Snapchat vs Live Video Streaming
Every now and then the world of internet marketing gets shaken up. Actually scratch that – the world of internet marketing is perpetually being shaken up. The world of internet marketing hardly ever sits still and is in a state that some people refer to as ‘permaflux’. This is because internet marketing relies on technology and the very nature of technology is to constantly change, develop and progress.
The latest thing to rock the world of digital marketing is arguably live video streaming. Live video streaming does exactly what it says on the tin: it lets you stream video content for people to watch all around the world. The biggest platforms/apps for doing this are Periscope, Meerkat and now Facebook and many people are heralding it as the best way possible to engage with your viewers.
But in some ways, you could argue that Snapchat was doing it first. And you could also argue that Snapchat was doing it better right from the beginning. Let’s take a look at why this argument isn’t as ludicrous as it sounds.
The Benefits of Live Video and Snapchat
The thing that everyone loves about live video is that it allows brands to communicate directly with their audience. The audience can watch something as it unfolds and feel almost as though they’re there with the content creator and in fact they can even participate with that footage by commenting and asking for the camera to be pointed in X direction (for example).
Snapchat does almost all these things. Snapchat of course works by allowing you to film a very short video or take a single photo and then send that to a specific person or a whole list of followers. The content then lasts a couple of seconds before completely disappearing.
This actually means that Snapchat can be used in a very similar way to live video. Something you film on Snapchat can be watched seconds after you film it and that gives it a very live and very personal feel. As with live video, your audience can feel almost as though they’re right there with you filming on location or reviewing your product. At the same time, they can respond by sending you something back – although of course this isn’t quite as immediate as seeing something live.
Where Snapchat Comes Out on Top
But there are some ways in which Snapchat is actually better. For example, if someone isn’t around at the right time to watch your live video then they won’t get to see it on Meerkat. On Periscope they have a short amount of time to catch up. On Facebook they can watch it as a regular video on your wall for a while after – but it loses that feeling of being live and personal.
On Snapchat, this will continue to feel like a personal and almost-live message whenever your audience sees it. And for this reason, 90% of your audience will see everything you post.
Snapchat isn’t quite ‘live video’ – but in terms of engagement and how personal it feels… it might as well be!
