disagree. And you certainly don't have to change how you use social media based on what you read, though you might.
Sometimes, marketers can find great value in listening to the views of their peers, especially if they come across experiences that mirror their own. This was the simple, “come to the table” intent of Hubspot as it asked leading marketers about the virtues of Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat. Hubspot was particularly interested in probing which platform marketers prefer for live engagement.
Take from this sampling what you will, realizing that while these platforms have transformed the marketing world, they are still so new that more change – the arrival of new platforms and the eventual exit of existing ones – is almost certainly on the horizon.
Live Engagement on Facebook, Launched in 2004
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Facebook enjoys the greatest reach of all social platforms. Nearly 80 percent of adults use Facebook, for a grand total of nearly 1.3 billion daily users, according to the Pew Research Center.
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Twenty percent of the videos on Facebook are live and people devote four times as much time to watching them than they did a year ago – statistics that come straight from Facebook's head of video, Fidji Simo.
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Facebook is easy to use, marketers say and adapts well to viewing and recording on multiple mediums (namely desktops and mobile devices).
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Viewers can enjoy live video content on Facebook long after a live broadcast – a characteristic that sets it apart from Instagram, marketers note.
Live Engagement on YouTube, Launched in 2005
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YouTube might seem like the end-all, be-all for live engagement, but marketers caution it carries value only if customers already gravitate to it; otherwise, it can be a struggle to lure them there. (This point echoes advice from Hubspot about aligning platforms with customer habits and preferences.)
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Long, live videos find a natural home on YouTube, marketers say. And the fact more people are tuning in on mobile devices is adding to its appeal.
Live Engagement on Instagram, Launched in 2010
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Instagram's “Videos You Might Like” feature is a strong draw for live engagement, marketers say. But since most viewers prefer videos less than 1 minute long, short-form content seems more appropriate for this platform.
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Capitalizing on Instagram's strengths while minimizing its limitations is the key to leveraging this platform, marketers say. For example, live and spontaneous events are well suited to Instagram, but followup coverage or analysis are probably best placed elsewhere.
Live Engagement on Snapchat, Launched in 2011
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“Staying in the game” was a reason cited by marketers to use Snapchat. Since this platform is insular in nature, it's usually not conducive to reaching new audiences with live content.
Whether you use one or more of these social media platforms, the marketing professionals at ADTACK can help you create the symmetry and synergy you need to make the most of your inbound marketing efforts. To get started on this journey, download our free guide, Defining: Digital Marketing. Then call us for a consultation so you can more fully engage customers with your live engagement initiatives.
