The Facebook Newsfeed is a crowded place. With nearly 2.1 Billion monthly Facebook users (Source: Facebook) and 65 Million Facebook Business Pages (Source: GeoMarketing), there are hundreds of thousands of posts made every minute. Marketers probably spend the most time analyzing what posts get the most reach. What we've discovered is that video posts on Facebook have 135% greater organic reach than photo posts (Source: Social Media Today). It's critical for business owners and marketers to recognize the importance of leveraging video on Facebook Business Pages.
Why is video so popular?
It's not a complex concept – when you're scrolling through the newsfeed, seeing a video in motion is more eye catching than a static image. That's the bare bones reason why video causes more people to slow their scroll, watch, and/or engage with the content.
Facebook Live rolled out in 2015, and by 2016 it was available to everyone. Since that time, Live video has emerged as the preferred Facebook post type, with Facebook Live videos being watched 3x longer than regular videos.
So, why is Live video so popular?
From the user-perspective, think about reality TV. People love it! Live is just that – reality TV on social media! It's real and unpredictable. It's often raw and unscripted. Live video is interesting and sparks curiosity among viewers. That's not to say that regular videos cannot be equally engaging. Of course, videos are used widely not only as a marketing tool but also to inform and educate.
Nevertheless, from a marketing-perspective, Live video is more accessible and cost-effective than other video options. While you can leverage high-tech and expensive equipment for Live broadcasts, it's not essential. All you really need is your cell phone!