Did You See That?
These are the stories that caught our attention this week – from Facebook’s hold on live stream video to the revival of film.
Scroll through the roundup to get our take and check out the quotes that grabbed us.
Click the links to follow a rabbit hole of interesting reads.
Roundup:
How Are Internet Users Watching Live Streaming?
eMarketer
By Maria Minsker
We’ve all heard by now that video is going to be the medium of choice for storytelling in 2017. Video’s momentum is increasing as users and millennials in particular have started using video every day on social media. Maria Minsker outlines the results of a research study by UBS Evidence Lab, which show Facebook Live will surpass YouTube in the number of live stream online viewers in 2017.
Facebook introduced live videos back in December 2015, and has since doubled down on its commitment to video, introducing new products and tools throughout 2016. Most recently, the company rolled out a dedicated video tab for the Facebook app to make videos easier to find. This move, according to UBS, is likely to further increase live video viewership on Facebook.
Facebook’s hold as the leading live stream video platform is an incredible feat over the mega video platform, YouTube. While YouTube remains the top platform for video storytelling, Facebook is steadily edging its way into the video playing field with Facebook Live.
This Is Why Film Photography Is Making a Comeback
Time LightBox
By Olivier Laurent
As a professional photographer, I’ll be honest, I’m a film hoarder and I know I’m not the only rare bird out there with a freezer filled with more film than food. When I heard the announcement that Kodak was on it’s way out, I feared the end of an era. Along with my fellow film enthusiasts, I ran to the camera stores, Craigslist and Ebay to stock up before the world ran dry of my favorite medium. In the wake of this mad dash, it became apparent to film companies like Kodak Aliris, Harman Technology and Libris client Fujifilm that there was still a high demand – and in fact, demand was rising.
Editor of Time LightBox Olivier Laurent explains film photography’s comeback:
But in the last three years, companies like Kodak, Fujifilm and Harman Technology, which manufactures the popular Ilford Photo black-and-white films, have been experiencing a comeback. ‘We’re seeing film growth of 5% year-on-year globally,’ says Giles Branthwaite, the sales and marketing director at Harman. ‘Our professional film sales have been increasing over the last two or three years,’ confirms Dennis Olbrich, president of Kodak Alaris’ imaging, paper, photo chemicals and film division.
Professional photographers are primarily fueling this growth, thanks to a new generation of practitioners who grew up with digital but have begun dabbling in film, says Olbrich: “They discover the magic of film photography and many of them simply fall in love with it.”
Why Every Photographer Should Give a DAM
Fstoppers
By Mark Barrows
We loved seeing this post by Mark Barrows pop up on Fstoppers this week. Barrows outlines the importance of digital asset management (DAM) and why every photographer needs to establish a structured workflow.
Aside from being a catchy acronym, Digital Asset Management is an incredibly important concept in the world of digital photography that is too often overlooked.
We couldn’t agree more. DAM is key to powering your brand’s visual storytelling (just look at our case studies!).
Barrows references ASMP DPBestFlow, crafted by Libris founding Product Architect Peter Krogh. The site outlines how to source, name, organize and ultimately find your work, even if you have to sift through terabytes of data. Barrows’ story runs the gamut, highlighting the importance of metadata and reviewing additional system back-up possibilities.
Bonus: Get photographer Stanley Leary’s take on why photographers should “give a DAM.”
Deciphering Influencer Marketing and Content Marketing
Business.com
By Stacy DeBroff
Stacy DeBroff’s piece on influencer marketing and content marketing is an interesting read and a great look at the difference between the two. She also outlines some of the grey areas that might need some further clarification. Most of all, the piece allows you to take a second to breathe and understand what you’re getting into before you stumble upon any unwanted surprises or strained relationships with influencers.
Brands and their agency partners need to realize that for influencer marketing to be at its absolute best and most persuasive — with first-person recommendations that deeply resonate with audiences — then influencers must be allowed to act as free agents and have the flexibility to offer up their own overlay to brand messaging.
When you sign a contract with an influencer, you aren’t entirely in control of content. As a content marketer, that can raise a few hairs on the back of your neck. Do your research, walk through the process thoroughly, and make sure you outline and agree upon asks before signing that contract.
Want to learn more about influencers? Check out these posts:
- Influencer Marketing Lessons Learned Covering Tony Parker’s Basketball Game on a Glacier
- Influencer Marketing Secrets: How Visit Greenland Partners with Social Media Influencers to Generate Buzz and Content
- Influencer Marketing Tip: How Adidas Wows All-Stars with Photo Shoots
Journalism That Stands Apart
New York Times
By Dean Baquet and Joe Kahn
This piece is an outstanding list by the The New York Times about how they plan to increase their visual storytelling in 2017. It’s an honest assessment of the ways that their workflow has been successful in the past and where it needs to improve in the future.
The Times has an unparalleled reputation for excellence in visual journalism. We have defined multimedia storytelling for the news industry and established ourselves as the clear leader. Yet despite our excellence, not enough of our report uses digital storytelling tools that allow for richer and more engaging journalism. Too much of our daily report remains dominated by long strings of text.
The New York Times is a leader in visual storytelling, producing interactive stories like, Living in China’s Expanding Deserts.
It’s incredible to see the brand recommitting to excellence. It’s a reminder that we can all do more in 2017 to share our own stories in a compelling way.
In Case You Missed It
Here on the Libris blog, we shared some visual storytelling trends, tips and tools for 2017, and a roundup of the brands to watch during Super Bowl 51:
- 17 Visual Storytelling Hacks to Power Your Marketing Strategy
- Sneak Peek: 10 Super Bowl 51 Ads You Won’t Want to Miss
Cover photo by Dani Maczynski.