Commentary

Mom Testing Facebook Live

It’s a Friday in September and influencers Audrey McClelland & Vera Sweeney are standing in front of a huge Paw Patrol display at aToys R Us on Long Island. 

They are broadcasting live on Facebook to their combined fans (including many moms), courtesy of Nick Jr. in a paid promotion for Paw Patrol, the wildly successful television series that has spawned a hugely profitable line of toys. Moms are a significant target for the brand given the interest in purchasing the products for their children.

Last month, BuzzFeed proved the scale of Facebook Live with over three million people tuning in to watch a watermelon explode!  

BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Par recently told AdAge, “What was exciting about the watermelon video was that the numbers were starting to look like television numbers in terms of simultaneous viewers. Usually, the Internet is good for asynchronous consumption of media, but this was synchronous consumption.”

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To better understand the power of Facebook Live for brands looking to engage moms, I asked Audrey and Vera a couple of questions about their experience with this new medium: 

Why is Facebook Live a Platform to Reach Moms?

Vera: “Despite the ever-growing landscape of new social media platforms available to women each year, research has shown that moms still love to use Facebook when connecting to friends across the web and accessing news stories on a daily basis. 

“Facebook Live gives us that personal touch where it almost replicates a one-on-one conversation with our group. There's no room for edits; you take us as we are, and anything is up for grabs. This is absolutely in line with who we are as a team. I think it's important to show a personal side to our readers and there's nothing more personal than a live conversation with friends.” 

Audrey: “First, video content is king right now. Video gives your audience a way to really see you — your mannerisms, your voice, your passion. They see you.

Facebook Live is a full extension of this for the user and I love it. There’s an authenticity about Facebook Live that you can’t mimic because it’s completely and utterly real and raw. You have the ability to engage with your audience on a level that is user-friendly and organic. If there’s a question, it can be answered. If there’s feedback, it can be addressed. There is no ‘start over’ and I think that’s the beauty and the magic of the engagement because the veil of editing is lifted. The engagement is so true and so real, and that’s exactly what a user wants. It’s the perfect way to connect with your audience.”

Should brands utilize Facebook Live?

Vera: “Absolutely. We have had such success with hosting live giveaways in store with brands like Nickelodeon and Toys R Us and have announced upcoming trend reports for several beauty and jewelry lines that have signed up for more work once the Live completed. When selling a product or a service, you have to be conscious of not making it feel like a commercial and I think that we are able to naturally weave in messaging without sounding forced.”

Audrey: “Brands should be jumping into the waters of Facebook Live at rapid speed. Especially for the parenthood space online because this is where parents are on social media. Brands have this authentic way to engage with their audience and really be front and center. If there’s a new product launch, you can talk through the launch and give the how, what, where, and whens … and at the same time, have that instant feedback from your audience. It’s a wonderful way to be a true face for your brand. 

“[With our Nick Jr. Toys R Us activation], we were able to showcase and introduce the audience to the toys. We were able to review and explain what we loved about them in real time, the audience appreciated and loved the ability to talk and ask and engage throughout.”

What do you think of Facebook Live for brands seeking to engage moms? Comment below or tweet me at @shespeaking.

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