Facebook today has launched its new interactive video format called Premieres, which allows users to share pre-record videos as timed live events.
This format was first announced back in April, but it was limited to a group of creators, publishers and shows. Now it’s available to all global Pages. Facebook is also adding in interactive video polls to more Pages, and making its “Top Fans” label available to all global Pages as well.
Why is it important?
Premieres on Facebook will not only give Facebook content creators more posting flexibility; it will also allow them to build hype. Think about it. Creators can set a date for when their videos will drop, making it easier to promote streams in advance, thus increasing viewership.
Advertisers will also be happy because Premieres comes with ad breaks. Now that the format is opened to global Pages, we can expect the ad opportunities to increase drastically. Sony, BuzzFeed, Oprah Winfrey Network’s (OWN) SuperSoul and Buffalo Bills are brands that already have early access to the Premieres feature.
How Premieres Work
Creators will be able to schedule when their Premieres video will post up to a week in advance. When that’s all set, Facebook will post a placeholder for the video, acting as a reminder for viewers. Followers of the Page can choose to show they’re interested in the video and sign up for an extra reminder to get notified when the video goes live. They can also share the placeholder before the actual video posts.
When it’s time to go live, Facebook says the placeholder will “seamlessly” transition into the Premiere video.
Also Announced
Facebook’s Top Fans and Live Polls will be available to Pages globally. The Top Fans feature lets Pages with at least 10,000 followers award their active fans with a “Top Fan” badge. The Live Polls feature lets creators make a poll during live videos and is now also compatible with the Live API or Facebook’s live publishing tool.
Additionally, Facebook says it’s going to let creators add polls to on-demand videos in the near future.
