It looks like live video will continue to be the social media content trend of the future.
Tumblr is launching a new live video feature on Tuesday that will compete against other sites, such as Facebook, that already have a similar feature.
First spotted by Twitter user David Chartier on Sunday, Tumblr began teasing the new platform feature via the blog livevideo.tumblr.com.
The blog already features a few promos for the live video lineup that includes a broadcast "from the surface of Mars" at 4 p.m. EDT on June 21, followed by some kind of organizational video that will go live 10 minutes later and a Q&A with New York graphic designer and blogger Adam J. Kurtz five minutes after that. Viewers can also tune in to see a very big thing be inflated in a very small room, learn basketball skills from a Harlem Globetrotter and most interestingly "learn the metaphysical truth about your Tumblr."
From the schedule of video times, it appears that they will be short, sweet and to the point, which can end up being way different from Facebook Live — especially since users who live-stream will probably need to have comments enabled, or else they won't be able to see feedback or hear from those watching. This is one of the reasons it seems a bit strange that Tumblr is launching this feature. The platform doesn't really seem suited for live videos the way many might be used to the way Facebook has Live set up with users able to comment and react, and the broadcaster seeing how many views and comments there are in real-time.
Then again, it's not known for sure how exactly live videos will work or look on Tumblr, so there's a good chance that it will fit right in with Tumblr's other features.
Tumblr hasn't yet officially announced the new feature, but it's also expected to launch a new user interface to highlight the tool.
Also, since it's a platform for bloggers, it could be most ideal place for online personalities and writers to share their opinion on something, show a beauty or makeup how-to or talk directly to their followers about whatever, whenever.
While this may be another way bloggers can connect with the Tumblr community, is it a bit too late, and is this really the right place for live videos?
Facebook isn't the only one with a live video feature; Twitter has one in Periscope, YouTube also has live streaming and Amazon owns Twitch. Should Tumblr have integrated this feature already, and why has it taken it so long to join the party?
In the Yahoo-owned social network's defense, maybe it has been working on a way to make live videos happen for some time now, and plus, it's better late than never. There's a good chance that videos will be the way of the future, with Facebook's VP in Europe Nicola Mendelsohn revealing that the future of the social network will probably be mobile and video-based in five years. Text is out and video is in.
Tumblr users already post photos, memes and GIFs, so as text continues to be a dying trend, thinking in a Snapchat video state of mind might be what the social network needs right now. The problem is the platform isn't the go-to place for videos, so it's not yet clear how — and if — its 555 million monthly visitors will embrace the new feature.
Source: David Chartier | Twitter
