As I've said time and time again - social media is about finding more ways to make stronger connections with your clients. Facebook Live is another incredibly powerful tool to communicate stories and build real, intimate relationships with your followers.
What is Facebook Live?
Facebook Live is a live video streaming service that lets anyone broadcast from their mobile devices straight to their Facebook News Feed.
Not only do video posts have a 135% greater reach than photos, followers comment on Facebook Live videos at a rate 10x that of regular video posts. Your followers often get a notification when you go live, and so they are more likely to go straight to your video and feel more connected with you as a healer.
Connect with clients in a genuine, human way
I know that posting to promote yourself on social media can feel like you're compromising your values at times, but it doesn't need to be that way. Through Facebook live, you can really show your personality. This is a way for clients to feel like they are face to face with you, and potential clients can learn more about you as a person before enquiring. Building trust is vital in the natural health industry - Facebook Live is a powerful tool to do this.
Answer questions from current or potential clients
This is an opportunity to answer questions about you, your practice and your modality. Here, you can showcase your expertise and genuine care for people - further building credibility with viewers.
How to go Live on Facebook
Firstly, let's familiarise ourselves with the basics. If you're using a computer, head to your business page profile.
If you're using your phone, tap on your profile and find the same "create a post" area.
But, let's backtrack for a second. Before you hit live, make sure you follow our steps below to optimise the Facebook live experience for you and your audience! Since you're live, there's no do-overs, so it's important to get it right.
The Plan
Before you go live
- Determine the purpose of your video. Don't go into a live broadcast without purpose, otherwise you may find yourself lost while people are watching. Have a clear plan and an idea of time. For quick tips, insights or updates, aim for a 3-5 minute video. For Q&A, aim for 5-10 minutes. For training, announcements, interviews and events, aim for 15-30+ minutes.
- Think of a caption. Just like any other post, make sure you write a clear, concise and engaging caption to let viewers know what it's about. Many viewers may jump in halfway through, so it's important that they know what they're watching.
- Promote your video. Let your followers know that you'll be going live at a scheduled time, including what the purpose will be.
The live video structure for a successful broadcast
- Welcome (1 minute) - introduce yourself, a little bit about what your modality is about, and what you're going to talk about. This should include your Unique Value Proposition to show people how you can help them and why you care.
- Encouraging participants to engage (30 seconds) - give them an opportunity to ask any initial questions, or encourage them to share where they're viewing from.
- Welcome again (30 seconds) - remember that it will take a while for people to see your live video notification and join in. Keep an eye on numbers and welcome new viewers.
- The main event - based on the purpose of your video that we outlined in step one of before you go live. Continue to encourage questions or comments, and keep track of these as you speak. You can either address these while you're speaking, or let them know you'll answer these in the Q&A section next.
- Q&A - this gives you an opportunity to really connect with viewers and build credibility by showing your expertise. I like to think of it as an initial telehealth consultation with a client. You're introducing yourself, showing them how you can help, and making a meaningful connection. Don't be afraid to show your personality!
- The call to action - tell viewers how they can learn more about your practice, enquire and book. This may be directing them to your website, providing an email, phone number, or encouraging them to contact you over Facebook.
Other tips for Facebook Live success
- Ensure you have a good connection and good video/audio quality
- Make sure the lighting is good - light should be coming from behind the camera. Don't have a window or light behind you!
- Create a quiet and comfortable space that isn't distracting for you or viewers.
- Get creative - try different types of videos (e.g. interviews, demonstrations, Q&A, informational videos)
- Go live often - test out those different types of video with a number of broadcasts
Content ideas for live videos
- Quick health tips/insights into the modalities you specialise in
- Special offers that you might have going
- Q&A session
- Interview with another expert
- News regarding your business or the industry
- Demonstrations - show your workspace and, if possible, give a taste of what you do
The key takeaway
I want to reiterate that you don't need to compromise your values in your social media promotion. I know that social media can seem like that sometimes, but It is possible to be genuine and really connect with your clients online. Our past emails have talked about this a lot, and Facebook Live is another way to showcase your personality and expertise to your health-conscious followers.
Ultimately - Facebook Live is a fun and fairly simple way for you to use the power of video to communicate their brand stories, and build authentic relationships with fans and followers -- in real time.
Originally published on Mar 02, 2021
