Video continues to overtake the web with Facebook appearing to lead the way. With Cisco forecasting that 80% of all internet traffic will be video by 2019 it’s not hard to see that Facebook will be a major player.

A few recent news items to drive home the point:

• Facebook recently announced it was expanding transparency with its’ metrics so it can be compared more easily with television. The ability for a media buyer to evaluate it like television will put it on a more level playing field. I’m sure Facebook is hoping those TV media budgets follow.
• Industry sources just announced that Facebook will start testing mid-roll video ads, offering publishers the opportunity to insert an ad after the first 20 seconds.  They’ll share the ad revenue with the same split as YouTube (55% to publishers). This will encourage better quality videos that increase engagement (so you stick around) and provide a nice revenue stream if you’re good at it.

Add to those items, Facebook Live (launched April 2016) which allows anyone with a cell phone to broadcast to the world at any time. I encourage those who haven’t seen this to go to the “Explore” menu on the left side of your browser view and go to “Live Video” to see a world map and click on anyone broadcasting.

Implications for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

For an SMB, anyone following you gets a notification when you start broadcasting live about your business. This can truly put you in front of your customers in real time. Think special promotions, grand openings, showroom tours, etc. (For more ideas on how video can build your business see the short video here.)

SMBs can also use the new and improved “write something” section on business pages to promote the latest videos, create an event and more. Also, SMBs should explore developing a brief “explainer” video that shows a prospective customer the value the business provides and the problem it solves. (For explainer video samples and stats click here.)

However, it is critical for SMBs to keep track of performance for all of these activities. Facebook offers some valuable data that can be pulled from organic or paid social media content. Metrics like engagements, clicks, likes, shares, and comments can help businesses refine and distill messages in order to drive more sales.

With the continued growth of online video, who knows, maybe a “Facebook Video Network” won’t be far behind.