Running your direct sales business on Facebook is hard, you have to work with the algorithm to get seen. Video is favored by various platforms, and you want to add a live option to your content. But you need some Facebook live ideas to keep your audience entertained, and build your know, like, trust of your viewers.
10 Facebook Live Ideas
Sell On-hand Inventory
Do you carry on-hand inventory, or do you have a surplus of inventory left over from an event? A Facebook live where you sell that on-hand inventory is something to put on your schedule. To make the most of your event, predetermine prices (if you can set your own, or what your company prices the items), number each item, have post-it notes or other scrap paper and a pen so you know you claimed the item. Determine how you're going to invoice your customers for these items ahead of time, so you're not scrambling.
Explain how to claim the items you show on the screen, and any other rules you have for your live sales (when to pay, how long they have to pay, how you determine you claimed first, and shipping costs are all good things to note). Show each item you have, give a color explanation, how you would use it (so people who are just listening can participate), and the number you assigned it.
In between items you can have conversation with the people that are watching. Exchange stories, and have a good time together. Keep it high energy and your community will love your live sales.
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Host a Game Night
A game night is a great way to have a fun night with your community. There are several ways you could do this. A true game night where there is no selling involved: a game like would you rather, or another trivia type game is a great way to gather together on a Facebook live and be silly with your community.
A game night where you're selling something can be a fun activity for you and your community. It takes a little prep ahead of time. A balloon pop, a pouch party, a punch cup party, spin the wheel are all run the same kind of way. Someone buys an item, then they pick a {balloon color, a pouch, a cup, or you spin the wheel} and they get a free gift, a percentage off their next order, or an amount off to use on their next order.
Host a Q&A or AMA
Hosting a Questions and Answers (Q&A) or an Ask Me Anything (AMA) live is another great way for your community to learn more about you, your life, and your business. These questions can range from personal to business, and can be asked ahead of time (on a separate post), or as you're live in the comments.
Remember you're allowed to set boundaries. Are there topics of your life that you do not discuss in your business? State that ahead of time, and give gentle reminders when these types of questions are asked. People are naturally curious, but you're allowed to keep your boundaries.
Hold a Workshop
Do you selling cooking items? You could hold a host a workshop on how to meal prep. Do you sell planners? You could host a workshop on time management. Do you sell crafting items? You could host a workshop on how to make a certain craft with the items from your company.
These workshops could be free, or they could cost an admission fee, they could include products, or they would have to buy the products separately. These are all workshops that have been done in the Suite community by the members in their communities.
This establishes you as an authority in your community on the topic of your business. Your community will trust you, and may refer their friends to your workshops because they know their friends will get value out of them.
A Behind the Scenes Live
A behind the scenes live is going live while you're doing a normal everyday task – either in your business or not. If you're shipping the items to your customers, go live as you pack all the orders and talk to your customers as they pop on. Are you doing the dishes or another household item that you can talk as you do it? Go live as you do it, and have conversations as you're doing it.
These types of lives give people a glimpse “behind the curtain” so to speak and help them connect to you as a person. Everyone wants to see some behind the scenes and “real life content” – its why reality TV is such a big hit. People will watch other people just living their lives. On a Facebook live they can interact with you as you do your everyday tasks.
A Product Demo
Everyone wants to know how a product works before they buy it. Go live on Facebook and demonstrate you using the product in an everyday situation. Tell them how it works, what they can do with it, and how to care for it.
Give them a lot of information on the product, and don't forget to tell them where they can buy it!
Do a Live Collaboration
Do you have a friend who has a similar ideal client, and your products compliment each other? Example: you sell clothing and your friend sells jewelry, and both talk to moms who want to get back their style after kids. You talk and arrange a day where you both go live on one of your pages (if you use a streaming service like BeLive or WaveVideo you can have two people on camera at the same time.) and both of you give tips the coordinate with each other. You will pick another day and do the same on your friend's page.
You will offer value to both of your communities, and you'll expand your reach as her community will come join yours, and yours will go and join hers. This is a win-win for both of you.
Recurring Themed Day/Topic
Pick one day of the week, and do the same thing on that day of the week. Coffee and Mindset Monday, Tip Tuesday, What'cha Doing Wednesday, Thirsty Thursday, Fun Friday are all themed days that have been used before in the Suite community.
These lives are done every ___day in the month. They can be fun, chatty, or they can be fun, demo-y. It's up to you and your community.
Do a Review of a Product
Did you just have a launch of new products, and need your community to know how well it works? Go live an do a review of the product. This works great with clothing companies since every piece of clothing fits a certain way, and can be compared to other styles you carry.
You don't have to stick to your products. Did you buy something complimentary on Amazon, and you need everyone to know about it? That's a product you can do a review on. The people in your community value your opinion, and if you find something you love, they're going to want to know. (Make sure to check your company's compliance, and make sure to follow any affiliate rules that you may post about.)
A Live Auction
This also is great for on-hand inventory. This can be done mystery style (items packed in mailers, and no one knows what's inside), or a single item basis. You set a starting price before going live (this could be the wholesale price, or lower price that you feel comfortable starting these items off at), gather your supplies, your live sale rules (mentioned above), and go live.
This is a great way to move old retired products that you don't want sitting in your house anymore. They could be loved by someone else, if you'd just give them the chance. This is also a fun way to keep your customers entertained as the live auction happens.
How do I have a Successful Facebook Live Sale
The best way to make your Facebook live sale successful is being as prepared as you can. You test everything beforehand – your lighting, your phone's camera, your sound, your streaming program if using, making sure all your products are laid out where you can find them easily, making sure you have labels on hand to know what product is going to who – prepping everything ahead of time can help you feel confident, and can keep the live sale flowing smoothly.
How long should your live sale be? Well that depends on your audience, and the goal of your live. However having your live sale go 10 minutes are longer can give your viewers a chance to show up even if they show up a few minutes late to your start time.
Keep your energy high throughout the sale, no one is going to stick around long if you cannot keep their attention. You're competing against everything else on the internet while you're live. Be funny, charming, and yourself dialed to 11 for a short period of time to get the most out of your live time.
How do I Attract Viewers to my Live Sale
There are many ways to attract viewers to your live sales.
- Market your live sale days ahead of time on Facebook
- Have your customers pre-register
- Pin the stream to the top of your page
- Have your customers share the live for a prize
- Cross promote your live stream on other channels
- Going live consistently at the same time so people know when to expect you
The more consistently you go live, the more you talk about your event beforehand, the easier it is to make your customers to find the live as it happens, the more viewers you are likely to get.
Going live on Facebook is a great add-on to your business content, it helps to build your know, like and trust with your customers, and helps them get to know you more as a person. Its hard to be fake live on the internet for very long, and people will appreciate the fact that you are real with them.
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