Signal Winter 2017 Newsletter

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7
Video’s Power Has Grown for Decades
Before there was online video
there was TV, and viewers grew
accustomed to watching filmed and
live images in their living rooms. As
the internet became more widespread,
network-produced TV shows found
a new home, as did videos created by
ordinary people and businesses. At the
same time—throughout the 1990s and
2000s—there was tremendous growth
in the computing power of devices and
in the speed of internet connections.
This established the technological
foundation to display all this new
video content.
Live video is an outgrowth of the trend
that exploded in 2005 when YouTube
launched its video-only website. The
site provided the perfect platform to
watch videos for entertainment, educa-
tion, and news. Now over one billion
people use the site, viewing nearly five
billion videos daily.1
Seeing video’s power and ability to
attract viewers, Facebook ranks video
posts highly within its feed algorithm.
This means if you post a video, it’s more
likely to be seen than a text-only or
photo post. As of February 2017, Face-
book had eight billion video views a day
from 500 million users.2
YouTube, Facebook, and other video
purveyors understand they can bring in
even more viewers, and therefore more
ad dollars, with more video content.
Since live video can be created by anyone
at any time, these sites are encouraging
users to do so by introducing live
streaming features.
Of course, those that use these features
benefit, too, as they explore the many
possibilities of live video. It’s likely to
become an increasingly common way
for individuals and businesses to com-
municate in the years ahead.
1Fortunelords, “36 Mind Blowing YouTube Facts, Figures and Statistics–2017,” , accessed July 27, 2017.
2Eleonora Israele, “Get Camera Ready: Live Steaming is The Future of Social Media,”
why-live-streaming-is-the-future-of-social-media/, accessed July 27, 2017.
QUICK TIP: Think of live
streaming as a window you
can open to allow others to see
your world.
5 Human Needs
Satisfied by LiveVideo
Live video has a way of drawing
people in that goes beyond text,
photos, and regular videos. Why is
that? Experts believe it’s because live
video satisfies these needs:
1. Curiosity about other people’s
lives. We all like to take a peek
behind the curtain every now and
then. Live video is like reality TV
without the editing.
2. Need for inclusion, or FOMO. A
need to feel included and a fear of
missing out (FOMO) are two sides
of the same coin. People can view
live video and be in the know.
3. Desire for connection. Live video
is immediate and as close to being
physically with someone as pos-
sible online.
4. Need to know what happens
next. As with a live sporting event,
a desire to know the outcome
of whatever someone is doing
in a live video broadcast can be
irresistible.
5. Need for instant gratification.
Those doing the broadcasting get to
fulfill their need to connect through
responses to their live stream.