First we had photos and videos in the infamous Instagram Stories, then came Facebook live, and now live videos on Instagram are a question of “when” than a “if”.
Since it’s known that Facebook and Instagram often test new features outside of the US, it is no wonder that a live video option surfaced in Russia. An Android user tested a beta version of Instagram where you could make live videos or even schedule them (a feature that was recently added to Facebook Pages).
According to the Russian website, Instagram is testing live video along Stories thus in the upper part of the screen you will see a section dedicated to live videos. And if taking photos seems easy enough, taking live videos is just as well since all you’ll need to do is press ‘Go Insta!’ and the recording will begin. There is no information of where will these video be stored – some say they will only be available in Stories – for only 24h.
For now, Facebook refused to reveal anything either claiming it is a hoax or admitting they were doing tests but something tells me they are still perfecting the app and “chasing” bugs.
And since Stories caught up really fast, a month from its launch, it already had more than 100 million users, it won’t be a surprise that this feature will be embraced in no time.
The feature may be a good idea if you go to a conference, if you film the first steps of your child or if you want to share with the world in real time important events in your life.
What’s next after videos, sponsored posts, Stories, direct messages, photo zoom, horizontal photos, and rearrangement after a popularity algorithm? Live videos aren’t a stretch of imagination. As for what the future holds, I wouldn’t be surprised if marketers and brands ‘convince’ Zuckerberg to allow sponsored live videos.
