EQ : The Live Streaming Boom + Our Top Picks

Today we're discussing another content marketing trend to add to your brand's growing list of things to catch-up on…live streaming.

Proving incredibly popular amongst dozens of streaming applications, we've listed the top three apps your brand should be using. But before we jump into that, you may be wondering how your company can benefit from live streaming your next event.

Broadcasting an occasion will allow you to attract more followers on social media platforms. Promoting the upcoming event, presenting a high-quality experience and participating in real-time engagement will boost your social status. Keyword to remember is engagement - Brands must remember to show genuine interest in their viewers. Promptly respond to questions with authenticity to enhance the live streaming experience as much as possible. Additionally, each live stream is another opportunity for your brand to advertise, allowing you to directly reach your audience in real-time through monetization.

Now that you are onboard with the trend, here are our Top Three live streaming picks:

Periscope

Launched: March 2015

Number of Users: 10 million

Amount of Live-streams: 200 million broadcasts
This Twitter-owned social-streaming app can be used on iOS and Android phones or tablets to capture real-time footage, then viewed on either desktop or mobile. The live commentary feature proves useful for increased brand-user interactions. With no time-limit to a stream, users can share footage with ease. Additionally, each periscope stream is saved for up to 24hrs, so viewers who couldn't watch the live event can come back and watch it on their own time.

Fun fact: Viewers watch a combined total of 110 years' worth of video through the mobile app.

FacebookLive

Launched: April 2015

Number of Facebook users: 1.49 billion (no numbers yet for Facebook Live)

Amount of live-streams: N/A - however, to give you an estimate of its success, 14 million people viewed a live stream of The Trump Tower Climber.

Similarly to Periscope, Facebook Live allows real-time video footage to be posted and interacted with on the Facebook website and app. Facebook allows any profile or page to live stream an event up to 90 minutes on the site and when the stream is over, is automatically saved and uploaded to your page for access at any time. Facebook also recently included an updated feature that allows publishers and brands to view and analyze their live video metrics.

Fun Fact: Due to the high level of engagement during live streams, they are watched 3x more than normal videos.

YouTube Live

Launched: April 2011

Number of YouTube Users: 1.32 Billion (No numbers yet for YouTube Live)

Hours of video uploaded: 300 hrs per minute

In order for someone to use YouTube to live stream, you need to have a verified channel (which normally consists of 1K + subscribers and be in good standing). There are two ways you can stream on YouTube - Stream Now, which allows you to immediately broadcast via your channel or By Event, which enables you to create and organize an upcoming event. Depending on your account, 2 hours is the general limit for a live stream.

Fun Fact: YouTube Live provides broadcasters real-time statistics while people are watching your stream.

The main benefit all three of these applications offer brands is the mere fact that they are already owned by current social platforms that your brand is already affiliated with. Do you want to use periscope and already happen to have a twitter account? You are one step closer to your first broadcast! So what are you waiting for? Time to live stream your next holiday party! Fruitcake anyone?