7 Tips & Tricks for Facebook Live Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is a powerful tactic for customer engagement, in which brands rely on the endorsements of a well-known authority or personality to do their marketing for them. Influencers can be anyone from A-list celebrities to subject-matter experts to average Joes with popular online followings—as long as they have access to a large and loyal audience in their area of expertise.

Social networks are ideal hubs for influencer marketing efforts, thanks to the high degree of personalization and low cost of entry for these platforms. While influencers have traditionally flocked to platforms that offer built-in monetization through ad placement and e-commerce integrations, such as Instagram, Twitch and YouTube, Facebook Live is quickly becoming a top destination. In fact, Facebook signed contracts valued at $50 million in 2016 to encourage influencers to create original content and fan experiences on the platform.

Organizations across industries can benefit from Facebook influencer marketing programs. From product endorsements to lifestyle brand placements, influencers give brands using live streaming the ability to provide a relatable interaction with a desired audience. While many marketers have embraced Facebook Live influencers, others have yet to engage.

We recently spoke with social media marketing experts and Facebook Live influencers to create The Wowza Ultimate Guide to Facebook Live Streaming: a comprehensive resource that helps you boost engagement and reach on Facebook Live. In this post, we’ll cover some of the top tips and tricks for using Facebook as an influencer marketing platform.

For both Facebook Live influencers and organizations looking to leverage them, follow these guidelines to make the most of your influencer marketing campaigns:

 

#1: Establish Clear Goals for Your Facebook Influencer Program

Before you start streaming, define the goals you want to achieve through your influencer marketing campaigns: For example, do you want to drive traffic to your website? Are you looking to increase click-throughs, opt-ins, sign-ups or conversions? Or do you simply want to get more views and increase brand exposure?

Owen Video, a longstanding social influencer and video consultant, explains that while there is value in any of these goals, the purpose and approach for achieving them may be quite different. You may create a very different broadcast when using Facebook business influencers to drive sales, versus simply to build your online reputation. Brands and sponsors must determine their priorities, have clear expectations and communicate clearly about them.

 

#2: Be Consistent

We’ve talked before about the value of scheduling Facebook Live broadcasts at a consistent date and time. Creating a schedule for live broadcasts is especially important for influencer marketing programs, as it helps establish regularity and build a following.

For example, Video hosts a weekly podcast and Facebook Live show called “The Business of Video,” which also features co-host Nick Nimmin and a rotating guest. This highly interactive program covers internet and video marketing tips and tricks, and goes live every Wednesday at 9 a.m.

“Consistency is the number-one factor in gaining an audience with Facebook Live,” Video says. “You’ve got to build trust with your audience by showing up every week or day at the same time.”

Jeff Adams is an online broadcaster and the host of several Facebook Live shows, including “The Jeff Adams Show,” “Live Positive With Jeff Adams” and “Live Streaming From A to Z.” He also emphasizes that consistency in your message and between shows is key for building a loyal following, and for integrating relevant sponsorship that doesn’t feel forced.

For influencers marketing on behalf of brands using live streaming, Facebook Page administrators can designate certain users as Live Contributors: this grants them permissions to stream live broadcasts on behalf of that Page, without requiring admin access. This allows influencers to host a regular Facebook Live show targeted at the brand’s audience, or to go live at a moment’s notice to capture emerging trends, breaking news or cool stories right from the scene.

 

#3: Involve Your Audience

Audience engagement is key for any Facebook Live broadcast—but especially for Facebook business influencers, where the goal is often to drive sales, clicks and conversions in addition to providing quality content. As Video describes, his show makes a point to involve viewers and let them drive the content.

“Without the audience, the show wouldn’t be what it is,” Video says. “For example, we spend time each week welcoming specific audience members to the show based on who is commenting. We ask our audience to share our show, and each week we pick one lucky winner (what we call a ‘Sharifyer’) to come on the show live and pitch their business. Also, the end of each show is answering questions from the audience.”

However, too many of today’s influencer videos aren’t interactive; hosts talk to their fans instead of with them. According to the sources we interviewed, the entertainment industry has been particularly slow to adopt interactive influencer programming. This is surprising, since entertainment properties thrive on fan loyalty and involvement in the lives of the cast and characters.

Streaming live while directly involving viewers in Q&As, polls and activities gives cast and fans alike a deeper experience that is often valued greater than a simple autograph signing. In fact, one marketer we spoke with described the unparalleled access to fans Facebook Live provides for celebrity influencers. While accidental mobbings at Starbucks can be overwhelming, Facebook Live provides a safe platform to speak directly to huge audiences all over the world.

 

#4: Create Original Facebook Influencer Marketing Content

Driving sales is a common part of influencer marketing—but Adams emphasizes the importance of providing unique and engaging content that doesn’t sacrifice entertainment for the sake of the pitch. He recommends working sales into live streams quickly and transparently, so the audience doesn’t feel like you’re pulling a fast one on them.

Adams also recommends producing “original shows, where brands become the sponsors … and influencers do live reads about the product every week.” This approach gives influencers the freedom to create content that resonates with their audience, while still adhering to the principle of consistency.

And perhaps most importantly, original shows and off-the-cuff live reads allow influencers to naturally weave in product placement. Influencers are highly trusted on social media; in fact, 92 percent of consumers trust influencers more than ads and traditional celebrity endorsements. You don’t want to blow this trust by creating an obviously staged performance.

Video also urges Facebook Live influencers to come up with a unique angle, so their content stands out in the increasingly competitive influencer-marketing space.

“You’ve got to have a ‘thing’ you do that no one else does, or at least that you do in a new way,” he says. “On my show, we play sound effects and use video effects in a very unique way. We’re always trying to give the audience a new experience.”

Make sure the music you use in influencer marketing videos is original, too; unless the brand or influencer owns the rights, your tunes must be royalty-free. The new Facebook Creator app offers a library of free songs and sounds to choose from, along with video effects and other features for creating more engaging broadcasts.

 

 

#5: Repurpose Your Content Across Platforms

Even if Facebook Live isn’t your only destination for influencer marketing content, it’s easy to repurpose the recorded asset of your live stream and publish it across multiple social media platforms. Tease the upcoming broadcast across your networks to get maximum viewership, then amplify it even further through social sharing.

For example, both Adams and Video stream to Facebook Live as well as YouTube Live. And Video hosts a podcast that is simulcast as a Facebook Live stream, which allows followers to watch as well as listen—and maximizes the value of the audio asset.

 

#6: Boost Facebook Influencer Posts to Reach Wider Audiences

Facebook offers unique features for boosting influencer posts. In this way, brands can pay to create an ad from an influencer’s original post, without having to reshare it first. Ads can be created whether the influencer posts from the brand’s Page, or simply tags the brand in their own Facebook Live post.

Controls can be set on both sides so brands can manage who is allowed to tag them in a post, and influencers can control who is allowed to promote their posts. And Facebook’s targeting features allow brands to customize the audience they want to target with the ad.

Boosting influencer posts can really pay off, given the access Facebook offers to billions of global users. What’s more, promotions are very affordable on Facebook compared to other social media platforms.

 

#7: Network With Those in Your Niche

Networking on Facebook is key, whether you’re starting an influencer marketing program or looking to build relationships with brands. Reach out to other well-known organizations and personalities in your industry or niche, and start a discussion about current trends and topics; share content you’ve created; or just let them know you’re interested in co-marketing opportunities.

Not only can networking lead directly to influencer marketing relationships, it also gives both brands and influencers access to an even larger pool of people who may be interested in their content, products and/or services.

These are just a few tips and tactics to help you get your Facebook Live influencer marketing program off the ground. There are endless possibilities for creating live streams that build your brand, attract new followers and drive clicks, conversions and sales.

If you want to learn more about creating professional Facebook Live content that boosts engagement and reach, check out The Wowza Ultimate Guide to Facebook Live Streaming!

 

Additional Resources

The Facebook Live Streaming Benchmark Report

How to Use the Facebook Creator App (Social Media Examiner)

Facebook Live Streaming That Works for Video Production Professionals

We Are Live: How Brands Use Live Streaming With Influencer Relations (GroupHigh Influencer Marketing Blog)