Since the introduction of Facebook live in the summer of 2015, it seems that live video's online popularity has really taken off. Live video offers a direct line into compelling, personal or behind-the-scenes content in a way that on-demand video simply doesn't. You've probably watched live video yourself, and statistics show that you are not alone. According to Statista, the top sites for watching and creating live video, as of November 2016, are YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat Live Stories and Twitter's Periscope (Since then, Instagram has also gotten into the fray with live video).
The amount of live video produced and consumed is staggering, and within its first year, the pioneering live video app Periscope had been used to create over 200 million live videos. Year over year, live video consumption and production has grown. According to a survey by LiveStream, 81% of respondents watched more online video in 2016 than in 2015. In the age group 18-34 in particular, live video is extremely popular. 63% of millennials have watched live video, as of November 2016, according to UBS, and 42% have created live video themselves.
Unsurprisingly, given the popularity of live video with consumers, brands' interest in live videos is increasing as well. Live video draws in more eyeballs than static images, and even more than on-demand video. According to Facebook, live videos are watched for three times as long as standard videos. Respondents to LiveStream's survey also stated a preference for live videos from brands over other marketing tactics. 80% of these respondents would rather watch live video from a brand than read a blog, and 82% would rather see a live video than another type of social media post.
Marketers are responding to this interest in turn. In a May 2016 survey of marketers from Social Media Examiner, 50% of marketers planed on creating live video on Facebook Live and Periscope, and 50% were interested to learn more about live video. We predict even higher numbers for 2017, as live video continues to grow. Have you utilized live video in your personal life or for your business?