The world s biggest publishers are now getting onboard with Facebook Instant Video, Snapchat and other platforms offering them to publish natively, in mobile apps and outside of walled gardens. How do you navigate this integrated video landscape to reach new viewers who will engage with your brand on the platform of their choice The panel includes Juan Bruce, CEO and co-founder of Epoxy; Rebecca Markarian, SVP digital and social media, Ayzenberg; and Frank Sinton, CEO of Beachfront Media, moderated by Jocelyn Johnson, founder of VideoInk.

Johnson led off by asking some key questions. “How do you get your content out there where you can get the analytics What do you want your world to look like in terms of higher engagement with your audience ”

“It’s about what type of content we can produce for which audience, and where that audience lives,” said Markarian.”It’s very much about the people you’re trying to reach, then the platform, then the content.”

“Your audience has decided where they want to go,” said Bruce. “That’s defining where you have to be. The viewer’s going to decide where they’re going to be, and you have to decide whether you’re going to be there or not. Brands have to act like native digital creators and participate where their audience is.”

“Is it better to migrate to different platforms, or choose one and go deep “, Johnson asked. “I think it wasn’t a question of migration, users were already there,” said Bruce. “It was just a question of whether you want to engage. That conversation is already there, are you using the right tactics to connect with them.”

“Audiences can shift quickly to some platform that’s the hot new thing,” noted Sinton. “You really want to go where the audience is, but you need to have a multi-pronged strategy where you have your own platform as well. You have to treat each platform as if it can be shut down tomorrow. You have to be in multiple places.” “Give them what they want, right where they’re at,” Markarian added.

Johnson noted that some surveys showed only about 20% of YouTube subscribers were active, and asked if the panelists agreed with those numbers. “We can tell on the app side some people will get 70% of their viewers to download an app, and some will get 5%,” said Sinton. “You can tell who really has superfans. The important thing is not to just focus on that top-tier creator, but look at who gets the monthly views. Look at the segments and see who the best mid-tier creators are.”

“Can livestreaming finally take off with Periscope and Meerkat, and should brands focus on that ,” Johnson asked. “I would argue it’s already taken off because of Twitch,” said Bruce. “It’s the following and the social mechanic. I’m not going to make any bets on Periscope and Meerkat, but I think livestreaming is definitely here to stay one way or another. There’s a lot of interesting opportunities going on.”

“I would totally agree with that,” said Markarian. “The content is going to get better, and the creators are getting a lot better, and they’re bringing audiences to it. Livestreaming will be the new normal eventually.”

“I’ts going to be here to stay,” said Sinton. “My prediction is iOS 10 will have it built in.”