Are You Making the Most of Internet Video?

We’ve written many blogs over the years offering insights into technology trends and the future of the internet, but perhaps none were as prescient as our 2015 blog about online video and how it will become part of our daily lives in just two years. Since that blog was posted, Facebook has introduced Facebook Live, Snapchat has become more brand-friendly, Pinterest now offers independent and large brands alike the opportunity for more inspiring looks, and Instagram recently unveiled Instagram Video, their answer to Snapchat. In 2015, we saw the ramped-up usage of video for conferencing, training, marketing, and advertising, and we knew the demand for online video would only grow with its acceptance in our social media time lines. So, here is an overview of the advances made in video technology since 2015, and how businesses can use this ever-growing medium to expand their reach and brand.

New Video Platforms

When Facebook announced it was going to offer a live streaming video application, most people thought it would be a fun way to connect with friends far away and not miss out on events and important moments. Like with any live video application, such as Skype or FaceTime, you could be an instant spectator of events, both spectacular and mundane, happening anywhere around the world. With Facebook Live, however, you could also interact and have those interactions quantified – this is what changed the game and made businesses and advertisers take notice.

Soon after, Snapchat wanted in on that game and instead of being geared towards individual users, Snapchat is now offering branded geofilters for events and promotions to encourage companies to advertise. Instagram Video has recently added live video, which isn’t a surprise since they are owned by Facebook. However, they took a note from Snapchat and followed the “disappearing video” model, meaning that once the live streaming is over, the video is no longer accessible.

Pinterest focuses more on the visuals, rather than specific events. Brands and companies are able to use this to their advantage by telling a story people can easily relate to. For example, if your company sells fabric, a visual that shows the fabric being used in an everyday setting can inspire new home owners looking for design ideas.

How Can Businesses Use Online Video?

Success in internet marketing, like all marketing, comes down to one’s ability to track and accurately evaluate the return of investment (ROI) of a given campaign. How well is it working? Do we need to adjust the messaging? Are we using the right channel? How is the target audience responding to the ad?

With Facebook Live, you can pull that information directly from the feed – users interact with the video, “liking”, “loving”, or even “hating” the content in real time. They can also comment in real time, letting you know exactly what they think. As long as you have followers watching, you know it’s working!

One great way to use Facebook Live would be to engage followers with behind the scenes looks at a typical day at the office. Introducing the staff, streaming at an event, offering a question and answer session, and even teasing new products can give followers the chance to feel more connected to you business and brand, and feel included because of the special information they are receiving. This can be similarly effective on Instagram Video and Snapchat, though these platforms will follow the rule of disappearance once it is over while Facebook allows viewers to replay the video or watch it later.

Society is becoming more and more reliant on video applications in all areas of commerce and we’re still in the beginning of this exciting trend. In less than two years, steaming video has grown exponentially and has become an integral part of our daily lives – we can only imagine what the next two years will bring! How are you using streaming video to grow your business?