Live for your next influencer marketing campaign. Excellent! You’re in the right place. We’ve compiled all the Facebook Live strategies you need to know to make the most of your Live streaming marketing.
It can be daunting to embrace a new tool in your influencer marketing arsenal. Especially one like Facebook Live, which is, well, streamed live. There are plenty of variables to consider when it comes to integrating live streaming into your marketing. We’re here to shepherd you through all the dos and don’ts.
For example, you may be asking yourself:
- How do I use Facebook Live for marketing?
- What are the benefits of using Facebook Live for influencer marketing?
- How can I increase engagement during a Facebook Live session?
We answer all those questions and more in this very article. Whether you’re running a Facebook campaign straight from your brand account or hiring influencers to market your products, Facebook Live can be a powerful strategy for creating impactful connections with your audience.
Let’s dive in!
Why Use Facebook Live for Influencer Marketing?
First things first, Facebook is still relevant for influencer marketing. It may be an old-timer in the world of social media, but the platform is still kicking and bringing in the big bucks for brands. In fact, 89 percent of marketers use Facebook influencer marketing in their campaigns.
And it makes sense why. Facebook is the third most popular website in the world and over 3 billion people are monthly active users. Chances are, your audience is on Facebook, whoever they are. But we’re here to talk specifically about the benefit of Facebook Live influencer marketing. So if you want to dig into more of the data, check out our latest Facebook stats post and then meet us back here.
Since Facebook introduced the Live feature in 2016, streaming has grown exponentially in popularity. As of 2024, live streams are the third most popular video content type worldwide. More than a quarter of worldwide users watch Live streams weekly.
Most popular video content type worldwide in 1st quarter 2024, by weekly usage reach
And Facebook Live consistently ranks in the top three live streaming platforms, along with YouTube Live and Twitch. But Facebook Live engagement is about 26 percent higher than those competitor platforms, making it a favorite among many brands using live stream marketing.
Plus, Facebook users are four times more likely to watch Live streams than recorded videos. More than 2 billion users are active on the platform daily. And they spend half their time watching video content. That’s a lot of potential eyeballs on your Facebook influencer campaign if you’re leveraging Live!
Facebook Live is a great strategy for engaging with your target audience in real-time. Live streaming allows you to interact with consumers in an authentic way, without all the time-consuming elements that go with producing pre-recorded video assets. It gives followers a peek behind the curtain and builds trust, which we all know is a staple in influencer marketing.
Best Practices for a Successful Facebook Live Campaign
Of course, when Facebook Live streaming, you can have all the best strategies in the world, but without these basic essentials, it could all be for naught.
- Make sure you have a strong, stable internet connection.
- Ensure you have reliable streaming equipment. This can be as simple as a smartphone camera or a more sophisticated setup. Just make sure you have a good webcam, microphone, and decent lighting for your stream.
- Run a test before you go Live. Just like any big performance, you’ll want to run a dress rehearsal to ensure everything runs smoothly for the big event.
- Ensure your influencer partners know the drill for the Live stream. It’s important to pair up with creators you trust who understand the brief and your brand vision and values when doing Facebook Live influencer marketing. It’s a lot harder to veto content in real-time on a Live stream. So make sure everyone on the Live is on the same page with the goals and content of the stream.
- Get a moderator to help with engagement, especially if you’re expecting high viewership.
And remember to have fun! Facebook Live streams offer an opportunity to connect with your audience in a real way. Enjoy it!
How to Promote Your Facebook Live Session
It’s also important to promote your Facebook Live session so that people watch and engage once you’ve logged on. We recommend planning your Facebook Live streams for the middle or second half of your influencer marketing campaigns. That way, you’ll have time to promote your event and get viewers excited to watch. And when the Live ends, you can continue driving viewers from the Live event to your desired CTA.
A great way to promote your Facebook Live is to create an Event for the stream. That way, viewers can save the Event to their calendar and be sure to log on while you’re streaming. Facebook Events can be shared in Groups, on your Feed, via Messenger, and across platforms for maximum reach. Plus, they get looped into the recommendation algorithm and show up in-feed as an event a user may be interested in attending.
Maximizing Engagement During the Live Session
When it comes to Facebook Live strategies, engagement is truly the name of the game. Facebook recommends going Live for an extended period — think 30 minutes to an hour — to maximize engagement. While you’re streaming, consider doing the following to really connect with your audience:
- Use the Front Row feature to highlight your most loyal fans
- Ask questions and prompt responses
- Encourage viewers to ask questions in the chat
- Greet viewers by name as they enter the chat
- Refer to viewers by name when answering their questions
- Run Live polls
- Pin comments to the top of the Live chat
- Give shoutouts
- Share featured links
- Encourage viewers to use Facebook Live Reactions
- Prompt viewers to invite their friends to the Live stream
Facebook Live has so many features to aid in real-time connection and engagement. Plus, the nature of live streaming is such that you can interact with your audience on a human level, unlike any other form of social media marketing. Make the most of that opportunity and foster real, human connections!
USING MODERATORS
It can also be helpful to get a moderator for your Facebook Live sessions, especially if you’re expecting a lot of viewers. Moderators can help field questions in the chat so no one feels left out or unheard when you’re busy answering other questions. And they can flag and handle any inappropriate comments and deal with removing any troublesome users from the Live if necessary. That way you and your influencer partner don’t have to take time away from the content of the Live stream to deal with trolls.
DON’T FORGET YOUR CTA
Remember to keep engagement up to the very last moments of the Live. Don’t forget to leave viewers with next steps before you log off. It’s important to have an established call to action. What are hoping your Facebook Live influencer marketing will achieve?
Are you looking for more brand awareness? Maybe that means asking for a follow or shares. Want sales? Perhaps you’ll want to reveal a special coupon code to encourage viewers to shop the products featured in the Live. The possibilities are endless. But in order to capitalize on them, your CTA has to be clear.
High-Impact Ideas for Working with Creators and Influencers Via Facebook Live
There are plenty of creative ways to use Facebook Lives. That’s why they work for so many different types of influencer marketing campaigns. For example, you could use Facebook Live strategies for:
- Q&As
- Interviews
- Product launches
- Shoppable events
- Community-building
- Behind-the-scenes tours
- Product or service tutorials
- Multi-day challenges
- Making an in-person event accessible to remote attendees
Check out these examples of successful Facebook Live campaigns.
IPSY’S PRODUCT TUTORIAL
In this Facebook Live video replay, IPSY’s Brand Partnership Strategist Steph shows viewers products available in upcoming IPSY boxes. Because the beauty brand is a subscription box that allows customers to choose which products they receive, these Facebook Live product tutorials are a great way to consistently inform and engage with audiences on the products they have available.
These tutorial-style live streams also allow strategists like Steph to engage with IPSY’s audience and see in real time which products they’re excited about and which perhaps draw less enthusiasm. This can help drive decision-making for future brand partnerships. Win-win!
Source: Ipsy on Facebook
MENTAL HEALTH MONDAYS WITH ARTIA LEWIS
Artia Lewis, a passionate mental health advocate based in Metro Detroit, hosts a weekly, hour-long Facebook Live series called Mental Health Mondays. Through this platform, she shares her personal experiences and offers valuable tips and strategies specifically aimed at helping women navigate the challenges of postpartum depression. As her audience continues to grow, Artia has also expanded her mission to create a supportive mental health community for women, fostering connections and open discussions about their experiences. Additionally, she organizes local community events centered around mental health awareness, providing a safe space for sharing and support.
Artia’s Mental Health Mondays serves as a prime example of the powerful impact that Facebook Live can have for individual creators, without relying on Facebook ads or even the backing of a brand deal. Over the past year, Artia’s weekly viewership has more than doubled, showcasing how authentic, engaging content can resonate with audiences and make a difference in people’s lives.
RENEE RAPP’S SHOPPABLE PRODUCT LAUNCH
Singer-songwriter Renee Rapp hosted a shoppable Facebook Live for fans while she signed the very CDs and vinyls they could purchase. This promoted her new album and allowed fans to connect with their favorite artist.
How cool is it to be on Live with your favorite artist as they sign one of the CDs you’re going to purchase? It’s not the same as an in-person meet-and-greet, but it’s a lot cheaper (read: free) and can have a similar effect. These sorts of Facebook Live events allow fans to connect with their favorite artists, influencers, and brands with a lower barrier to entry while still feeling intimate and authentic.
Source: Renee Rapp on Facebook
Post-Live: Leveraging the Replay
Just because Facebook Live happens, well, live, doesn’t mean it’s fleeting. The impact of a successful Facebook Live stream will reverberate through your campaign. And the content isn’t gone with the wind. Once your stream is completed, Facebook will automatically upload the stream as a video on your Feed. The recording will also be saved to your Facebook video library.
This is great news for those who may have missed the Live event, but still want to consume the content. And it allows users to continue to engage with another form of post. As you probably know, here at The Shelf, we’re big proponents of a cross-functional approach to influencer marketing campaigns.
Get the most mileage out of your Facebook Live stream by downloading the video after the stream. Edit it down either into short Reel-length snippets or longer-form video. Then repost them across other platforms like YouTube and Instagram. They can also be used to advertise future Lives on Facebook.
How Will You Leverage Facebook Live in Your Next Influencer Marketing Campaign?
We hope these Facebook live tips and tricks help you plan some killer influencer marketing for 2024. Social media live streaming is a great way to connect with your audience and keep them engaged. It’s no wonder this strategy builds trust and authenticity in the relationships between influencers, brands, and their audiences. They’re a great way to have some fun, answer audience questions, and get to know your customers on a deeper level.
If you have more questions on how to use Facebook Live, we’re happy to help. In fact, our team can guide you to goal-crushing live stream marketing across platforms. If you’d like to learn even more about Facebook Live influencer marketing or you’re looking for a team to back you up on your next campaign, we’ve got you covered. Book a strategy call with one of our experts today. We’ll make these Facebook Live strategies and more work for you and your goals.
About This Author
Ariana Newhouse | B2B Writer
I am a freelance writer and comedian based in Los Angeles, and while making people laugh is my jam, it’s not always the company brand. So, I strive to make people feel something. My writing philosophy is collaborative, empathetic, and humanistic. At the end of the day, no matter the message, there are real people on both ends of the process.
