What Happened
After introducing a way for users to schedule a live video last month, Facebook has now reportedly started testing a real-time ad product for Facebook Live videos, allowing publishers and brands to advertise their live session to attract viewers as it happens. Facebook declined to share which advertisers and publishers are testing this feature or when this new ad product will roll out. For now, broadcasters can promote their Facebook LIve event via sponsored posts prior to the broadcast or drive viewers to the archived video once the livestream has ended.
What Brands Should Do
This potential ad product should be helpful for brands using Facebook Live to reach a wider audience with their live content. As Facebook continues its efforts to build out its Live video product, early-adopting brands such as Birchbox and Popeyes have been hosting live events on Facebook to engage with fans. As livestreaming continues to take off, brands should consider sponsorships or hosting their own events to reach a live audience.
Source: Digiday
