Facebook Video: 1 billion reasons why we're seeing the rise of social video
Techcrunch reported today that Facebook's video platform served over 1 billion videos last month alone. While that pales in comparison to YouTube it is a staggering amount of video for the world's leading social network. Why is video growing so quickly on Facebook? I think it's because the power video has to engage and connect people in an intimate and more emotional way that the status update or wall post ever could. Facebook is all about connecting people and video plays an important role in doing that in a way unlike any other.
Take for example a friend's birthday. You see on Facebook that it's your friend's birthday, click over to their profile and see their Wall covered with birthday greetings. Dozens of them usually. You don't (often) see a video birthday greeting. But try leaving one next time. A short, happy birthday Web cam video greeting will usually elicit a personal response back. While most people will update their status with "thanks for all the birthday wishes!" to thank everyone who wrote on their wall, they will typically (in my experience) reach out personally and thank you for the video message.
There is a connection and an emotional element to video that goes above and beyond anything text can do. And video plays a big role in fulfilling the mission of these social networks by building stronger connections between its members.
It has tremendous implications as well for companies that are interacting with people on the Facebook platform. Companies that truly want to engage with people on these platforms need to get beyond the written word and the "statusphere" to build lasting connections. Video is the perfect opportunity for them to do so.
In order for video to work as a connector though it has to be authentic, engaging and real. It can't be repurposed TV ads (unless those ads are really, really, good). It has to be something that elicits an emotional response if it is going to make an impact on people. That can be humor, trust, compassion, empathy, anger, etc. but it needs to fit the environment that it's in and in Facebook that is about connecting with real people.
What do you think - where does video go in social networks next?
