Flickr cc: Jösé
Bambuser, Swedish live video streaming service, keeps climbing the online social video ladder by announcing Facebook Fan Page integration. Fan Page integration has been one of the most requested features on Bambuser since enabling broadcasting live directly on Facebook Wall feed for three months ago.
The fact that the service, including Facebook Fan Page integration, is free to consumers and non profit organisations as well as ad free, makes this launch very interesting, thus challenging giants like Justin.tv and Ustream. It was only recently UStream launched its Facebook integration, for time being offered free in an add supported version only to brands, artists and partners – on request. To my knowledge no other service supports live broadcasting including commenting directly on Facebook Wall or Fan Page feed.
What’s neat about Bambuser’s solution is that the broadcast is pushed directly on the Wall and Fan Page feed, no additional clicking on tabs or boxes needed. The Facebook integration is easily done in Bambuser Settings via Facebook Connect by just filling in the Page URL.
The service has today users in over 150 countries supporting live broadcasting from over 200 different mobile devices, as well as from desktop browsers. The Facebook Wall integration in October significantly increased the number of channels created per week, having Facebook now counting for approx. 30% of all the videos viewed on Bambuser. In a tight iPhone race with UStream and Qik Bambuser managed to get their iPhone application approved just before Christmas. The iPhone app immediately made it to top ten downloads in the Swedish App Store, iPhone the most used mobile device for Bambuser, and doubbled the number of channels created per week to 6 000.
Enabling easy sharing across social networks is very powerful, which Justin.tv has also come to experience. It reported 68 percent increase of traffic and doubble the number of links shared since it started using the Meebo tool bar last summer.
With Fan Page integration Bambuser is now able to expand its offer to 1.6 million active Facebook Pages, of which 700,000 are active Pages for local businesses. This will not only going to play an important part for the future growth of Bambuser, but also for the use of social online video as a communication tool for businesses and brands, as Facebook is becoming the premier destination for marketers both in the U.S. and many worldwide markets with its 350 million users.
Facebook reaches currently one third of the population, over 3 million people, in Sweden, establishing it as an important communication channel. With the upcoming Swedish general election this fall, I’m curious to see how the political parties are to utilize online video and Bambuser in Facebook.
Thus, stating the obvious, social media truly is making online video going mainstream.
Paula is online strategist and startup evangelist. She blogs at paulamarttila.com and here at Bub.blicio.us.
Follow her on Twitter: @paulamarttila
Drop her email at paula.marttila[at]gmail[dot]com
