Though live video is far from a new feature on the internet, Facebook’s recent expansion of its video-streaming offerings is forcing many organizations to rethink their video efforts. And the success of early adopters like BuzzFeed is only increasing the pressure.

With conference season underway, Smart Meetings contributor Nina Sayawat advises associations not to overlook this powerful tool, which can expand participation in an event far beyond its onsite attendees. And that potential audience is bigger than ever, thanks to a key change Facebook has implemented.

“In the past, live streams were only available to followers and friends through notifications and News Feed updates,” Sayawat writes. “Now, Facebook has made videos much more accessible by creating a page that displays current live streams and allows users to search for live videos.”

And Facebook’s commenting feature adds new ways for viewers and content leaders to interact. “Viewers can also make comments, which video casters will be able to read and respond to in real time,” says Sayawat. “For example, speakers can do post-speech Q&As to answer any lingering questions.”

With the push to bring conferences further into the digital sphere growing stronger, event organizers would do well to embrace the potential power of Facebook’s latest video tools.

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(Facebook)