Periscope Vs Facebook Live: Which Streaming Platform Wins?

For the latest authoritative marketing news, trends, and stats on social media stars and influencer marketing, subscribe to our industry digest newsletter!

Periscope Vs Facebook Live: Which Livestreaming Platform Is Best For Brands

The digital video revolution is here. According to eMarketer, adults in the United States now spend an average of 1.25 hours watching digital video content each day (a 261% increase from 2011), and social media users spend 30% of daily media time on user-generated content like livestreaming videos (Tech.co). For brands looking to capitalize on the growing popularity of live video, Periscope and Facebook Live both offer a way to authentically connect with audiences through branded content or sponsored influencer marketing campaigns.

To help companies decide which livestreaming platform is best suited to their individual goals and marketing strategies, we offer a direct comparison between Facebook Live and Periscope.

[Tweet “U.S. adults spend 1.25 hours watching digital video content every day. Leverage this today:”]

Why Livestreaming Is Gaining Popularity With Audiences & Brands

A trend best illustrated by the meteoric rise of Snapchat (which champions on-the-fly, in-the-moment content), today’s social media audiences desire authenticity, relevance, and immediacy above all else. Through livestreaming platforms like Periscope and Facebook Live (and a host of others, including Twitch, YouTube Connect, Live.ly, and YouNow), users can experience events immediately, as they happen, and do so knowing that each piece of video content is created without multiple takes or post-production edits.

For brands, livestreaming video content offers a way to reach audiences like never before. Both Facebook Live and Periscope allow companies to cultivate meaningful relationships with consumers by granting exclusive and/or intimate looks at company culture, production, management, and events. Also, because livestreaming videos facilitate a conversation with audiences (as opposed to traditional advertising, which does not allow for consumer interaction), brands are able to engage with users in real-time and receive immediate feedback regarding products, services, important decisions, and more.

Which Livestreaming Platform Is Best?

Periscope

Periscope was bought by Twitter before it officially launched in March 2015, and the livestreaming app (which integrates seamlessly with a user’s Twitter account) amassed 10 million active users in its first four months. In December 2015, Apple named Periscope “App of the Year” (New York Times).

Periscope’s best features/benefits include:

The ability to log into Periscope with Twitter account information
A user-friendly interface which encourages engagement via direct interaction with the broadcaster (i.e.”scoper”)
Integration with Twitter that lets users Tweet links to their Periscope session
Over 10 million active users who watch 40 years worth of livestreaming video per day (Tech Crunch)
Livestreams live on Periscope forever unless users choose to make them available for only 24 hours

Related Post: What Is Periscope?

Facebook Live

In response to the growing popularity of livestreaming platforms like Meerkat and Periscope, Facebook Live now offers livestreaming capabilities to the network’s 1.65 billion users. Though Facebook continues to pour resources into the new livestreaming service (through purchases of software companies like MSQRD, for instance), many users find the design and functionality lacking (Tech.co).

Facebook Live’s most noteworthy statistics/innovations include:

Facebook Live can be accessed through any Facebook account
Facebook Live content is available to Facebook’s 1.65 billion users worldwide
According to Time, Facebook is prioritizing Live videos in users’ news feeds, thus boosting video reach
Users watch live videos for 3x longer than regular videos (Social Media Today)
Livestreams live permanently on Facebook unless deleted by user

Periscope vs. Facebook Live: Who Wins?

While Periscope’s simplicity and superior functionality may have won over livestreaming audiences for now, Facebook’s massive user base and nearly unlimited resources make Facebook Live the better choice for brands looking to launch a live video campaign. Because it seamlessly integrates with Twitter, however, Periscope may remain the go-to platform for news outlets who will want to use Periscope’s livestreaming content to increase user engagement.