Today I want to share with you 3 quick things that are happening now with Facebook. All three of these are recent or soon-to-be happening Facebook features that I believe will have a huge impact on how we use the platform for social media marketing.
Facebook Live. Facebook Live for business pages is happening and taking the world by storm. Some people are calling it the Periscope killer, but I have a different perspective on it. I do not think it’s the Persicope killer, I think Periscope and Facebook Live are like apples and oranges. I believe they can totally co-exist and there’s nothing wrong with having multiple social media platforms. And, it is very different from Periscope.
Facebook Live is a great way to increase engagement on your business page.
On one hand, I think Facebook Live is going to get a lot of traction. Facebook is still the number one social media platform where most people are. As much as I love Periscope, there simply aren’t as many people that use the platform. However, a big distinction between the two is that Facebook is not exclusively a live streaming platform like Periscope. People use Facebook for many different reasons, so for that reason I feel that the live streaming feature is not going to see the level of engagement that apps such as Periscope provide. With that being said, I do think Facebook Live is going to be a big thing to watch in the next 6-12 months.
Right now, most people can utilize the Facebook Live functionality from their personal profile. The way to do that is to open your Facebook mobile app and go to your personal profile. There you’ll see a button that says ‘Live’ in the status bar. If you have a verified business page, you may also have the ability to go live from your business page.
Check out Robert Scoble as a great example of Facebook Live.
If you want to see how someone is utilizing this new feature and doing an amazing job with it, follow Robert Scoble.
Your Business Story. The second new feature that just rolled out with Facebook is the ability to tell your business story through video. This is a brand-new feature that just rolled out and can be accessed at yourbusinessstory.fb.com. This is a really cool opportunity for you to create video on your Facebook business page. If you’ve been following me, you know that I’m a big fan of video and think it’s one of the best tools to increase engagement on your Facebook page.
Create your business story for your Facebook business page.
What I love about this feature is that Facebook makes it super simple to create a video. Basically, you will select 8 photos or video clips from your business page and Facebook will stitch it all together into a really great video. That video then lives on your business page and serves as a fun introduction to yourself and your business.
Canvas. The third feature that I’m really excited about is Canvas.Facebook.com. I think Canvas is a ridiculously cool tool, especially for all of my real estate friends. Basically what you’re doing with Canvas is creating a piece of content for your Facebook business page that includes multiple images and multiple videos.
Check out Canvas for a really cool visual marketing tool!
So, if you have a product or a course that you’re selling – or a listing if you’re a real estate professional – Canvas is an awesome way to showcase it. In some ways, it sort of replaces a photo album but presented much more beautifully. It looks amazing on mobile and even more gorgeous on desktop. As we all know, a picture is worth a thousand words, which is why I’m so excited about Facebook rolling out this tool to help marketers get smarter about their visuals.
Check out my Periscope on this topic:
Do you have a favorite Facebook marketing tool? I’d love to hear! Leave a comment below or jump on over to our #GetSocialSmart Facebook group and join in the conversation!
