If you haven’t started using Facebook Live as a part of your blogging strategy, you’re missing out on a potential goldmine.
Facebook publicly released its live video streaming feature early last year. Since then, it has taken the content marketing and blogging word by storm.
Recent studies suggest that video content gets more than 8 billion daily views on Facebook, while people around the world are watching more than 100 million hours of video content on Facebook every day. Even more staggering is the fact that Facebook Live videos get 300% more engagement and viewership than recorded videos.
Source: Facebook Video Stats 2016
With such massive viewership, which is still growing rapidly, can you afford to sit on the sidelines and miss out on all the riches?
Of course not!
Here’s how you can make Facebook Live a part of your blogging strategy and turn it into your biggest traffic and lead generation source.
#1. Turn Your Most Popular Posts into Facebook Live Videos
Will they listen to me?
Will they find it interesting?
Will it strengthen my brand image or weaken it?
Those are the common fears that hold people back from going live on Facebook. In general, most bloggers are just not sure what to talk about in a live video.
I’ve got an easy answer for you.
Turn your most popular blog post into a video script for your Facebook Live session.
Seriously!
You already have a post that’s done well on your blog, people loved the content, shared it with their friends, and commented on it.
Why not use the same content in a live video and expand the discussion.
It’s a proven topic, and it’ll surely work.
Several well-known marketers and bloggers like Michael Hyatt and Neil Patel are already doing it.
There are two ways of doing it.
You can either choose the posts with the most number of comments and social shares. Or you could head over to your Google Analytics account, and choose the posts with the most pageviews.
Either way, pick the top post, jot down the main discussion points from it, and just deliver it in a Facebook Live session.
#2. Embed Relevant Live Videos In Your Blog Content
If you think the first tip was a great idea, you’ll love this one.
Video has the highest engagement rate among all content types. You can use it to improve the engagement of your blog readers and keep them much longer on your site.
This has two benefits.
- It increases the average “time on site “of your blog, which is good for your site’s on-page SEO
- The longer a reader stays on your site, the likelier he is to take action (opt-in to your list or buy from you)
So how do you do that?
Simple!
Make use of your previous Facebook Live sessions.
For instance, if you’re an
You can easily find the “embed” option on every Facebook video.
Simply copy the embed code and paste it in your WordPress post.
This would not only make your content richer but also keep the readers engaged longer.
#3. Turn Viewers into Email Subscribers With Content Upgrades
Building an email list is one of the top priorities for any online marketer or blogger.
Over the past 2 years, the use of content upgrades for email list building has become widespread. It’s an extremely efficient and easy way to build an engaged email audience.
Just in case you didn’t know, content upgrades are additional resources (eBooks, checklists, tools, worksheets) that bloggers offer in the middle of a blog post and can be downloaded by the readers by opting-in.
You can apply the same strategy to Facebook Live as well.
Just create a simple landing page on your blog, using any free or paid WordPress landing page plugin and make sure your email marketing tool is integrated with it. Once you’re live, share the link to your landing page with your audience and ask them to download the content upgrade.
For example, if you’re doing a live video about “11
You’ll be surprised how quickly this builds your subscriber base.
#4. Create Anticipation for Your Upcoming Content
A few years ago, driving traffic from Facebook to your blog was easy.
You just had to share the link to your blog post on your Facebook Page, and the traffic floodgates would open.
Sadly, it’s not the case anymore.
Facebook has significantly reduced the organic reach of Facebook Pages. So hardly any of your Page followers see your posts unless you spend money on Facebook ads.
But here’s the good news.
With Facebook Live, you can still drive hordes of traffic to your blog for free.
Studies show that the organic reach of live videos is much higher than other types of posts. This is probably because Facebook wants to encourage users to use live streaming more frequently.
Whatever the reason, though, it has opened up the gate for bloggers looking to generate free traffic from Facebook.
How?
By promoting your blog content during live videos and by creating anticipation for your upcoming posts.
For example, if you have a blog post on “7 Content Marketing Tips for 2017”, you could discuss 1-2 of the tips in your live video. When you see that your audience is engaged and hungry for more, share the link to your blog post in the comments of your live video and ask the viewers to visit your blog to learn the remaining tips.
Sounds simple, right?
Amy Porterfield uses this exact strategy to drive thousands of visitors to her blog. Many other influencers, bloggers, and marketers are doing the same.
It works because you’re promoting your content to an already engaged audience that works to learn more.
#5. Crowdsource Content Ideas for Your Blog With Live Videos
If you’re like most bloggers, you’re always looking for new blog post topics that would interest your readers.
If that’s the case, Facebook Live should be your new best friend from now.
It gives you direct access to your audience, allows you to interact with them live, listen to their problems and offer solutions.
It is also a great way to understand the topics that your audience is most concerned about. You could even ask them directly about their top 5 concerns related to your niche and create blog posts around those topics.
I personally know a few bloggers who simply convert their Facebook Live sessions into blog posts because there’s so much value in their live video discussions.
In short, with Facebook Live, you can stop guessing and generate tons of new content ideas in no time.
Wrapping Up
Is Facebook Live a game changer for bloggers and online marketers?
I certainly think so.
You might feel a bit nervous in your first few live sessions, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll just love the heightened audience engagement and the reach it offers.
Have you tried Facebook Live to increase your blog audience?
If yes, how did it go? If no, tell me what’s holding you back.
Either way, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
Images: Author’s Own
