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Maximize customer engagement with a Facebook Live session.
If you’re looking for a free way to increase engagement with your target audience, consider hosting a Facebook Live Q&A session. Facebook Live is a live video streaming platform within the Facebook interface. When you use it to broadcast an interactive question-and-answer (Q&A) session, you’ll engage customers, prospects, industry insiders and others in a fun, casual environment.
We’ll explore some strategies for running an effective, impactful Facebook Live Q&A and touch on additional ways to make Facebook Live videos more engaging.
Cheryl Overton, chief experience officer at Cheryl Overton Communications, says Facebook Live is an impactful channel for “visible thought leadership” because it offers content flexibility. “Facebook Live is a personality-driven venue and it has significant reach potential,” Overton noted.
During a live Q&A, your audience asks questions that you answer in real time. A Q&A differs from other video marketing practices and digital marketing strategies because interactions are immediate. Your audience receives instant answers to their questions and you gain valuable real-time market research insights.
Consider these six strategies to maximize your Facebook Live Q&A’s impact.
Your audience must know about your livestream well in advance so they can plan accordingly. You won’t generate interest or excitement without providing advance notice to your target market. An effective promotional strategy for your livestream will garner more views and engagement.
Here are some tips for promoting your Q&A:
Q&As are tricky because you don’t want to seem overly rehearsed, but you must have some idea of what you’ll be discussing. It’s essential to find the sweet spot between preparing and letting the livestream run organically.
Here are some Facebook Live Q&A preparation tips:
Every technical element of your broadcast must go smoothly. To ensure this, consider going live before your official broadcast. You can change the privacy settings so only you can see and hear what you’re doing. This preparation can ensure everything runs smoothly when you go live in front of your audience.
When you go live early, do the following:
Part of what makes livestreams successful is the amount of user engagement they garner. An excellent way to boost user engagement is by interacting with viewers as they join and comment on your livestream Q&A session. Don’t hesitate to start a conversation or encourage more questions from users. If they’re already watching you, you know they’re interested.
Personalize your live Q&A by addressing users by their names when answering their questions. This will show them you’re paying attention to what they’re saying and will encourage them to stay on your stream longer. Facebook suggests planning to stay live for at least 30 to 60 minutes to give participants a chance to engage, but you can broadcast for as long as eight hours.
Having more than one presenter can help you answer more challenging questions and make the livestream more interesting. Invite an inside or external expert or let some audience members share their experiences.
While treating each live Q&A as its own event is essential, Q&A sessions should be part of your overall marketing strategy to increase user engagement. If you’ve hosted live events but haven’t gotten the numbers or traction you expected, consider making them a consistent part of your marketing plan.
When you arrive promptly and do what you promised, you demonstrate that your brand is reliable. You also increase engagement because your audience knows what to expect and when to tune in to your content. If you’re consistent with your schedule, future livestreams will yield increased interactions, views and shares.
Although Facebook Live Q&As are casual, planning will maximize your results. Use these tips to optimize Q&As or any Facebook livestream you host:
Facebook Live has a plethora of interactive tools to help you boost engagement. Take advantage of the following to improve your Q&A:
In addition to these tools related to your Facebook Q&A session, Facebook offers monetization tools for creators, including the following:
Hosting a live Q&A doesn’t have to be stressful. When you’re prepared and passionate about your subject, it’s easy to engage your audience and deliver value.
Remember to promote your Facebook Live Q&A and prepare your main points. Interact with viewers to show them you value their presence and input and go live regularly to build a loyal audience.