11.09.16
In the last decade, social media platforms have reinvented the way stories are told. For example, we no longer need to rely on traditional media outlets – whether print or broadcast – to tell our clients’ stories. From YouTube to Meerkat to Periscope to Facebook Live, the tools available that enhance our ability to share stories and narratives, as well as reach target audiences, are growing exponentially. And even the newer tools are quickly becoming key ways to consume content. Case in point: Snapchat reaches an astounding 41% of 18-34 year-olds on any given day.
The story is the same with publishing. When Blue Engine was founded, blogs still hadn’t peaked and Twitter had just begun. We can still work with media outlets to publish opinion or editorial content, but we can also place original content on Medium, and promote it across any number of amplification channels.
And while shareable video is dominant today, more and more, we think self-broadcasting live video will become an even bigger part of the future. After all, people spend three times longer watching live video than pre-recorded video. And by putting broadcasting into the palm of your hand (through Facebook Live and other tools), and with the potential to reach even a small slice of Facebook’s 1.5+ billion users, we’re not as dependent on traditional media or subject to technological barriers. Even traditional media outlets are getting in on the action – with The Washington Post creating their own Facebook Live team. President Obama himself said about Facebook’s impact, “As long as it’s on Facebook…people start believing it.”
The era of self-broadcasting and self-publishing has arrived – better believe it.