There’s a new player lurking in your Facebook timeline and feeding you information: videos. Although a picture is worth 1,000 words, Dr. James McQuivey claims a one minute video is worth 1.8 million. The social media platform has implemented innovative video technologies resulting in more minutes watched per day than YouTube, the original video streaming mecca, and approximately eight billion video views per day. This means uploading a video directly to Facebook, not indirectly by sharing a YouTube link, connects a brand organically with their current and potential consumers. All of this is possible by use of weighted algorithms.
Here is why this matters: 85% of web crawlers in the United States watch videos online. When delving into this juicy data further, a wersm.com article summarized, “46% of viewers ‘take action’ following watching a video, and 96% click on links after watching a video.” If these whopping numbers don’t convince you to rework your brand’s marketing strategy, we’d love to know what would.
Thus far, Facebook’s two major video advances include Facebook 360 and Facebook Live. Facebook 360 is Facebook’s play on virtual reality. Viewers can actively explore a scene by dragging through with their mouse or physically moving their device’s screen. Videos are taken on a 360 camera comprised of 17 individual cameras that automatically combine the footage into one 360 video. This is the future.
Facebook Live was initially introduced to verified brands in December 2015, allowing them to stream live videos. The share-ability of the platform gives way to larger, more relevant audience interactions before, during, and after events (much more pertinent than the capabilities of YouTube or Periscope).
TMNT Movie
TMNT Movie expertly promoted their newest movie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, with a saucy twist. The turtles themselves hurled pizza up in the air and into the next frame as the viewers interact with the video to follow the action. So often, 360 videos fall flat due to action only taking place in one frame, leaving little reason to explore the surrounding scene. TMNT Movie utilized the technology at hand to pull viewers directly into the moment.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City created an experience that went beyond the canvas. They revealed what it looked like when the flowers are changed under the cloak of night and a soaring view of museum goers making their way through The Great Hall from all angles. It was not the art they showed off, but the essence and feel of their museum as an experience.
Harvard University
A Harvard University graduate took viewers on a 360 tour of campus while thinking back on her transformative experience. The tour was captivating for those curious to peek into the walls of a school holding such prestige. Although the video showed all physical angles of the views at hand, they also provided viewers with the graduate’s internal perspective.
Benefit
Benefit is a champion at consistency. Stephany, the host, puts on a live streaming video every Thursday at 4 p.m. with a guest and a glass of Rosé. Fans of the live show can anticipate the next episode and work it into their weekly routine. Once watching, they can ask the beauty experts questions, which are answered in real time.
Buzzfeed
Buzzfeed’s Facebook Live success has come from strangely captivating content.Their most popular live video was of a watermelon exploding via rubber bands. At the video’s peak, there were 807,000 people tuned in at the same time. The video reached a total of 5 million views. The plain ridiculousness of the video was enough to hook people into watching the entire 45 minutes.
Airbnb with Disney
Partnering with Disney, Airbnb used stardom to generate attention to their brand. On the red carpet at The Jungle Book’s premiere, the host interviewed the cast from the film on their roles and experience with the film.
Video on Facebook is revolutionizing how brands interact with their consumers, allowing them to immerse audiences into a brand’s world and drive traffic. Whether your brand wants to create videos with interactive action to follow along, showcase the essence of a space, or simply put some strangely intriguing content on the internet, the key is to have a relevant goal in mind.
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