Livestreaming has gained newfound relevance amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Viewership has grown across several platforms and new features are being introduced, expanding opportunities for marketers and creators within this space. Though it’s still an exploratory format for US marketers, influencer marketing is a central component, as creators and celebrities are partnering with brands for virtual events, gaming, and live shopping.
Much like Stories, livestreaming is a way for creators and other influential figures on social media to present content that is often less polished than photos or recorded videos are. Livestreams also give influencers a way to interact with their audience in real time through live chat.
According to a May 2020 survey from GlobalWebIndex and marketing firm Influencer, 37% of UK and US social media users who followed influencers actively watched their live videos. Watching influencer livestreams ranked higher than other popular forms of engagement such as actively watching influencers’ Stories (34%) and watching their long-form videos (26%).