Live video is everywhere right now. Twitter’s live streaming NFL games, platforms have been streaming Presidential debates and more and more brands are getting in on the live streaming game. 79% of marketers say they definitely will or might invest in live stream video advertising. That’s huge for technology that was only on the fringes a year ago.

What’s with the hype? Now, live video is mainstream. Users can open Facebook on their phones and immediately be served up live video. Live video has finally achieved scale, and people are embracing it. They watch live streams three times longer and comment ten times more than they do with regular video.

Beyond that, platforms are rewarding live streams. Facebook emphasizes live stream content in its algorithm, creating potential for brands to organically reach customers, connect with them in a live and authentic way, and potentially drive preference.

Live’s Getting Smarter

Live video's been in the experimental phase for some time, and it’s ramping up to being something even more significant as platforms learn how users engage with it and where the gaps might be.

One area was streamers often had to kill time at the beginning of their streams to wait for enough people to join before the real content could begin. There was no real way to get users to join at a specific time and get started right away.

That’s changing for Facebook at least. It now has Live video scheduling that allows streamers to schedule a broadcast, share it and then let people sign up to receive notifications to join. Then they sit in pre-broadcast lobbies before streams start, allowing the streamer to jump right in with the content from the beginning.

Taking Advantage of Live

Scheduling offers a huge amount of potential to build anticipation ahead of a stream. That ability paired with a description that creates interest and captures user attention will help brands bring users into the experience.

From there brands can continue to add scale to their efforts to engage viewers by responding to their comments by name and reminding users to tap the ‘Follow’ button for notifications the next time the brand goes live.

Live’s potential is only growing with new tools that brands can take advantage of. It’s clear these social platforms want live to work, and they’re providing the resources for it to do just that.