Now that Facebook has effectively dominated video sharing within the platform, they have added a new feature to help users enjoy a video without interrupting their scrolling.
This floating video feature allows users to detach the video from the player so it “floats”.
Users can drag it anywhere within the browser window. By doing this, a user can watch the video and continue scrolling through the News Feed without interruption.
The first thing that came to mind when I read this news was how Facebook floating video will make branding more effective, especially for certain verticals. Let’s consider music artists for example:
Since the point of uploading a video is to utilize both a visual and audio component, when a Facebook user clicks play and then scrolls down, the artist’s exposure decreases considerably because the visual component disappears. Now, fans can pop-out the video and keep watching while they simultaneously scroll the News Feed.
You can see the positive impact this will have for all brands in the long run. Even if it’s in the users’ periphery, watching the video (vs. only listening to it) is much more desirable from a marketing perspective.
There are a few drawbacks – users cannot drag the floating video outside of the browser. It will also stop playing if you leave the News Feed. Right now, the floating video cannot be resized; and this feature only works on desktop. Since over half of Facebook’s users are accessing the platform via mobile, I eventually expect to see a mobile-friendly version of this feature.
Since Facebook began testing embedded videos about a year ago, and officially released the option to users this March, they have seen exponential growth. Brands have embraced this feature as shown below:
Image: SocialBakers
The floating video feature isn’t visible to everyone yet, but when it becomes mainstream, I expect to see more individual users opting for embedded video vs. the old standard of a YouTube share.
Belle Strategies is a boutique Social Media Marketing company based in South Florida. Our team mixes innovative strategies with attention to detail for an online presence that produces tangible results. For assistance growing your brand on social media, contact us!
Rachel Creveling has 15 years in the industry and is the Owner of Belle Strategies Marketing Agency. As a Digital Marketing Consultant, she helps clients strategically plan and build campaigns based on ROI. Her highly custom consulting method has earned clients including the Hilton Head Wine & Food Festival, Four Seasons Resort and Residences, South Beach Seafood Festival and many others. Rachel’s expertise helps companies push past revenue goals by leveraging their data and identifying areas for efficiency and growth.