Monster Facebook Live Sales Strategy

Jerry Seinfeld, the comedian, once said, “According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.”

For most people, the fear of public speaking extends to filming video, especially live video.

However, if you’re letting that fear hold you back then you’re missing out on one of the most effective online sales tactics today. I’m talking about using Facebook’s live video streaming service.

A Facebook Live gives every business owner the opportunity to beam a live ‘television’ show directly to the computers and mobile devices of thousands of people at practically no cost. All you need is a smartphone or tablet, and a Facebook account, and you can go live right now, broadcasting your own TV show to your friends and fans of your business page.

Yes, you can be just like Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest. You too can become a Ron Popeil, a Billy Mays, or even the ShamWow guy (his name is Vine Offer, FYI).

For some Early to Rise readers, this sounds as terrifying as going to the dentist— and maybe more terrifying than death itself— but for others, including many early-adopter entrepreneurs that are using Facebook Live, this type of broadcasting strategy is “easy money.”

Here’s why Facebook Live works so well.

Videos build celebrity and credibility. And the fact is that it’s much easier to sell when you’re a celebrity (people trust them because they feel they know them personally). You don’t need the world’s best sales copy or a professional speaker’s closing skills when you have high status and are recognizable.

That’s the K-L-T factor (know, life, trust), and video is the fastest way to build that for yourself today. It’s better than writing a book, having a podcast, or sponsoring events in your community.

Here are some tips to make the best Facebook Live videos so you can build your celebrity and business.

1. Introduce Yourself Properly

My friend Bedros Keuilian has a video introduction formula that goes like this:

• Tell the audience who you are
• Tell the audience what you do
• Tell the audience how your video content is going to help them

Here’s the video introduction I’ve used in a Facebook Live about creating a morning routine:

“Hi, my name is Craig Ballantyne. I’m the author of the Perfect Day Formula, and today you’re going to learn how to design the Perfect Morning Routine so that you can be more productive, get more done at work, and still get home on time for dinner.”

It’s also important to note that many viewers will tune into your Facebook Live video in the middle of your ‘show’ so it’s helpful to remind people throughout the video who you are, what you do, and how the video is going to help them. And finally, you should remind them at the end of the video who you are, what you do, and how watching a replay of the video will help them.

2. Create Killer Content and Curiosity

The hard work of a Facebook Live is the pre-filming preparation.

You need to create a high-energy opener that gets the audience excited for what’s to come. Then you need to outline the content delivery.

Much like writing an article or book, people learn best from stories, and that keeps them entertained and tuned in. As you deliver your video, make sure to tease upcoming content so people stick around.

“The human eye is attracted to motion,” says Facebook Live expert, Josh Carter, “Don’t sit behind your desk. It’s essential you are moving around in the first few seconds to engage viewers immediately.”

If you’re struggling to speak in front of the camera, take this advice from one of the greatest comedians of all time who struggled back in the 1970’s.

“Construct a stage persona,” says Steve Martin, “an idealized version of who you want to be in performance.”

Pick a personality trait where you strong and emphasize it during your performance.

For example, if you get enthusiastic when talking about how your product or service helps people change their lives, you should over-emphasize your enthusiasm at first. Don’t hide it. Viewers like high energy presenters. Go into ‘character’ as a ‘preacher’ showing your audience how you can save their lives with your service. A Facebook Live is show business, so don’t hold back!

Stand up. Bring the energy. Film in front of a nice backdrop. Use a whiteboard or have props to keep people engaged.

Finally, don’t worry if you mess up, forget a point, or if you feel nervous. There are few born entertainers, and even the world’s best comedians struggled with stage fright. But like almost everything else, doing video is a learnable skill. Follow this, and Martin’s advice, and become “So good they can’t ignore you”, and soon you’ll have all the celebrity and trust you need to easily sell your goods and services online.

• Tips to Maximize Viewership

“To get more viewers you should let them know when you are going Live,” Carter adds. “The easiest way to do that is send and email to your list with the date, time, and page they need to go to.  Be sure to post it to your business fan page and personal page as well… This is imperative. When you use your fan page (using the Facebook “Pages” app) you can later Boost the post for more engagement (views) and do things like create custom audiences (which you can’t do when you go Live on your personal page). You can (and should) share the Live video to your personal page either during or after the video is done.”

Another thing to do early on, Carter suggests, is request viewers give your video a “like” or “love” and share the video so you can help as many people as possible.  “People loving helping, and sometimes all you need to do it ask,” Carter says.

3. PLB: Post-Link-Boost

Once you’ve posted the video replay, you should add a link back to your website.

“When you are done with the video your Facebook app will give you the option to “post” it,” Carter says. “Be sure to click that button – if you don’t the video is deleted and gone forever.”

The final step in this stage for getting maximum follow-up views is to “Boost” your video. This is where you’ll invest a little money (experiment with $25 to $100) to have your video distributed to the audience of your choosing. You can pick age ranges, geographic targeting, etc.

Doing so allows you to ‘replay’ your ‘TV show’ so it builds credibility and makes sales while you sleep.

In the coming weeks, we’ll show you other strategies on how to maximize your sales with Facebook Live. Stay tuned!