Brands and marketers using Facebook know the less clicks a user has to make to access their content, the better the chance they will engage with it. Of course, the fastest way for content to get in front of fans is for it to appear directly in their news feeds. This already happens with some types of shared content - like links and uploaded videos - but until recently, it wasn't possible for live streaming video. The company that has made this possible is the Sweden based Bambuser.
Now, say your brand has a major announcement or event approaching and you want to get a live video feed of said event in front of as many of your fans as possible. Unless your announcement happens to involve The Jonas Brothers, it may be difficult to convince your fans to set their watches and click over to the special tab on your Facebook page to watch it. But what if your stream appeared directly in their news feeds when they first logged in, allowing them to watch it and chat with the rest of the audience without ever leaving that page? Think you might be able to attract a few more people who weren't planning on watching otherwise?
This is the definitive feature setting Bambuser apart from its competitors (namely UStream). The service allows users to broadcast live from their webcam or smartphone directly to a Facebook page, blog, or Web site (or all three simultaneously). To top it off, the service is currently free for personal or commercial use.
While Bambuser's Facebook integration is definitely a major step forward, the service isn't perfect. Although you can technically broadcast from your phone, video can be choppy or delayed unless you have a steady, perfect 3G connection. For this reason, if it is at all possible, I'd highly recommend connecting to a Wi-Fi network.
Currently, Bambuser is used primarily by individuals, but the opportunity it offers to brands is too significant for that to last much longer. As brands continue to expand the scope of their presence on Facebook, what role do you see live streaming video playing?
Now, say your brand has a major announcement or event approaching and you want to get a live video feed of said event in front of as many of your fans as possible. Unless your announcement happens to involve The Jonas Brothers, it may be difficult to convince your fans to set their watches and click over to the special tab on your Facebook page to watch it. But what if your stream appeared directly in their news feeds when they first logged in, allowing them to watch it and chat with the rest of the audience without ever leaving that page? Think you might be able to attract a few more people who weren't planning on watching otherwise?
This is the definitive feature setting Bambuser apart from its competitors (namely UStream). The service allows users to broadcast live from their webcam or smartphone directly to a Facebook page, blog, or Web site (or all three simultaneously). To top it off, the service is currently free for personal or commercial use.
While Bambuser's Facebook integration is definitely a major step forward, the service isn't perfect. Although you can technically broadcast from your phone, video can be choppy or delayed unless you have a steady, perfect 3G connection. For this reason, if it is at all possible, I'd highly recommend connecting to a Wi-Fi network.Currently, Bambuser is used primarily by individuals, but the opportunity it offers to brands is too significant for that to last much longer. As brands continue to expand the scope of their presence on Facebook, what role do you see live streaming video playing?
