The Corona Class of Apps
Saying human behavior has changed with the COVID-19 pandemic is an understatement. There are countless examples of emerging behaviors and attitudes—some of which will end when this is all over and others that will sustain over the long-haul. One of the more interesting behavior changes have to do with the apps we’re using to communicate.
Social distancing was met with an almost immediate migration to connecting online. Facebook saw a 50% increase in video calling on its apps, and Facebook Live saw an increase as well. Then there’s the growing interest and usage of Marco Polo, Houseparty and Zoom. Facebook is now less of a platform to share updates and more of a platform to video chat with close connections.
This pandemic led everyone to turn to apps and usage behaviors that have been at their fingertips for years, so the question is whether or not these behaviors are for right now or foreverl? Will we be using these tools the way we are now in one year?
The question has implications for brands and platforms.
For platforms, it means making what was once largely unmonetized to something that is. Most of these new user behaviors like video chats in Messenger and live broadcasts have little ad support. That’s a big deal for platforms that have relied on ads built around content consumption (e.g., in-feed ads). Platforms will have to understand how they can both cater to new user behaviors and meet their revenue goals.
For brands, it means watching, learning and engaging now to prepare for a different future. If user attention shifts to messages, what does your brand’s role look like? If live takes off, what influencers are leading the pack with your audience? As video game streaming goes mainstream, what are you doing to align your brand with streaming entertainment?
We may very well be getting a look at the future now. Facebook’s been preparing for this for some time, hence its growing focus on groups and messaging. Follow Facebook’s lead. Use the present to prepare for the future because behaviors on the other side of the pandemic may look very different.