Live Streaming Takes Center Stage on Social Media
Live streaming video is poised to become a major new topic on social media in the coming year, as platforms seek to ride the wave of popularity enjoyed by short-form video formats. Here’s why it may take off in 2023 and how platforms might integrate the feature.
The Appeal of Live Streaming
Numerous factors point to live streaming gaining prominence on mainstream social platforms in 2023. Younger users have embraced short-form video sharing through TikTok and Instagram Reels, favoring more immediate and interactive content. Live video formats allow users to engage directly with creators, fostering a stronger sense of presence and community. Meanwhile, platforms hope they keep users more engaged by introducing an element of spontaneity and serendipity that curated content lacks. All of this suggests live streaming could infuse traditional social platforms with some of the same qualities that have made short-form video so successful.
How Platforms May Adapt
Platforms are already taking steps to roll out or expand live streaming for capturing this potential value. Facebook and YouTube already offer live one but may make the functionality easier and more prominent. Instagram, which has been closely tracking short-form video trends, is testing new options for Stories. Proper incentives and coordination tools will also be crucial to encouraging more users to produce live streams. Platforms may introduce features like stream replays interactions to maximize the draw and value of this content. Over time, more personalized recommendations and notifications could connect users with streamed content based on their interests.
Factors to Consider
However, live streaming also presents drawbacks for social platforms. Disruptive or offensive ones may prove difficult to moderate effectively. Platforms will need strict policies and quick response procedures to deal with unwanted streams. Many platforms are centralized around curated and edited content, so a pivot toward largely unstructured livestreams represents a big strategic shift. And while live streaming may attract some interest, consistent high-quality ones will remain rare, potentially limiting how much platform users actually engage with the available content. For now, live video primarily represents an experiment for social media platforms keen to emulate the success of short-form video – but significant hurdles remain before live streaming truly takes center stage.
In summary, it holds promise as a new topic of focus for boosting engagement on social media platforms in 2023. By incorporating aspects of timeliness, interactivity and serendipity , live video formats aim to capture elements of the short-form video trend’s success. However, challenges and inconsistent content quality remain obstacles that social platforms must navigate before live streaming truly transforms their offerings.