If you caught last week's post about why you should be using Instagram Stories for your product based business today’s post probably won’t come as much of a surprise. Love it or hate it, Facebook live has become an integral part of connecting with your audience and building your business which means you probably want to jump on this bandwagon.
How are you feeling about that?
When it comes to being “live” there are so many of us hesitant to put ourselves out there. If you’re an introvert (like me) you may prefer to passively watch instead of being the center of attention. Maybe the thought of adding yet another social media tool to your arsenal makes you want to wave the white flag in surrender (because do we really need ANOTHER video tool?!)
One of the biggest challenges when it comes to doing a Facebook Live is deciding on what to talk about. Should it all be product related? Can I film at my messy desk? WTF am I supposed to be saying?! Will it even make sense?! Today, I’m sharing seven reasons why you should be using Facebook Live for your product based business AND giving you a list of 30 different topic ideas you can talk about for your next Facebook Live!
1. It helps people get to know you on a personal level
Facebook Live, much like Instagram Stories, are meant to be raw and real. A lot of us get hung up on the fact that we need to be perfectly primped before turning on the camera (myself included!) If you think to some of the best FB lives you've watched recently, how much emphasis were you placing on what the person was wearing/looked like? Nobody looks perfect all the time and letting people see you at both your best and worst shows your clients and customers that you're just a normal gal who happens to be making this kick ass thing. People want to know what you're all about, even if it has been a few days since you've washed your hair.
2. It’s awesome for boosting engagement
One of The most daunting parts of doing a Facebook live? The fear of talking to yourself. Don’t be dismayed if your audience is virtually non-existent and you hear crickets at first. Consider it part of the learning curve. Once your audience knows that you do Facebook lives and you start doing them consistently they will show up and start participating. Once these conversations start happening you’ll start to see some familiar faces around your page + in your shop!
Pro tip: announce in advance that you’re going live in X minutes. People need a heads up and give them a chance to carve out a few minutes to hang out with you!.
3. FB live is equally as awesome for getting customer feedback
When it comes to knowing which products will be home runs or duds, the reality is that despite all our efforts and educated guessing nobody has a crystal ball. Why not ask for feedback from your customers! If there is an item that is doing great, find out what they love about it. (is it the print? The style?) If something isn't selling to expectations try to get to the root of the why. People are happy to share their opinions and you’ll gain some valuable insights in the process. Getting feedback in real time will allow you to make changes or adjustments quickly.
4. Video’s rank higher in FB feeds which = more attention
We’re all too familiar with social media and its ever changing algorithms. Lately, Facebook has been all about the live video and because of this, their platform tends bump posts with video to the head of the (time)line.
5. You can sell without feeling salesy
If you’re talking about something you are truly passionate about, chances are others are going to want to check it out. Whether it’s behind the scenes of your latest creation, showing items that are almost sold out or sharing some top sellers when you simply have a conversation that engages your followers' chances are some sales will organically be generated by that conversation.
6. It can help you with product development
There’s no better resource to learn what customers want than being able to ask them directly! Not only will they feel like a part of the process but you’ll hear directly from your followers + people who are currently purchasing or thinking of purchasing.
7. Not everybody is doing it yet---which is why you should be
It may feel like you’re the last one to the FB live party but in reality, there are still a ton of people who either don’t have the time or want to be on camera. You’re still going to set yourself apart from the rest
