Facebook opens its live video-streaming tool to verified Pages

First there were celebrities, then influencers, then nonverified individuals. Today, Facebook is opening up access to its live-streaming service to brands on the social network. Now T-Mobile, Nike, Ford, NBC, the Golden State Warriors, and other savvy businesses will be able to talk to you live — because we all know conversing with our favorite brand rocks.

Facebook Live is only available for those using Facebook for iOS, and in order for a brand to use it, they must first have a verified Page. The company said that sports teams, media companies, and other verified Pages will be able to use the service to “make announcements, share breaking news updates, take fans behind the scenes, host Q&As, and more.”

Until today, Page admins could still leverage Facebook Live, but only if they themselves were verified. But a possible concern among marketers is that the traffic and focus wouldn’t be about the brand, but the individual that’s streaming it — like I would be the focus, instead attention being paid to VentureBeat. Brands are already using Periscope and Meerkat to tell their stories; just this week, in fact, Hulu provided a live stream from its office on Meerkat.

Once a verified Page begins to broadcast, their fans will be notified through notifications and the feed will be broadcast onto users’ News Feed.

So whether it’s for a marketing campaign, a live event such as the ring ceremony for the Golden State Warriors, a behind-the-scenes look at the red carpet at the Star Wars: The Force Awakens premiere, a press conference held by a presidential candidate, or anything else, there are many uses. A subscribe button will also be displayed on live streams to encourage more people to become fans of the verified Page.