Are you annoyed or intrigued when you get a Facebook notification for a live-stream? That’s the question that brands are asking before spending money on another social media tactic that may or may not have a clear payoff. Brands are fighting for viewers’ attention on social media with every shiny new method they can. Most notably, Facebook Live—live-streaming video directly in Facebook—has been closely watched by advertisers and consumers alike. Not to be outdone, other social media have expanded their video capabilities to compete in the live-streaming market. With so many options and no set precedents, what’s a brand to do? Read on to learn if Facebook Live, Instagram or Snapchat is right for your brand.
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Facebook Live: Annoyance or Advantageous?

For celebrities and musicians, Facebook Live is an easy way to stay connected with fans and make it feel like a personalized experience. Shot on a smartphone through the Facebook app, it’s a way to take advantage of having access to the 1.6 billion users on the social media platform. For less high-profile brands and business, Facebook Live sounds like a conundrum. What kind of content could you produce that would necessitate Facebook Live? A local television station found success in live-streaming its meteorologist after he addressed the traditional TV camera. They saw quite a few users tune in live and a surprising 77,000 views after it aired. Finding new ways to share your brand’s content or hosting a more toned-down production can work well within the Facebook Live format.

Instagram Increases Video Limit

Previously only available to advertisers, Instagram has expanded its video length from 15 seconds to one minute. A public view count is also displayed to entice brands and advertisers that need more proof of its significance. Taking a note from Snapchat, top videos are arranged at the top of a feed for higher visibility. Instagram is a great platform for visually based products that, when arranged in a way that’s aesthetically pleasing, leads to more likes and views. Instagram videos can take a spin on traditional posts and have short, bite-sized content that’s equally entertaining.

Snapchat for Business and Pleasure

Instant video and pictures is Snapchat’s bread and butter. Advertisers and brands with big bucks to spend have seen huge audiences with Snapchat’s Live Stories and Discover channels. Snapchat captures the elusive, young 13 to 24 audience and boasts 7 billion video views every day. Recreational uses include sending photos and video with filters, with and without face capturing, but also keeping up with brands and curated stories. If your brand doesn’t have the budget to make it onto a channel, you can create your own Snapchat for your business and highlight behind-the-scenes and live content for your followers. If your business has a storefront, a geotag at your location(s) will encourage customers to come in and share what they’re doing on Snapchat.

Whether or not you use real-time or long forms of video in your marketing all depends on your audience. If video makes sense for your product or offering and your audience consumes video content, then go full steam ahead for Facebook Live, Instagram and Snapchat. Not to be left out, the king of video, YouTube, is working on its own mobile live video app. If being on all platforms is too much for you, you can tailor your marketing plan for what’s best for your business. The best thing for your brand is to keep an eye on your audience and the changing social media landscape and see what ways video makes sense to your consumers.

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