Live streaming perfect for start-ups

Facebook has launched a social media tool to allow new businesses to broadcast their message to the “largest audience in the world” by allowing them to live stream from the phone straight to their Facebook audience.

Facebook Live, which was introduced in February is an in-built live-streaming app, which allows users to broadcast live videos, lasting up to 90 minutes, to their followers at the touch of a button from their smartphone. After the broadcast is finished, the video is published on the user’s profile and can be watched by followers at any later time.

After the launch of Live, Facebook altered its algorithm so as to consider Live videos as distinct from regular videos and ensure they appear higher up in people’s News Feeds when the broadcast is live.

Facebook Live works well in a business context, as live-streamed videos often do not have the polished edge of a produced and formatted recording, giving viewers a more intimate, behind-the-scenes look at what is being filmed. This ensures a company is seen as relatable and more human, and therefore more appealing to current and potential customers and clients.

Also, broadcasting videos on Facebook Live inherently requires them to be longer, which, in turn, means viewers stay longer. Consequently, the longer a viewer watches a video, the more likely they are to visit the company’s website or to seek further information.

The growth potential of live-streaming through Facebook Live, Periscope or Meerkat is huge for start-ups and small businesses, as it builds a solid fan base from the start and these customers are likely to stay with the brand as it matures and develops. They in turn recommend it to their friends and colleagues and the sales process becomes effortless.