FRANKCRUM KICKS OFF FIRST ANNUAL PANCAKE EATING CONTEST ON FACEBOOK LIVE

First-ever Facebook Live video streaming turns into success story for a PEO company looking to stand out on social media

Facebook Live has been a huge success so far, since its launch in August 2015. Everyone knows that video is hot right now, especially on social media. Facebook Live presents businesses and marketers with opportunities to reach and engage with their followers in a spontaneous, ephemeral way without the inauthenticity of produced videos. It has made waves through the business world as it entices marketers to try this new (and somewhat scary) real-time broadcast to social audiences.

FrankCrum used their Pancake Eating Contest as a chance to explore this new use of Facebook Live video streaming. The event took place in the company’s on-site café, and included 9 employees who volunteered to eat a tall stack of 10 buttered and syrup-soaked pancakes. The contest was simple: whoever finished their stack the fastest won.

Setting the Scene

Because this was their first experience with Facebook Live, expectations for video views and engagement were a large question mark, and the results shocked everyone. Haneke Design, who provides social media strategy to the firm, suggested this as a way to maximize exposure and showcase company culture. The Facebook Live video stream lasted about 5 minutes and in that time, racked up a staggering 2.5k views, all-organic and without paid boosting.

The majority of FrankCrum’s staff of 200+ people filled the café to watch the event unfold. Jaime Moore, FrankCrum’s Brand Journalist, hosted the Facebook Live broadcast. She interviewed Frank Crum, Jr. who showed great enthusiasm for this event.

The Results

The Facebook Live stats are currently:

• 4,219 people reached
• 39 reactions
• 20 comments
• 28 shares

One of the unique features of Facebook Live is the ability for audiences to submit real-time comments. During the contest, the comment chain lit up with friends and family of FrankCrum employees cheering on the competitors.

Success Story

This success story highlights an important fact: pushing your business’s comfort zone on Social Media can have a big payoff. Facebook’s algorithm optimizes for engagement, and the intrigue of live video streaming encourages increased audience participation. The result: your Facebook Live broadcast will spread like wildfire compared to simply sharing an article or blog post. Facebook Live video streaming garners an average of 3x more engagement than other image or text posts.

Facebook Live Tips

The reason some companies have been hesitant to use Facebook Live is the risk of unforeseen errors and mishaps. Unlike professionally produced videos, mistakes made on Facebook Live cannot be edited out, so having a contingency plan is a MUST. Being prepared for things to go wrong is 95% of this mission. For this particular event, Haneke Design provided direction and best practices for filming Live on Facebook. Jaime Moore was advised to film a test video and practice shooting a Facebook Live stream in the café in order to test WiFi connectivity.

Another thing to keep in mind when filming Live on Facebook is thinking about the background sound. Facebook Live streams are usually recommended for a controlled environment. This was an unusual case, because the contest would be noisy and the atmosphere would be buzzing. Because of this, Jaime Moore was advised to buy a small microphone as a way to ensure she could be heard over the clamor. Another important thing to keep in mind is promoting the Facebook Live stream prior to its filming. Haneke Design recommended social media posts announcing the live stream as a way to plant the seeds for the event and build up anticipation.

Despite everything that could go wrong during a Facebook Live video stream, the benefits far outweigh the cons. Being able to showcase your company in a transparent and raw way will resonate with audiences more than you can imagine.

The broadcast went seamlessly and continues to be a hot topic for FrankCrum’s water cooler talk, even days after the event. The winner of the competition was Matt Crum, who received a gift card, a custom certificate designed by the Haneke Design team, and let’s not forget, eternal bragging rights.

Watch FrankCrum’s Facebook Live Here