Got a verified profile on Facebook? You can now reach more people and engage your followers as Facebook has opened up Facebook Mentions and Facebook Live, its broadcasting app to anyone with a verified account.
This means the Facebook Live app, which was previously available exclusively to only celebrities, can be now accessed by public figures and journalists.
In a blog post, Facebook announced that journalists and public figures with verified profiles will be able to use Mentions to:
- Report from the scene and interact with followers live.
- See what people are saying about them and the topics they care about.
- Post publicly or share with their followers.
Facebook Live, which works almost the same way as Meerkat and Periscope, was part of Facebook’s Mentions suite of services. With Mentions, users can share updates across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, see trending stories in one place, and get posts from the people they follow.
Sending a Message to Competition
The decision to open Live to a wider audience doesn’t come as a surprise as the social media company had recently announced its plans to make the app available to all Facebook users with verified accounts. It also sends a strong message that the social media giant is now focusing on leveraging the live component.
It’s worth noting that rivals Twitter and YouTube have been getting quite serious about livestreaming lately. Twitter acquired Periscope earlier this year while YouTube is also testing waters.
Bringing Live Streaming to the Mainstream?
When Facebook introduced advertising, it started out on a smaller scale with a few brands. Inspired by the huge success of its venture, the social networking company eventually started offering the service to everyone. Today, it takes just a couple of minutes to run an ad on Facebook.
With the Facebook Live app, it’s in a similar position right now. By opening Facebook Mentions and Facebook Live to journalists and public figures, it’s aiming to expand its reach, although a large number of users have been left out for now.
In the future, the possibility of allowing every user to stream live on Facebook cannot be ruled out. And when it does broaden the scope further and allow users to leverage its live streaming capability, it could succeed in bringing live streaming to the mainstream.
For now, if you are a journalist or a public figure, verify your Facebook profile and explore the potential of streaming live on Facebook.
Image: Facebook
Ok that’s nice. A giant with some new tactics to capture the market. Carry on lol !
For me, the wait continues even though I have a FB verified profile AND the FB Live feature is available to me, in an official sense. here’s why I say “the wait continues”– I’m still “truly” waiting because it’s iOS only for now. I put my name on the official waiting list, which asked me what Android device I have. Facebook, it would be nice to not wait much longer. just saying.
Aira Bongco
Finally it’s out. I am glad that they now make it available to non-celebs. This is a good tool for marketers to broadcast to their followers. Great job!