Over 22% of marketing emails never reach their subscribers’ inboxes. For marketers, these missing messages translate to devastating losses in potential revenue–totaling in the tens of millions annually.
If you’ve ever crafted an email for a list of subscribers before, you know the amount of care that goes into writing each and every word. The fact that roughly a quarter of your messages are destined to be lost, denied, or in the spam folder is nothing short of an outrage.
The good news is, it’s 2016, and you don’t have to continue using a marketing platform that’s leaking dollars out of your wallet. You can now use Facebook Live, the live-stream video tool that doubles as a sneaky marketing agent–generating 1200% more shares than images and text combined–and is rapidly replacing the prehistoric email opt-in.
One millennial has developed an ingenious marketing strategy with Facebook Live that’s driving traffic and sales for her business. Meet Amanda Rivera, an influence and PR strategist for millennial entrepreneurs who is known for creating major press opportunities in under 5 minutes. Her Facebook group, Millennial Thought Leaders Mastermind, is a hub for exclusive, members-only content that has outsiders begging to be let in–and ultimately becoming buyers.
Rivera reveals the details of her Facebook marketing machine on the latest episode of the Unconventional Life podcast.
Rivera’s mission entails “bringing healing where there is suffering, hope where there is doubt, and courage where there is fear in the world.”
The bulk of Rivera’s work occurs on Facebook, within her Millennial Mastermind group. She is constantly responding to comments, reviewing applications for new membership, and updating the page with enriching content–particularly via Facebook Live.
“It’s like having a party at your house,” Rivera says. “You can’t just say here are the hors d’oeuvres, now fend for yourself. You have to be checking up on people making sure everyone’s ok. You really are the host of your Facebook group if you want to do it right.”
When Rivera runs advertisements for her group, free live-streamed content is the focal point. Group members get access to frequent goodies like 1-hour talks led by prominent industry figures and thought leaders.
Joining the group is like opting-in to free content, which tends to convert group members to paying customers at some point down the road.
Part of what makes Facebook Live so effective is its format of active video engagement. Studies show video promotion is 600% more effective than print and direct mail combined, and that two out of every three people are more likely to watch a video than read text.
Since launching her Facebook group, Rivera has attracted dozens of new and recurring clients for her business, as well as pioneered a successful marketing model for others to follow.
Below, Rivera shares the key strategies behind using Facebook Live for business marketing.
1. Let members know in advance when you’re going live. Rivera posts a weekly schedule of live speakers on the cover banner of her group. Doing this generates excitement and anticipation, as well as guarantees far more viewers per video. Design your schedule as a graphic with plenty of pictures, eye-popping text, and attractive headlines. Finally, consider offering free email notifications to let members know days, hours, and minutes before their favorite talks are going live.
2. Curate your group to represent your target customer. Be selective and intentional about who joins your group. Consider requiring new members to apply for their spot; Rivera says she only accepts 1 of every 5 new members who apply. You’ll want the bulk of your members to represent your target market, so that they’re likely to be interested in what you post and will invest in paid content.
3. Feature guest speakers who enhance the value of your group. Populating your group with enough quality content can be overwhelming if you’re trying to do it all on your own. Instead, reach out to figureheads and influencers in your industry to feature their content on your page and appear on Facebook Live. It’s a win-win for you both: they get free promotion, and your group becomes more valuable, increasing the appeal for new members to join and motivating existing members to stay active.
Enjoyed this post? Subscribe to my newsletter for powerful tools to create a life that inspires you.
