Whether it’s browsing through trending tags and people, or chatting with your favorite broadcasters, one thing is for certain: YouNow is all about expressing yourself. The live-stream video chat app and website houses a litany of talented individuals consistently catering to young audiences. It’s a vibrant, real-time community. Paula Batson, vice president of public relations and communications for YouNow, joined [a]listdaily to discuss how they’re targeting millennial engagement the right way.
It’s been just over four years since YouNow launched, and you’re already seeing 100 million user sessions a month. How did you reach this scale so quickly? How did you promote it?
We launched in 2011, but the service took off in the summer of 2014 when we offered an improved mobile experience and adjusted some of the product’s social interaction features.
How is YouNow differentiating itself from the other live-streaming platforms out there?
We’re a platform targeted at the youth, where the focus is on engagement. The product is gamified to increase user interaction. Seventy percent of our users interact with the broadcast. We’re also unique in that we have a built-in revenue model, where creators can earn.
What opportunities are there for brands to reach these audiences on YouNow?
Brands like Wendy’s and AriZona Beverages have contacted our broadcasters directly; we’re happy for talent to bring brands to their broadcasts.
For brands that are particularly interested in the streaming space, what should they know?
They should know that this social network reaches millions of teens and young millennials — an important audience for their brands and difficult to reach via traditional media. It’s also an incredible platform for activations, as on-screen promotions, promoted by the influencer, get double-digit click-throughs. Note that brands need to be authentic and true to the platform, if they’re to succeed.
How big of an impact will streaming have in video in 2016? How is it evolving, and where do you see this going?
Streaming video is already huge. Real-time video enables social network interactions to be more immediate and tactile. Consumers are demanding it, and technology enables it. All the trends Wi-Fi everywhere, mobile usage, video, et al are moving to make live video feedback loops more powerful and bring more users into the live eco system, either as creators, viewers or social engagers.
