Live video has taken off.

Back in January, we predicted that live video would be something to watch out for on social media this year, and it hasn’t disappointed.

Facebook announced that it was offering Live to everyone in April 2016, and we have since seen Twitter, YouTube and Instagram offer live video as part of their in-app experience.

Why’s it so popular?

It’s video. It’s no secret that video content is more popular than text nowadays. Scroll through your Facebook feed and it’s likely to be dominated by video. The truth is that people much prefer to watch and listen to content, rather than read it. And with faster internet speeds and mobile devices now available, it’s becoming easier to upload and watch video content on the move.

It takes you closer. Many social media users love to feel closer to their favourite brands, and live video can give you that. With many brands using live video to go behind-the-scenes, it gives users a unique insight that they wouldn’t previously have been able to get.

Instant engagement. Live video also offers users the opportunity to engage and interact in real-time. Many brands and personalities have hosted live Q+As on social media, giving users the chance to post questions and get answers instantly.

With stats showing that 81% of internet and mobile audiences watched more live video in 2016 than in 2015, we take a look at three brands doing it well:

1. Buzzfeed

Buzzfeed isn’t like most businesses, in that it doesn’t sell products or services. Instead, it specialises in getting attention with content and making money through advertising. They proved how good they are at getting attention last April when they went live with two people putting rubber bands, one by one, on a watermelon to see how long it would take before it burst.

At its peak it had 807,000 viewers, and was at the time the most viewed Facebook Live video ever. It also generated 315,000 comments over its 45 minute runtime. Why was it so popular? Because it caught users’ attention, and made people want to know how (and when) it would end.

2. Tough Mudder

Back in June last year, Tough Mudder hosted a training event in Michigan with one of its coaches. They also live streamed the event on Facebook to make sure they maximised its reach and gave its users a look into what the brand is all about.

Tough Mudder relies on physical participation, and this was a great way to get non-locals involved in the event. It also showed potentially interested participants what they were in for if they signed up to a Tough Mudder event. This is a great example of a brand going live to let their audience feel closer to the action.

3. Robert Downey Jr.

OK, not technically a brand – but with nearly 29 million Facebook fans – Robert Downey Jr. has a captivated audience.

He recently went live to announce additions to the cast of the new Avengers movie.

Giving his audience this exclusive information is a great example of using live video to allow your fans to feel closer to you.

As you can see, the production values on these videos aren’t sky high; some of the best live videos are taken using a smartphone and a steady hand! What audiences want to see is authenticity, exclusive information and a unique insight.

If you’re looking for help going live in 2017 why not get in touch with Red Marlin to see what we could do for you?