We will very briefly look at two of the biggest social media video platforms out there for live video: Facebook Live and YouTube Live. StreamingChurch.tv has a live webinar on this topic, February 15th which will go into much more details; you can sign up here for free.
Facebook Live
The Upside – As of October 2022, there are roughly 2.95 billion monthly users on Facebook. Facebook Live is free. You can go live from an individual page, from a group page, or within an event. The main upside of streaming live on Facebook is the built-in audience. If you’ve invested time in building a social media following, it’s a no-brainer to use their platform to live stream. There are other positive things as well which StreamingChurch.tv will address in the webinar mentioned above.
The Downside – One of the main drawbacks is that users cannot index Facebook Live video content. That means that search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo don’t ever “find” Facebook posts. This limitation includes live and archived videos. There are more negative things like your content being censored which StreamingChurch.tv will also address
YouTube Live
The Upside – A win for search ability. YouTube videos show up in search results. That isn’t the case with videos from Facebook Live. Since YouTube is a Google-owned business, videos tend to rank relatively high. Even Bing, Yahoo, and other engines rank YouTube Live videos highly in search results. There are other pluses to this platform that StreamingChurch.tv will address in the webinar.
The Downside – No control of your content. That means that YouTube has the ability to promote your content within its platform or stifle it. They can use your content for advertising purposes. They can restrict your content and take it down. It is their platform, so you have to play by their rules, like Facebook. There are many more negative things as well which will be addressed in the upcoming webinar.
The Bottom line – Both YouTube and Facebook Live have some advantages but also serious limitations, which is why it may be advisable to consider other alternatives when looking for a good streaming platform for your church. A platform that is on your church website without distractions and publishing the content you own.
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, StreamingChurch.tv will host a live webinar called, Should I Still be Streaming to Facebook and YouTube and Why? or Why Not? This 30 minute webinar is free and will cover much more ground on this topic with a time available for you to ask questions. Sign up here.
Since 2001, our expert staff has worked exclusively with churches and ministries around the world. We are more than a tech company. Let us serve you. We are available 7 days a week, even on Sundays. Email us at [email protected] or use live chat at the bottom right of your page.