Most newsrooms have at least experimented with Facebook Live, but the uses have varied.
New platforms are always a good way to get newsrooms thinking creatively.
NPR got into Facebook livestreams in a big way shortly after the feature was launched. Two months later, they’re talking about how it’s going.
“It’s all part of a bigger mandate at NPR to do more and better live content.”
The first lesson: Don’t go live just to go live. This is a common trap for newsrooms trying new technology. Technology often gives us a solution to a problem we haven’t found yet. That leads to confusion about when and how it should be used. You need to have a purpose and a plan when you decide to go live.
NPR also found a huge audience for live news and explainers. Based on what I’ve seen, I think many newsrooms that have been spending time with Facebook Live have found that there is a large audience there…perhaps even larger than what they’ve previously been able to generate from native livestreams.
Livestreams have been available for longer than the majority of the audience has been looking for them. It’s a technology that, thanks to Facebook, is finally finding mass appeal.
My question: Can that be translated into more popularity for native livestreams (that can be more easily monetized)?
NPR’s final conclusion is that engagement is what matters most. That’s always been the case for Facebook. Engagement is the currency of social. Livestreams need to generate reactions, comments and shares.
How is your newsroom using Facebook Live? How are you using it outside the newsroom (promotions, events, etc.)? Tell us what’s working for you.
Source: https://kylegeissler.wordpress.com/2016/07/10/lessons-about-facebook-live/
