Growing Brands are Connecting with Video

By now I am sure you have heard of or seen, the rising use of video on your social media channels. These days it seems to be the best performing way to reach your audience, especially on Facebook. Facebook’s autoplay function allows more people to see your message and is more eye catching to your followers. Videos are also getting more organic reach than regular posts. According to www.socialbakers.com, brands are using Facebook to upload their videos more often then they are using YouTube.

What does this mean for you?

Well, for starters, it means you should be taking advantage of video on your social media channels, most importantly on Facebook. Facebook Live is very simple to use, and unlike Periscope, it remains in your news feed and can repeatedly be watched. It also comes chock full of engagement statistics so you can keep track of which types of videos work best for you and your brand. You can even edit the video after the live broadcast is over, then re-use it by embedding it in a blog or creating a video ad from it.

How can you make video work for you and your business?

What I personally love about doing live video for marketing purposes on your social media channels is that it is the definition of how you can speak to your followers. They can see you, hear you, feel connected to you. You can communicate with your followers on a more personal level than ever before. It gives you the ability to get creative in your marketing strategy. Here are three ways in which you can use Facebook Live to promote your brand. I tend to work in the floral industry, so my examples will be floral related, but the three main topics can work for any businesses marketing strategy.

Inspire

One thing I have learned from working in the floral world on social media is that people love all things flowers. Now we have a platform to show them on a whole new level. This creates an incredible opportunity for you to connect with your customer and engage them with your business.

• Inspire your followers with the beauty of your product.
• Show behind-the-scenes videos of weddings by displaying the gorgeous bouquets, centerpieces, archways, and ceremony arrangements.
• Showcase all of the vibrant flowers that are currently in season and available. For instance peonies in the Spring or sunflowers in the Summer and Fall.

Educate

This is the perfect platform to educate your audience on tips and tricks of the trade.

• Show short how to videos such as the correct way to trim the stems off of freshly cut flowers or how to put on a boutonnière for prom or a wedding.
• Plan a Q & A session where followers could send in questions that you could answer live.
• Show DIY videos demonstrating how to make floral food or re-grow succulents.

Entertain

This is where you get to have fun with it. Your followers want to see you be you on social media.

• Give them a tour of your shop and show what work is like behind-the-scenes.
• Show them what you are growing in your greenhouse.
• Film one of your designers creating a special arrangement or setting up for an event.
• If you have had a contest recently you could show a video of the winner receiving their prize.

Facebook live is making it easy for your business to engage with your following. It has incredible potential to organically increase your engagement, reach, and followers. You can use it to interact with your customers and gain important content that you can use for future social campaigns. Facebook has a huge focus on this currently and are constantly announcing new features such as Facebook live for events, live reactions, and even live filters so you can personalize your videos even more.

If you have not started using Facebook live yet, what are you waiting for? It’s easy to use, and we are always available to help in any way, shape, or form. Now go get filming!