Social Best Practices of the Top Facebook Live Videos: Part 2

by Jack Weinstein

The power of live video is best illustrated by these early incarnations of Facebook Live broadcasts. They’re not perfect and that’s the best part.

Sure, we’ve seen examples of celebrities taking audiences behind the scenes in social video content. But they’re scripted. They don’t seem genuine. Facebook Live doesn’t have that problem, as we showed you last week with Part 1 of our series when stars from popular TV shows hosted live Q&As with fans. They’re mostly handheld videos filmed from sets or actors’ homes. They’re quirky and awkward. They’re real.

That is why Facebook Live is resonating. That content gives audiences a true peak behind the curtain, or from beneath a sheet , as Mercedes-Benz demonstrates.

This week, we identified social best practices from the top Facebook Live videos posted by the most-engaged car and consumer brands. Some of these provide inside looks at some of the top brands on social.

Car Brands Capitalize on Big Reveals

Automotive shows have long been events where car brands have revealed new models. But unless you were there, you’d have to wait until a story about the release showed up online. Not anymore.

Mercedes-Benz unveiled several new models at various auto shows around the world since the start of the year. Six of its top 10 posts year to date were live videos. Four introduced new models.



Other brands that debuted new models this year from auto shows include Ferarri , Ram Trucks , Infiniti , Mazda , Toyota and Honda .

Consumer Brands Educate

We’ve already written about Monster Energy being the most-engaged consumer brand using Facebook Live , using its athletes to generate engagement. But other consumer brands are generating engagement by educating audiences about how to use their products.

Patrón and Wilton Cake Decorating are some of the top brands using Facebook Live to showcase new recipes. Tarte Cosmetics has used Facebook Live to provide tips about using its makeup.

But a great example of live video was posted by Hennessey. The cognac brand posted one of the few videos we’ve seen using the Facebook Live API , which enables content producers to publish content from devices other than phones. The technology, currently only available to verified users, allows them to produce professional-quality videos.

Hennessy uses multiple cameras and cutaways to produce a video that appears to be recorded in a studio. The video generated 365,000 views, good for third-most of the year for the brand.

In addition to educating audiences about new ways to use their products, consumer brands also employed Facebook Live to showcase their products in ways that fans typically wouldn’t have access.

Dunkin Donuts was one of the best examples. It took audiences behind the scenes of its test kitchen to give them a glimpse into how new products are created. In the live video, Dunkin Donuts also employed a tried-and-true method brands have used to generate social engagement by holding a sweepstakes .



If you missed the Part 1 of Social Best Practices from the Top Facebook Live Videos, check it out. Or move on to Part 3 .