By Steve Schwaid, CJ&N VP of Digital Strategies

 

What if I invited you to a Facebook online Super Bowl watch party? You might be intrigued.  An online watch party?

Now, what if I invite you to a Facebook Watch Party for a multi-alarm apartment complex fire?

Really?  A party to watch people and families lose everything they own, and possibly their lives?

But that was exactly my reaction when I got this push alert from a TV station:

I clicked to see what this was all about. It’s from Facebook.

In fact, Facebook is ready to “suggest” more videos for you to watch … other “watch parties.”

Facebook has just introduced this new “feature” Called Facebook Watch Party. It’s an attempt to use your video to create “social” viewing engagements. Facebook is hoping that if you have streaming/live video they can get people to watch your content and get more users to engage with Facebook.  https://techcrunch.com/2018/11/27/watch-party-commentating/

A good idea? For Facebook, yes. For TV stations, not so much.

Here are a couple of things to think about before using this “feature.”

  1. Is “Watch Party” a phrase you want users to see when you invite them to watch live coverage of a weather disaster, live coverage of a crime scene or some other serious news? Of course not. It’s insensitive, inappropriate and may negatively impact viewer perception of your product inviting them to a breaking news “party.”
  2. Would you prefer users watch your live coverage on Facebook or on your own platforms?

The correct answer, of course, is your station platforms. Why give Facebook the revenue advantage?  Instead, put the live stream on your site and just use Facebook as a marketing tool. Put a short clip on Facebook to drive users to your site and use the various push alert tools to drive users to your platform

We’ve learned Facebook is great at rolling out new tools for their benefit. In fact, as we have learned over time, many of these tools are in testing phases. They could be available today and gone tomorrow without notice.

At the end of the day, it’s all about your digital strategy and goals. The focus should always be on your brand and your revenue streams, not those of another social media company.

Want to talk about this?  Send a note to me at sschwaid@cjni.com.