We are now at the live video tipping point. The trend, which has been driven by mobile – in both the supply and demand, is now on the verge of becoming the norm. Twitter has Periscope. Tumblr has Tumblr Live. But, the introduction of Facebook Live has really changed the game.
[easy-tweet tweet=”We are now at the live video tipping point.” hashtags=”tech, cloud, video”]
There have already been so many interesting examples of its usage. We’ve seen use cases of it which vary from people capturing road rage on camera, to the UK’s biggest “Virtual Santa’s Lap” event, where thousands of children throughout the country talked to Santa via a live video stream. Access anytime, anywhere to events which we might have previously not been able to witness thanks to the ease at which live footage can be shared and captured is what’s driven this change.
We are hungry for information which requires minimal effort to consume. Facebook Live has simply made it easier to broadcast to millions of people regardless of time and location and other social media platforms – like Instagram – are following suit.
When will we reach the tipping point?
Companies, consumers and celebrities alike are using live video a lot more – but for it to become the norm for everybody, three things need to happen:
1)Â Â Â Â Â Â Connectivity improvements
4G has completely revolutionised internet usage on the move. The increased availability of fibre will change this dynamic even more and give people the ability to watch live videos wherever they are without interruption.
2)Â Â Â Â Â Â Better battery life
Current smartphones do not last more than a day without charging and that’s just with regular use. Watching videos causes the battery to drain even quicker, preventing people from watching them on the move. As soon as this technology improves and people no longer have the fear of their phone switching off before they make it home, we’ll see a big spike in the amount of live video watched.
3)Â Â Â Â Â Â Brands leading the charge
The uptake of live video communication on social media platforms has transformed the way we communicate. We will also soon start to see more brands and news outlets improve their video capabilities on mobile devices which will give people a lot more choice and drive the live video revolution.
Making the most of live video opportunities
The time is now for businesses to act to get one step ahead of their competition. Let’s look at advertising for example. Why would people pay for expensive advertising slots when they can reach a bigger audience through Facebook Live? If you’re a big star, it’s a no-brainer, you already have a high number of followers that will watch and share your videos and help them to go viral.
[easy-tweet tweet=”Why pay for expensive advertising slots when you can reach a bigger audience through Facebook Live?” hashtags=”live, social, tech, cloud”]
For smaller brands, they can become broadcasters at a fraction of the cost. Sky high television advertising may have prevented them from using video to reach potential customers before but this should no longer be the case. By working with an industry influencer, a brand can take advantage of their follower base and reach their target audience instantly.
We are now at the brink of mass live video adoption. It is now more of a question of when rather than if live video will become the norm for celebrities, governments, brands and consumers alike. As we move into 2017 and beyond, it’s clear that live video will become even more impactful. Businesses should start taking advantage of its capabilities now to lead the way in the live video revolution.
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