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The ABCs of Facebook Live Video and Why You Need to Get Started Now Want to reach your target market with a minimal budget? Learn how to leverage Facebook Live streaming to convert viewers into customers instantly.

By Kim Walsh Phillips

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Carina Knig | EyeEm | Getty Images

Would you like to find a way to reach your target market without a large advertising budget? A way that helps build trust, establishes you as the authority and leader in your niche, and (best of all) brings in leads and cash-paying customers?

No problem, I'm just going to need you to rub this magic lamp here, and make a really big wish.

Just kidding.

Related: 5 Social Media Rules Every Entrepreneur Should Know

The good news is, reaching your target market for free in a way that builds instant authority is possible. And easy. Through Facebook's "Live Video," you can reach your target market organically (meaning without paid ads). And appearing on video in real time gives an instant boost to your brand. Live is authentic and personable, and with the ability for viewers to comment, it's interactive as well.

What is Facebook Live?

Straight from Facebook, Facebook Live allows you to: "Broadcast to the largest audience in the world with the camera in your pocket." It is a way to post in real time from your phone or desktop and instantly reach your target market. Plus, the videos run continuously in replay.

How to use it for business

First, decide what you want to be known for. While I am sure you are talented in many ways, your Facebook Live platform should stick to one topic per Facebook Business Page/Fan Page. Jumping around is confusing and ineffective. It's kind of like if Entrepreneur started featuring paleo recipes this week and then next week started teaching us how to build birdhouses. Confusing, chaotic and in the end, you'll lose your audience, rather than build it up.

Related: 10 Laws of Social Media Marketing

Stick to one general topic to be effective.

As the CEO of Elite Digital Group, and founder of the 3Daysto10k.com program, I keep my Facebook Lives targeted around driving direct leads and sales profitably for entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Facebook Live Example

This recent post reached 141,234 people -- for free!

What to talk about

A few topic ideas to get you started:

1. Boost your content. If you are already producing original content through a blog, newsletter or other medium, use your Facebook Lives to give a sneak peek and link back to the original source of your content. It is an effective and free way to drive more people to your website -- and if you aren't doing this, you are missing out on a lot of potential web traffic.

2. Answer questions asked. Do a Q&A series simply answering questions about your niche. A place for inspiration to find questions is answerthepublic.com. It is a collection of questions asked online and you can look up your topic area. Sharing content that people are looking for starts your relationship with a prospect off with value and goes a long way in establishing trust.

Related: 12 Social Media Mistakes That Entrepreneurs Make

3. Spoltlight client success stories. Interview your top clients, customers or patients. Using a third-party broadcasting software such as Zoom or BLive, you can split the screen and interview someone for a Facebook Live video. This is a great way to share the success stories of your best clients, make them feel good as they are turned into celebrities and attract more people just like them to your tribe.

4. Broadcast live event. Whether you are attending a conference and can grab a quick interview with a speaker or vendor, or you simply share some of your lessons learned during the event, bringing a piece of live events to your audience is a great way to use Facebook Live. It brings a sneak peek into something your audience wouldn't normally have access to and positions you as the authority and leader of your niche.

In next week's article on Entrepreneur.com I will share a script to follow for your Facebook Live videos. For now, begin to create content topic lists so you can map out your theme and be ready to go Live.

Kim Walsh Phillips

Founder of Powerful Professionals

Kim Walsh Phillips went from 32 clients to over 11,000 in less than a year and founded Powerful Professionals, a business coaching company that has been scaling consulting and coaching businesses. Phillips is the best-selling author of The No BS Guide To Direct Response Social Media Marketing.

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