Live Streaming on Social: What You Need to Know Part 1

It’s no secret that live streaming has become more front and center during the pandemic and, in the absence of most in-person events, has become an increasingly important marketing tool for brands. To answer how much more interested the social media audience has become in live streaming, ListenFirst is sharing a two part blog post on the topic. In this first post, we’ll discuss what the social media data reveals about audience interest in live streaming while in the second part, we’ll share live streaming best practices by platform.

Here are the three key insights you need to know about live streaming on social media during the pandemic.

Insight #1: The Virtual Version Of Big Cultural Events Are Still Driving Social Media Conversation  

There were 28,181,253 Tweets mentioning the phrases Livestream or Virtual around events, concerts, festivals, and performances between March – August 2020. Those conversations peaked on April 18 when there were 3.6 million Tweets mentioning Livestream or Virtual events, around the World Health Organization One World: Together At Home fundraiser. Other notable peaks included on June 7 when around the YouTube Dear Class of 2020 livestream there were 2.4 million Tweets mentioning Livestream or Virtual events, and on August 22 when there were 1.4 million Tweets mentioning either the phrase Livestream or Virtual around an event, thanks primarily to DC FanDome. 

For brands looking for sponsorship opportunities or just looking to join the cultural conversation, events that previously would have been held in person are still moving the needle on social media. 

Insight #2: There Have Been 159% More Tweets About Live Streaming During The Pandemic 

Between March – August 2020, there were 9,499,384 Tweets mentioning the specific word Livestream, which was 159% more Tweets than mentioned the term during March – August 2019. There aren’t just more live streams being shared during the pandemic; the social audience is also more interested in them overall. 

Insight #3: YouTube And Twitch Is Where The Most Live Streaming Is Occurring, TikTok Has The Most Steaming Related Growth 

Volume of Tweets Mentioning Both A Social Network And ‘Livestream’ During Quarantine 

Methodology: Looking at the number of Tweets mentioning both the word “Livestream” and a specific social network between March – August 2020 compared to the time period of March – August 2019. 

Based on how often Tweets have mentioned a Livestream and a specific social media platform in the last 6 months, there’s no question that YouTube is the social media platform most popular for Live Streaming, followed by Twitch. However, other than Snapchat, all of the social media platforms we tracked were mentioned in at least 130% more Livestream related Tweets during the past 6 months compared to March – August 2019. Additionally, while TikTok historically hasn’t been associated with Live Streaming, during the same time period there was a 756% increase in the amount of Tweets mentioning TikTok and a Livestream, the highest such total.    

Essentially, YouTube and Twitch are the most important social media platforms for live streaming but situationally almost all social media is relevant to live streaming.  

Conclusion:

Based on the substantial increase in audience interest around live streaming during the pandemic, it’s more important than ever that brands have a live streaming strategy. By working with ListenFirst, your marketing team will get the “live” insights necessary to dominate on social media. 

Want more ListenFirst insights around live streaming best practices? Request a demo today!