Why Business Owners Should Embrace Facebook Live

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Facebook has a reputation for highlighting everything good in a person’s life and we are often reminded to not compare ourselves to someone based on that highlight reel.

This is why I love Facebook Live. Live streaming is in real time and whatever happens – it’s real life. I have seen long time entrepreneurs struggle with keeping it together during technical difficulties, and professionals telling their dogs to stop barking while they try to give their spiel to hundreds of eager fans.

There is no better tool than live streaming for connecting with your audience on an authentic level. Sure some people will still have the best technical equipment money can buy and may even have a designated quiet spot to broadcast from, but chances are at some point something will go wrong and it’s how the person deals with that situation that makes the live broadcast authentic. If anything, let your dogs bark! Your audience will want to see your dogs or hear your children’s voices because showing them your human side will only make them relate to you more.

Three additional reasons entrepreneurs and business owners should embrace Facebook Live include:

Enriching experiences

Are you launching a new product or website? Why not open the box of product or reveal your new website to a live audience via Facebook Live? It’s a great way to make your audience feel special, privileged and to answer any questions either immediately or as a follow-up blog post or newsletter. Facebook Live is another way to connect with your audience, and that connection can transcend to your other communication channels. Facebook Live lets you know, in real time, what questions your audience has about what it is you’re talking about, taking the guesswork away from you.

Accessibility

Although you need a mobile device (I believe Apple products in particular, right now) to broadcast Facebook Live, you can view Facebook Live from any device: computer, laptop, tablet or phone. I love it because unlike Periscope, I don’t have to have my iPhone nearby, hear the notification and then log in to my phone to access the broadcast. Instead, I get notifications right on my computer desktop so as long as I am logged in to Facebook.

Be where everyone is

Whether you are a business, blogger or brand it seems like almost everyone is on Facebook, so it makes sense to use their broadcasting tool. It’s built within the world’s most popular social network and you know they are already working to improve it and its capabilities.

I look forward to seeing Facebook Live grow and develop. I can see video becoming an integral part of Facebook marketing (don’t be surprised if you start seeing auto-playing video commercials in your newsfeed someday), and good or bad video is where social media is at – so why not embrace it and show your audience yourself and your business live!