Why is live video being promoted so hard by social media giants like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter? The answer is actually pretty simple: quantity required. The average adult consumes more than five hours of video a day and more than one hour is on digital devices. By enabling social media users to create real-time live streams of their daily lives and more, these platforms remove the stigma that video has to be well produced and edited to be seen, shared and generate revenue. And encourage millions of hours of viewing to be created.

Of course this strategy was instantly transported to brands, liberating small businesses from slick branding and expensive videos to authentic real time live video interactions with their customers. If you have a Facebook for Business page for your business (of course you do) then all you have to do is hit the LIVE VIDEO button when you want to reach out spontaneously to your customers. If you want to be less spontaneous, you can plan a little campaign, let everyone know you when are going to be broadcasting, then hit the LIVE VIDEO button. Once it is over, the video recording sits in your feed so those that missed it can watch on demand. Simple!

Sure, of course you are nervous that you aren’t ready for your small screen debut, but the neat thing is, everyone else is as raw and authentic as you. Remember when you first learned how to use a computer, or social media or send an email – that was hard right, but now its like breathing. Livestreaming is the same. If you want to know more about how to use livestreaming on Facebook you can watch the Digital Ready video here.

So what are you going to say about your business when the red light flicks on and you are live? Here are some tips:

1. Get customer feedback

Talk with your customers about your business, products and service. Think of it as having an instant focus group ready and willing to provide you their opinions and insights in real time. They can interact with your Facebook feed in comments and emoji as you go live.

2. Show the process behind the screen

Customers love to know about how you do what you do. Don’t be giving away trade secrets, but show customers what goes into creating your product or delivering your service. 

3. Break down the barriers

Live streaming is a great way to demo features and show some tricks and hacks to make your product not only easy to use, but how it solves the big market problems it was designed to combat. 

4. Break some news

Live video is a perfect place to hold your own live media conference – and give front row exclusive access to the audience that supports your business. 

5. Get creative with your products and services

Create fun competitions, engagement, story sharing and prizes using hashtags and then live stream. 

6. Employee of the month

The people that make your business tick are pretty important to your ongoing growth and success. Here, they can be featured, and even run their own broadcasts. The more faces that tell your story, the wider the reach.

The best way to really get a handle on how live streaming can be powerful for your business is to do it, so put down your fear, pick up your device, and 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 - you're LIVE.