Inside Facebook

President Barack Obama delivered his State of the Union address tonight, and in addition to the usual televised coverage, CNN streamed the speech live through its Web site with Facebook Connect integration. Those checking out the President’s address were able to log on through their Facebook accounts to provide their own running commentary and check out posts from other Facebook users.

The live streaming on the State of the Union address was similar in nature to some of the other offerings we’ve seen from news outlets, including CNN’s coverage of Obama’s inauguration, which also featured Facebook integration. That event, almost one year ago to the day, drew 2 million updates and signaled the arrival of Facebok interaction with live events broadcast over the Web.

Obama’s Facebook fan page is currently the 4th most popular on the network, and at one time held the top position as the Facebook page with the most fans. The page now has 7.25 million fans, and while it hasn’t seen a big decline, it isn’t growing at the same rate as some of the pages it now trails.

CNN’s Web coverage of the event differed from that found on even its own television network in that it was completely without commentary or “expert” analysis.

After President Obama’s speech and the traditional Republican rebuttal delivered by Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, South Carolina Senator Joe Wilson held a live video forum on his personal Facebook page. Sen. Wilson used the popular UStream service to address several key points from the Obama speech, briefly touching on everything from the expanding deficit to support for the President’s relief for Haiti. He then answered questions that had been previously sent in as well as a few posted during his rebuttal. While we don’t know what Obama’s numbers were, viewership for Wilson’s broadcast peaked at about 400, with many of those tuning in offering words of support during his presentation.

The History Channel is promoting its Ice Road Truckers series through a new game on Facebook. Fans of the show get to drive their own rig and earn money, as well as challenge each other in a bid for the high score. The application’s developers have also built in plenty of opportunities for those playing the game to purchase episodes and DVDs of the series.

The game puts Facebooks users behind the wheel of their own big rig, where they pilot the 18-wheeler across frozen highways to deliver their loads, dodging obstacles along the way. Completing deliveries without causing too much damage to the truck nets users cash that can be used to purchase more fuel, repair any damages and upgrade the rig’s features to improve engine power, traction, braking or load capacity.

Users can challenge their friends to see who can rack up the most points, giving the Ice Road Truckers game a viral element that will help spread word about the television series; there’s also an option to allow The History Channel to post updates in the users’ news feeds. Users also have the option of linking to Amazon and iTunes directly from the game to purchase DVDs and episodes of the series.

The official Facebook page for the Ice Road Truckers TV series currently has 40,000 fans, and has seen steady growth. The page itself is fairly active with user posts, and it offers videos of the program and links back to the History Channel’s Web site for even more content. However, the administrators post sporadically, and there isn’t yet any mention of the game application in the wall posts.

Facebook gave fans of the Golden Globe Awards the opportunity to tune in to the festivities last night through live Ustream coverage that began with red carpet coverage and ran all the way through post-ceremony interviews. Fans were also able to post their comments about the presenters and awards before, during and after the Golden Globes.

The Golden Globes fan page, at www.facebook.com/GoldenGlobes, hosted the live streaming with a Golden Globes Live tab that appeared a few days before the event. Coverage of the awards show started early in the day with interviews, clips of past shows and information on nominees, and continued through the actual presentation with live coverage of winners. In fact, the Golden Globe presentation on Facebook was slightly ahead of the telecast on NBC, so those tuning in to the awards through Facebook were hearing about winners before those tuning in through their televisions.

Hosting live coverage of the awards show gave all fans of the Golden Globes the ability to share their thoughts on the ceremony and its celebrity attendees with just their friends or all Facebook users across the world, but for some it was the only way to catch the show live. Several posts on the wall during the program from international Facebook users expressed their gratitude for the Ustream coverage, as the Golden Globes were not being televised in their countries.

After the awards were over, Facebook users were able to submit questions for the hosts of the coverage to ask winners, and there are currently several clips from throughout the night on the page for those that missed the festivities.

The Golden Globe Awards Show fan page has seen a sharp increase in fan numbers over the last week, as is to be expected as the actual show approached, with total fan numbers currently sitting just shy of 84,000.

Facebook broadcasts of live events have been popular, with everyone from the Jonas Brothers to the NBA and CNN taking advantage of live streaming coverage to reach out to fans and offer them a forum to connect with friends and other users across the world.

Fans of the CW network Facebook page will be able to catch an exclusive preview of the new series “Life Unexpected” on Jan. 11, a week before the series premiere is set to air. According to a post at Broadcasting & Cable, the 10-minute preview will stream through the CW fan page, and is only available to fans of the network.

CW’s Facebook page has around 70,000 fans, and there doesn’t appear to be any information on the page about the upcoming preview. There is already some buzz surrounding “Life Unexpected,” however, as the pilot episode was well received by critics and fans. A few discussions and wall posts are present across the page as fans get ready for the launch of the series. Broadcasting & Cable states that the CW will also be cross-promoting the preview on their Web site, and the network is currently pushing the new program pretty hard through video clips and the show’s own landing page.

Networks are starting to turning to Facebook for exclusive content and early looks at their on-air programs. The most notable instance was NBC running the entire first episode of the new comedy “Community” before the show was aired on the network. Other networks are taking advantage of the interactivity of Facebook for their programs, such as TNT’s use of Connect to allow fans to make comments during last year’s NBA All-Star Game. The CW is also planning to allow fans to post comments around the airing of “Life Unexpected” for the first 24 hours following the preview.

Facebook has become an increasingly important platform for viral online video distribution, and now Facebook has added a small new feature to its video player that should increase the video viewers-to-page fans conversion rate: a “Become a Fan” overlay button.

The new “Become a Fan” button is a nice call to action that will encourage more people who come across Facebook Page videos to establish a longer term relationship with the Page. In order to see the button, you must mouse over the video player, and you must not already be a fan (or administrator) of the Page. When you mouse over the button itself, it expands to show the full “Become a Fan” call to action text. Here’s how it looks:

Overall, this new feature is an added perk that will encourage more Page administrators to upload more videos to Facebook. It should especially benefit musicians, TV shows, and movie studios, who make heavier use of videos for promotional purposes. It may make sense for some celebrities, producers, and brands to encourage fans to distribute their promo videos using the Facebook player, in order to get more Facebook fans wherever the video is embedded on the web. However, we haven’t seen any analytics from Facebook yet to enable you to measure how successful this new feature is.

To dig deeper into Facebook marketing, check out The Facebook Marketing Bible: 50+ Ways to Market Your Brand, Company, Product, or Service Inside Facebook.

Television networks have been taking advantage of Facebook Connect to lure back viewers turning to online forms of entertainment, and several new applications have recently popped up to give Facebook users options for viewing their favorite shows. There’s still a lot of room for improvement, and all the big networks need to do is look around to see how some other brands and individuals are leveraging video on Facebook to increase fans, viewers and business in general.

ABC.com Makes Viewing More Social

ABC scored big numbers this summer when it used Facebook Connect to offer an interactive venue for viewing Michael Jackson’s funeral. Fans of the pop star were able to share comments while watching the performers at the star-studded affair, and the event helped ABC.com grab the highest Nielsen NetRating it’s ever had. ABC Social: Episode Commentary is the latest offering from the network and lets viewers watch shows with the same ability to post comments alongside the video feed, with one of the first integrations happening with the remake of the popular 1980’s series “V”.

Hulu Offers Video From Its Facebook Page

While sites like Hulu are part of the reason people are shutting off their televisions and turning to the internet for entertainment, the bulk of the profitable offerings on the video site are network television programs. Hulu offered early Facebook Connect integrations, letting users share their favorite shows and programs in news feeds. Now the site is offering programming directly from its Facebook page; users can view entire episodes while sharing comments with friends or others viewing the show, as well as share them in news feeds.

Networks Brand Applications To Promote Programming

Some networks are using branded applications to keep Facebook users engaged, relying on the viral nature of the applications to spread word of programming. The USA Network has set up a game arcade featuring characters from some of its more popular original programs, with the capability for Facebook users to log in through their accounts, as well as challenge friends through posts in news feeds. Showtime is also using a popular character to connect to Facebook users — the cable network is giving fans of the show Dexter the chance to “Dexterize” themselves and their friends. The app “slices” their home pages open, delivering one of a few sinister messages, along with programming info and the option of becoming a fan of the show’s Facebook page.

Many television programs with fan pages have been growing in popularity recently, a trend that corresponds with a new season but also points to more users seeking out their favorites on the social network. Users already have plenty of options for viewing and sharing programming through Facebook, as many networks are already using Connect for their own applications.

TV.com, NBC Encourage Fans To Share Favorites Through Facebook

Earlier this year,  TV.com used Facebook Connect to allow users to share their comments about programming on the site through their Facebook feeds. The integration was simple, but the shared content gave TV.com exposure and helped promote the site.

NBC.com launched a similar Connect integration this summer to promote its programming, with the same sharing of network favorites in news feeds. NBC is also working on expanding offerings on its fan page, using Facebook to offer a sneak preview of it new show “Community” earlier this year.

Facebook Helping TV Guide Stay Current

TV Guide also offers an application for sharing favorite programming with friends, as well as links and articles on the TV Guide site. The Connect integration also allows users to add favorites and update their TVGuide.com profile and then relay that information back to their profiles on Facebook, where friends can see common favorites and discover new shows.

Live Streaming Emerging As a Next Step Facebook Video

Some of the latest integrations are using live video streaming, which adds a world of new possibilities for anyone from individuals to TV networks.

Live video streaming on Facebook began to take off with the introduction of Connect late last year. The early leaders in video providers for Facebook were Joost and Vimeo, but now Ustream is the endorsed video provider for Facebook, and online video sites like Hulu are offering more and more content through Connect integration.

Live video integration has evolved to become more accessible through providers like Stickam’s StreamAPI and Ustream. More and more companies, corporations and television networks began using video to stream everything from the 2009 Presidential Inauguration to a Jonas Brothers concert.

Live streaming isn’t just for large events presented by corporations or television networks — anyone can add video to their page using sites like Justin.tv, which gives users the ability to post live video without having to pay large fees for specialized applications. Justin.tv adds a Live tab to users’ Facebook pages to make it easy for interested parties to find video content, thus offering individuals and smaller companies an opportunity to break into the expanding world of video to spread brand messaging.

Facebook’s video offerings are popular not only because of the millions of users already on the site, but because they give viewers the ability to interact with one another by posting comments and sharing reactions to what they are watching. Most of the major events broadcast through Facebook are available through other forms of media, but those other outlets lack the social element that Facebook offers.

Some of the most recent events streaming on Facebook, like a concert series from Austin City Limits and broadcasts of fashion events, are activities that one would usually enjoy live with a friend or group of friends. Live streaming through Facebook gives viewers the ability to enjoy that same social ineraction without having to actually be there. Austin City Limits, for example, is already widely broadcast on PBS, so it’s available to almost everyone with a TV. But with streaming through Facebook and the ability to post comments and share the experience with friends, Facebook users can experience that social element that is such a big part of concerts to go beyond simply hearing or seeing their favorite bands.

Streaming video is also giving networks and businesses further inroads to grabbing Facebook users’ attention, and provider Ustream has been offering its service through Facebook’s “Ustream on Facebook” for several months now with incredible growth since its initiation. Ustream has become increasingly popular among celebrities and influential figures, with everyone from Miley Cyrus to Mark Zuckerburg using the live streaming service to connect with fans and deliver their messages.

Hundreds of events and individuals have utilized Ustream on Facebook to reach more than 4 million total viewers. The program uses an integrated Live tab on the profile page to broadcast special events and video blogs. Facebook has been utilizing Ustream’s service for a while, covering such major events as live concerts and sporting competitions.

Ustream continues to offer brands, celebrities and individuals the opportunity to interact with Facebook users during live events. Ustream on Facebook also offers further interaction with fans by giving them the ability to participate in live chats through Social Stream on Ustream.com.

The Ustream service is free for select brands and partners, and the company continues to take applications to add the service on their site.

Networks Tailor Services To Match Demand

CNN.com had one of the most successful video integrations with its inauguration coverage, and the network is already planning its next move. In a recent interview with NewTeeVee, CNN executive Andy Mitchell revealed that the network is teaming with Facebook again next year for an event that they expect to eclipse the participation during the presidential inauguration.

While CNN also recently laid off members of its streaming news coverage service, it states that the move is actually a precursor to an increased presence online. It’s encouraging to see a network adapting to what users want and how they access video and programming online, as opposed to simply forcing an agenda on users. Television networks that want to get the most from a Facebook presence would be wise to follow CNN’s lead when it comes to online viewing and social networks.

As expected, November 17th is indeed the day that Xbox Live goes social with its latest big update. The popular online console service now has integration into leading social sites Facebook and Twitter.

Currently, the integration for Facebook is not the complete version, so you won’t be playing any FarmVille on your high definition television. However, the Live rendition does incorporate all of your major Facebook site features. From your TV, you can view pictures (which was a personal favorite), see updates, and post to your feed. Granted, it is a bit obnoxious to type with a controller, and not a keyboard, but it is still pretty cool from what we’ve played around with so far.

Another interesting feature is that you can see all of your Facebook friends who are on Xbox Live and all of your Xbox Live friends who are on Facebook (once they have installed it on their console). Of course, this doesn’t mean that your normal Facebook friends list is forsaken. On the contrary, you can see all of them and view all their updates, news feeds, and pictures right from your couch. It’s nothing different, really, from what you can do on the web… except the whole 1080i thing.

Now, if Twitter is more your thing, then that is here too. From here, the integration is a little fuller (but then again, there is a lot less to Twitter than Facebook). Users can tweet directly from their console, see the latest tweets from whom they are following, and even view what trending topics are out there.

Beyond, Facebook and Twitter, the new Xbox Live update has also included Zune and Last.fm. The former allows users to watch high definition, 1080p, television and videos with up to seven friends. Seems minor, but with the digital age bringing people together across the world, it really adds another great means to connect with them. Last.fm, on the other hand is a program that allows you to customize and listen to various radio stations wrought with free music. Users can choose to skip, “ban,” or “love” a myriad of tracks that will allow them to create a mix of music that is perfect for them. In fact, stations can be browsed based on popularity, artists, and for those in the UK and U.S., a gamers-only station filled with popular game soundtracks.

Overall, the new additions to Xbox Live are a phenomenal boost to the console’s social endeavors. Quite frankly, just setting up some gamer music stations led us to an exorbitant amount of procrastination. And that doesn’t include the time it took to play around with Facebook and Twitter. However, the new updates only seem to be available if you own a Gold Membership and not the free Silver Membership. Frankly, this sort of kills a lot of the update.

Microsoft wants the Live service to be more social. To have people do more than just play games on it. However, the people that play games all the time are there to play games, not so much use these new social features (save Zune, perhaps). The people they want to attract – the more casual crowd – is not going to pay for a Gold account when they can get the same social networks for free on the computer. At the very least, Facebook and Twitter need to be made for the free Silver account; otherwise… what is the point? Hopefully that will change, but as it stands, it is still a very cool addition.

Fans of pop culture magazine Entertainment Weekly can use its Facebook page to try and appear in the magazine, by submitting their favorite costume photos for the chance at being featured in an online Halloween costume gallery.

Submissions can come from any Halloween costume, and should at least have some sort of loose affiliation with pop culture. Last year’s entries ranged from a human Facebook account to the most disturbing portrayal of eco-warrior Captain Planet that I’ve ever seen.

There are already quite a few submissions in the EW photo section of their Facebook page — despite the page’s small 4,800 fans. Amongst the many Jokers and Bleeker/Juno costumes, there are some definite gems. Two of my favorites involve a man who loves confetti, and one of the best Star Wars get-ups of all time.

While this contest doesn’t hold the promise of partying with Heidi Klum, it is a fun way to share past costumes and catch a glimpse of some of the imaginative and creepy ensembles that people come up with for Halloween.

Facebook has been pushing its live-streaming video service with companies like Ustream, while also making it easier for users to record or upload their own clips. The whole video focus seems to be paying off, as web measurement firm Nielsen reports today that the site was among the top ten video sites in September.

Facebook had nearly 111 million streams that were watched by 23.1 million unique viewers, Nielsen estimates. So its number of streams watched pales in comparison to most other sites on the list, starting with YouTube, which had 6.69 billion.

However, if you instead look at the number of unique viewers, Facebook is at number three, behind only YouTube’s 106 million viewers and Yahoo’s 30.1 million. Facebook itself grew by 8.6% in September to reach 88.3 million monthly active users, according to the company’s raw, publicly-available data that we analyze. It appears that approximately one quarter of the US Facebook population watched a video on Facebook in September.

AMC Television’s “Mad Men” is as popular as ever mid-way through its third season, and the show continues to grow its fan base through a very interactive Facebook fan page. After some early confusion over how to manage its brand in online communities, AMC seems to have found a good formula for keeping viewers involved and cultivating new fans for the period drama.

The Mad Men official fan page has been growing steadily, with a current following of more than 176,000 Facebook users. The page offers a forum for fans to discuss recent episodes and weigh in on where the story line is heading, with discussions, a blog and a steady stream of fan wall posts.

Many Facebook users have created unique avatars with the “Mad Men Yourself” application, and the illustrated portraits are now all over Facebook and Twitter. Another popular application is “Which Mad Man Are You?”, which presents a short quiz to help match your personality to a “Mad Men” character.

Multiple videos are posted on the Facebook page to help fans catch up on missed episodes and keep them up-to-date on the story, and the photo section is filled with albums of past and recent episodes. Fans have also filled the photo page with nearly 2,000 pictures of their own, showing that there is a healthy level of interaction.

Multiple elements of the Facebook page link back to the show’s official page at amctv.com. The official page features prominent links to the various social network campaigns, including Facebook, along with a well-populated blog and in-depth coverage of the latest episode. Visitors to the page have a huge amount of content at their disposal, and AMC has done an excellent job of cross promoting their various social media campaigns on Facebook, Twitter, iPhone and more involving the show.