All of us lucky enough to work in digi comms share a love-hate relationship with Facebook.
We all know how tricksy Mr Zuckerberg and his buddies are changing up those algorithms so they can squeeze us for cash. And that ever changing algorithm is now penalising posts that ask followers to share in the copy.
Yikes.
Good news for our Facebook feeds no longer being filled up cliched motivational quotes, but bad for us charities trying to show the world why they need to care about our causes.
So following along with Zuck’s rules we have all taken an interest in Facebook Live. You’ve seen the extensive marketing they’ve done on it, practically begging everyone to use it. So while they’re trying to make Facebook Live a thing like Gretchen was trying to make “fetch happen” charities have been taking full advantage of it. After all it is a great way to get our stories into people’s feeds with notifications included for free.
So here is my round up of best uses of Facebook Live I’ve seen from charities.
RNLI
RNLI make some really ace videos. They have loads great footage because they give the lifeboats cameras and give training to the staff.
I loved this Facebook Live Q&A they did with the Tower crew for #SavingLivesAtSea. What was really cool (and totally unplanned) was that they had to cut their first live video short due to an actual call out on the Thames. That really is lifesaving in action.
The Q&A is great as well because you really get to know these guys, and therefore know more about how RNLI works and how important what they’re doing is. Great stuff.
Clic Sargent
This is the best use I’ve seen of Facebook Live from a charity so far.
They got their celeb ambassador Jake Humphrey to do a Facebook live in Morrisons as part of their appeal to win Morrisons charity of the year. He walks around the shop for a bit and then goes on to talk to a young girl who has cancer and her mum. Clic Sargent also did a follow up video from their account of Jake talking to the little girls dad.
I absolutely LOVE how much internal co-operation it must have taken to pull this off. And it totally worked as they won the partnership. Of course the star-power helps with this one, but speaking to the family was the really powerful part of this Facebook Live.
Heck, I wanted to get a job at Morrisons just so I could vote for them to win it after watching this. Kudos Clic.
Anthony Nolan
Anthony Nolan have storytelling down to a T. Their feeds are filled with stories of patients and stem cell donors in their own words. And their Facebook Live was a great extension of this. They did a Q&A with Rob who had a stem cell transplant in 2014.
This interview is really insightful for those who are having to battle blood cancer and really relatable for everyone else. If anyone was thinking about singing up before seeing this, I’m sure they wouldn’t have a doubt after watching.
Action for Children
Ok shameless self-plug warning…
but if the Duchess of Cambridge visits one of your services to play pool with kids – that’s straight up asking to be filmed live.
(If it helps with the shamelessness this one wasn’t my idea and I didn’t film it. I’m actually just massively bigging up my talented colleague!)
Have you seen any great examples of charities using Facebook Live? Let me know in the comments or via Twitter.
Cool charity stuff 