Need ideas on how to use Facebook Live for your content? We explore the innovative ways content creators for brands are taking their stories Live.
We’ve looked at how publishers, both general news and niche interest, have been using Facebook Live video to engage their audience.
Since brands are fast becoming established content creators in their own right, we decided to examine which brands are making the most viral live streams, and what wisdom we can glean from them. We identified brands’ top Facebook Live videos through our content discovery platform, NewsWhip Spike.
Find Passion Points
Some brands can hone in on their audience’s passion. There are auto enthusiasts, sports fanatics, foodies that dream of being yelled at by Gordon Ramsay, and more.
Mercedes-Benz has constantly embraced social platforms as a way to connect with their audience. We’ve shown a spotlight on them many times in our brand analyses, and their Live video deserves a mention too.
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They drive a good deal of engagement by igniting their fans’ passion, like with this video of Mercedes-Benz’s head of design introducing a much awaited new car. The video even brought in a member of the legacy family of Maybach cars.
The video was viewed over one million times, and drove over 80,000 reactions/likes, 9,200 shares, and 6,000 comments. Active community managers answered viewers’ questions as they arose on the video in comments.
By turning these announcements that could be a press release or other format into a live event that people around the world can join in on, Mercedes-Benz is bolstering their global community.
Even smaller brands can get in on the action, even by turning a real event into Facebook Live event.
ModCloth, the retro clothing website that has been going brick-and-mortar, did this for a pop-up store they created in Denver. The Live video had over 82,000 of their fashionista fans watching.
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With 2,500 likes and reactions, 102 shares, and 383 comments, the video had fans engaging in real-time for sneak peeks at the latest vintage style offerings.
While those numbers may not seem huge, they are against ModCloth’s average engagement on native content in August. Their content drove on average, 194 likes/reactions, nine shares, and 15 comments. Pretty impressive now, eh?
What to consider:
- What is your audience most excited about?
- How can you best present it to them? Are there experts or industry celebs?
Give Viewers a Glimpse Into the Future
Didn’t every kid want to be an astronaut or go to space camp? Letting your viewers dream of searching the great unknown or feeling part of emerging technologies is a winning tactic.
NASA, a favorite here on the blog, is great at this. The social media masters know just how to engineer content that takes their followers’ to the stars.
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This video about testing a rocket engine that could one day send humans to Mars, was viewed over 262,000 times. There were over 20,000 likes and reactions, 2,700 shares, and 6,000 comments from their would-be space explorers.
Since Elon Musk is somewhat a real-life version of Tony Stark, it makes sense that the innovations of SpaceX get a lot of attention too.
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This live video of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket drove 218,000 views, 14,000 reactions/likes, 2,600 shares, and 2,700 comments. Futuristic content can awe followers and keep them watching.
What to consider:
- Can you show your viewers something they haven’t seen before?
- Will your Live video have them in awe? You can look to your Wow reactions to measure this.
Go EXTREME
For those leading what they may think of as ordinary lives, they may turn to social media to see what lies beyond their own daily grind. Enter Red Bull.
Red Bull is already a social media powerhouse, and they’re continuing that with Facebook Live. This Live video of an exhilarating 400m race, drove over 542,000 views.
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There were 9,600 likes/reactions, 229 shares, and 2,700 comments. Red Bull engaged in the comments with viewers, and even had the winner, ‘Dom’, respond very genuinely:
“Hey guys this is Dom!! Thanks a lot for the support!! I made it to the finals BTW! I caught my breath now I’ll try to answer some of the comments!! Yeeeeeewww!!!”
GE too, has been an unexpected creator of compelling content. Like Red Bull, they herald their own innovative brand newsroom.
This Live video of a descent into a volcano had over 485,000 views, impressive for a brand. The video drove over 6,900 likes/reactions, and 3,500 comments, and 2,100 shares.
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GE was active in the comments, providing answers and more context about the descent, such as the temperature of the volcano’s air.
These videos don’t have to be all science and extreme sports, either.
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Sea World drove over 75,000 views for this Live video celebrating one of their whale’s 14th birthdays. The whale did a show for Facebook viewers who were tuning in, getting over 5,300 likes/reactions, 960 comments, and 422 shares.
What to know:
- Can you show your audience something they don’t see everyday?
- What’s the value of this Live video? Will this excite your viewers, entertain them, teach them something new?
Tie It Into Current Events
The Olympics are a global phenomenon. More so if your country is making history. Singapore Airlines drove engagement for talking to the country’s first Olympic gold medalist when his plane touched back down in Singapore.
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The video was viewed almost 800,000 times, with 36,000 likes/reactions and 2,100 shares. Impressive, for a country with only 5.3 million people. Their average engagement for August was 3,911 likes/reactions and 200 shares per post.
Like the Olympics, Hello Kitty has a fame all of its own. And when Hello Kitty made an appearance at a Major League Baseball game, it only fueled the fervor of Hello Kitty’s fans.
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With nearly 215,000 views, 14,000 likes/reactions, 1,000 shares, and 587 comments, it’s clear that bringing together these two fan favorites was a hit on social media.
What to Know:
- Are there any current events that are relevant to your audience?
- How does your Live stream idea tie in? What’s the story here?
Gameify It
Live videos also provide a way to create an interactive, fun experience for your viewers that they can participate with in real time. Clothing retailer ASOS did this by hosting a guessing game in their Live video. Winners received gift vouchers that they could redeem with the store.
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The video drove 64,000 views from eager participants, along with 1,400 likes/reactions, 19,000 comments, and 579 shares. ASOS community managers played along in the comments, doling out clues to viewers.
Rooster Teeth, the online video producer, also took a shot at an entertaining Live video experience.
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The video, featuring a live stream of a grape eating and catching contest, drove over 73,000 views. There were over 2,300 likes/reactions, 93 shares, and 368 comments. They allowed users to join in by posting photos of themselves for a chance to earn Rooster Teeth gear. The comments were rife with grape puns and viewers cheering on their favorite competitor.
What to Know:
- Is there a way for viewers to join in with your Live video? Can you interact with them?
- Is there anything in it for your viewer if they watch your Live video?
Take It Live
Live video is becoming more prevalent and emphasized on Facebook. There are live stream opportunities for nearly every publication or brand.
To summarize, here’s what we’ve seen from brands as the top Facebook Live tactics, that are delivering disproportionate engagement:
- Hone in on viewers’ passion points
- Show them something new
- Show them something extreme
- Tie into current events
- Make it a game
Of course, these tactics come down to quality content. Think of what your audience wants; is it information, entertainment, or inspiration? Once you know the stories you’re going to tell, it’s easy to get your camera rolling.
