Periscope is today’s hottest new app. But what exactly is it? Periscope is an app that allows you to follow and rebroadcast live streaming video feeds for any event. Simply put, Periscope users can either become viewers of other users’ content or live broadcasters. Becoming your own media source has never been easier…
There is no better time to get involved in the Periscope adventure. Like its competitor Meerkat, the Periscope app has been phenomenally successful, and promises increased visibility on social media. The advantage of Periscope is that the service is owned by Twitter… As soon as you have your single account on the network, you can get started. Here are our tips.
What is Periscope for?
Since its launch at the end of May 2015, Periscope has been available on Android smartphones after the initial fanfare of its launch on iOS. This mobile video streaming app has been wildly successful, and rightly so. Periscope’s first objective is to increase the size of its audience. Demand for live streaming is growing. Internet users and social media buffs are big fans. Video content is already popular; live streams are really beginning to take off. This means it’s important you are part of this movement, or you run the risk of falling behind your competitors. Video is stronger live, and is becoming a useful tool for winning over new customers.
Inviting your audience to follow live feeds is equally useful for making the ties between company and customer closer and stronger. It is an excellent way to tell beautiful stories that convey the spirit of your company to your customers, to share a conference or a company highlight, or just to unveil what goes on “backstage”. These close ties are appreciated because they break traditional codes of communication. Choosing a live stream means you are the one creating the event: from the product announcement to the demo, as well as long-distance customer support, everything is possible. Periscope allows companies to share, consult and involve its customers and partners in a project. Do you like the idea of live-streaming the key stages of a project’s development to get your customers involved? Be careful of the tool’s limits, however. Your competition could also keep an eye on your progress and use Periscope as a back door, an indiscrete eye peering into your company while you are at the controls. It’s up to you to strike the right balance.
Our advice for using Periscope well
Taking part in the Periscope adventure, as with any other social network, requires you to learn a few tricks and social codes to best reach your target audience. Here are some basic rules you should follow.
Choose the times you post
Like on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or any other social network, the notion of timing is extremely important. Study the times and days when your target audience is most active on your social networks, on Twitter in particular. This will tell you when to schedule your live Periscope sessions.
Locate your live stream
make sure that you give the location of your stream. Don’t worry: Periscope defines very broad locations.
Don’t keep your viewers waiting
If you launch a live stream, get straight to the point to gain your audience’s attention. Right from the outset, you need rhythm and strong messages. What’s more, this hook starts right with the choice of title. You have several options: either you can create some suspense (but take care to reveal some information so your followers are interested by your live feed) or you can apply the “everything is in the title” technique where you immediately announce the crux of your message. This latter method works very well when you are 100% sure that the topic will interest your followers.
Get involved – live
Respond to users’ comments during your broadcast. This is one of the app’s strong points, so your company must play the game. Comments are particularly important for bringing audience and company closer together.
Since Periscope is still working in its early stages, feel free to try innovative approaches and to experiment with the app. For the moment, competition is far weaker than on other social networks – a not insignificant opportunity to make yourself stand out.
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