LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) -- A certain live video is all over social media right now. It’s the pregnant giraffe named April who draws thousands of people in to see her every day.
Live videos like this are taking over social media; everything from pregnant animals, eagle eggs almost ready to hatch, even the Broadway Bridge “attempting” to fall down. But what is it that makes people keep coming back for more?
Marketing consultant, Emily Dean, says the videos allow people to have a little bit of fun and move away from some of the negative conversation that's happening online since after the election.
She says Facebook Live is a way for people to feel like they are part of something “in the moment.” Videos like April the Giraffe offer a positive, unique experience people want in on; just like the mom who dressed up like April the Giraffe herself.
“The anticipation of a baby giraffe is something that doesn't happen every day,” said Dean. “It’s something that you wouldn't normally get to see, so there’s just a little bit of joy to be had from viewing that.”
It’s also a strategy organizations and companies know will draw people in. Dean says positive videos with animals or babies help companies decrease their risk of offending someone with the wrong word or the wrong association.
A perfect example of this happened on Tuesday when THV11’s sister station, WTSP in Tampa, posted a video of a pregnant cat from a rescue shelter called Tinykittens. Within a few hours, the video had over 100,000 views and hundreds of people tuning in live.
Dean says you can expect these types of live videos to continue as video becomes the preferred means of communication from all types of brands.
“We’re seeing video take over the digital space because it’s just a better way to communicate,” said Dean.
We have a poll on our THV11 Facebook page asking what popular live videos you have watched. You can participate in the poll here:
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