Brand Social Media: What’s the Impact of Facebook Live?
In April, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the company would extend its ‘Live’ streaming feature from verified users like celebrities, brands and media, to the public. In this blog we ask what’s the impact of Facebook Live on brand social media strategies?
Whilst the popularity of ‘real time’ platforms like Snapchat and Twitter continue to grow, Facebook was facing a 21% decrease in original broadcast sharing and with new live streaming video platforms like Periscope and Meerkat building strength, Facebook definitely intends that ‘Live’ will throw the knock-out punch.
What’s all the fuss about?
Facebook Live allows users to broadcast themselves, unedited and in real time through the site – a bit like Facetime for all your friends . Everyone gets to see what you’re eating, drinking and experiencing as it happens to you, and just as YouTube opened new opportunities for social stars, Facebook Live is likely to generate a new wave of micro-broadcasters with avid fan bases waiting for their “go-live” signal.
Social audiences are now actively seeking out authentic content and Live serves this perfectly. It may seem scary but Live is an amazing opportunity to create fresh content, that responds directly to audience comments. It puts a human face to the brand and gives audiences a chance to respond directly; and audiences are responding! Facebook found its users comment on live video 10 times more than on regular video.
With Live, audiences can respond and comment throughout the broadcast. Reactions range from likes and comments, to facial emoji’s (rolled out earlier this year). It’s an immediate and clear gauge of how your content is being received, while it’s being watched.
Facebook users can subscribe to your videos and receive push notifications- alerting subscribers when you’re broadcasting. Building an audience of Live subscribers means greater reach for your PR – from “behind the scenes” to official news broadcasts, building an audience of consumers will mean your message will spread quickly.
There’s no denying the power of visual content. You only need to glance at the success of brand social media campaigns like Dove’s Real Beauty and viral videos like Carpool Karaoke to see the shift but will brands take the plunge and broadcast live? We are watching to see who and how those daring early brands fare.