According to Heather Murphy, the sensation of seeing a live video is that you’re right there, in the moment and experiencing what the video has to offer. When you think about it, the “real-time” experience is what made social platforms like Twitter so successful.
Facebook Live is definitely a tool that has rapidly started to grow among businesses, she says, showing a human lens of the business instead of constantly pumping out staged videos or images, or trying to sell or push product on the consumer. It’s another way for your shop to become a resource to your audience and build customer loyalty.
With the rising popularity of Facebook Live, the feature is best used as either a “how-to” platform or a behind-the-scenes look into your business. For example, things like how to pop out a dent or how to change a tire can be very effective, according to Murphy.
As vice president of performance content and social media for Nina Hale, a renowned digital marketing agency that works with clients such as 3M, Ecolab and Medtronic, Murphy leads a team that focuses on content, social media, user experience and SEO.
Murphy offers her insight as to how collision repair shops can utilize Facebook Live as a marketing tool that can boost business and create trust among your consumers.
1. First, make sure that you have a Facebook business page for your shop.
2. Download the free Facebook Pages Manager application from the iOS or Google Play app stores.
3. Log in with your usual Facebook credentials. Once the app has been installed, log in to view the Facebook page you manage. If you do not see your business' page, ensure you have administrative access to be able to post and edit page details. This will require you to go back to your business page and add yourself as an admin.
4. Below your page's cover photo and profile image, you will find options to post an update, add a photo, create an event, or promote your business. To start your live video, select “Post.”
5. A window will appear with the prompt, "What's on your mind?" Here you should enter a captivating caption to accompany the Live video you are about to begin. Below the text field, you will find a list of multimedia options to accompany your text caption, including: Photo/video, Go Live, Get Messages, Check In, Feeling/Activity, Tag Product, GIF, and Poll.
6. Select “Go Live” to open your phone's camera. Allow the Facebook Pages Manager application to take photos and videos and enable the microphone to ensure sound will accompany the live broadcast.
7. Start your live video by tapping the red camera button. You've now begun your live broadcast. Make sure that you have some kind of rhythm or a script. Because it’s live, you cannot stop and repeat.
8. Make sure that you’re planning. For example, if you’re planning a “how to pop out a dent,” make sure that you have a script behind it, you know who’s going to be in it and that other people aren't going to be walking into your space.
9. While sharing, you will see a count of active viewers. Engagements with the live video and comments will also appear.
One of the stats that we always refer back to is that three times the amount of people watch a video live versus after the fact. The moment of it being live is so engaging to people that they get excited. So if you’re posting at midnight because that’s what time you get home from your shop, it’s not really going to make that impact.
10. If your live broadcast is going to be short (under a few minutes), stay focused and reply to any comments or questions after the video has ended. If you are planning to stay live for a while (5 minutes or more), you may want someone to assist you in identifying and replying to comments in real time.
Start small because starting small is better than saying you’re going to do 10 different Facebook Live videos only to realize it’s overwhelming and you can’t keep up with it. If you start something and don’t consistently tend to it or give your audience what they need, it does more damage than it otherwise would. Say you’re going to do one per week, these are the topics, these are the people involved and this is how you’re going to push this out. It’s much more achievable and much more consistent for the audience.
