It’s hard to believe that only a year ago (April 6, 2016, to be exact) Facebook Founder and Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg announced via a Facebook post that Facebook Live was available to all Facebook users. In his announcement, Zuckerberg said: “When you interact live, you feel connected in a more personal way. This is a big shift in how we communicate, and it’s going to create new opportunities for people to come together.”

Since then, the medium has become popular among social media-savvy consumers as it allows for real-time interaction.

I recently read an article by Jess Baker of the Brewers Association in which she discusses how brewers can utilize Facebook Live.

“If you have a smartphone and a brewery Facebook page, you should be utilizing Facebook Live,” she writes in the article titled “Facebook Live for your Brewery: 3 Easy Things to get you Started.” “… Facebook Live, right now, is the quickest way to reach your audience. And it’s free.”

In the article, she suggests three goals for Facebook Live. The first is “show them something.” “Your audience has likely seen the inside of a brewhouse, but what happens inside yours that differentiates your brewery? … Show your fans how the magic happens,” Baker writes.

Then, “teach them something.” Explaining why certain types of glass are used or why you use a particular process. “Even something as simple as explaining what on earth a crowler is … not only educates but engages your fans,” she explains, referring to a Facebook Live video by Deschutes Brewery.

Finally, Baker suggests creating suspense. “[T]here are suspenseful things that happen at your brewery,” she writes. Whether it’s new equipment or a teaser for new packaging, many opportunities exist.

I’m excited to see how Facebook Live will become an integrated part of marketing and the unique, engaging content brands will create.