Just when you thought, “I did it. I am a master of social media,” a new platform had to come along and shake that all up. Say hello to Periscope. The question is – is it just another fad or is it here to stay? Is it something a blogger, a marketer or any human being should be paying attention to? My answer: yes.
If you’ve been living under a rock and need a refresher, you probably have these questions:
- What is Periscope and what does it do?
- Who is Periscope for?
- Can I use it as part of my social media marketing strategy?
Let’s get started, shall we?
What Is Periscope And What Does It Do?
Periscope brings live broadcasting to people and the Internet in real-time at the tap of a smartphone button. The app lets you connect with your audience (and potential audience) at a much deeper level by allowing viewers t interact with likes and comments in real time. Think Taylor Swift and her ‘Swiftmas’ kind of level. Competitor Meerkat wants to know if it’s too late now to say sorry, since users cannot interact in real time using their app.
Who Is Periscope For?
Everyone.
For the people who feel that their moment has finally come as they broadcast live to the world the contents of their fridge or workspace, to the avid concert goers, to Jimmy Fallon. Periscope is still making waves with celebrities and reporters alike. They have taken to using Periscope to cover events like the Mayweather – Pacquiano fight (woo sports!) to the Holy Father coming to my alma mater, Saint Joseph’s University. Basically Periscope can give you the backstage passed you’ve always dreamed of.
Not only is Periscope basically letting you become BFFs with celebrities, it is also helping reporters and everyday people bring you the news. During the Paris attacks, Periscope was used to let others know that loved ones were safe and to help give detailed reports on which areas people avoid and which were safe. Users responded LIVE while broadcasting what was happening. Periscope is forging real life connections and breaking down restrictive creativity walls.
Here are my 3 tips to mastering Periscope:
1. How Do I Get Users to Watch?
Even though people say, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” everyone totally does. The same goes with Periscope. Give your broadcast a clever and attention grabbing title before you start filming. Titles can range from straight to the point, such as “WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE MEMBER OF TAYLOR SWIFT’S SQUAD,” to teaching users how to do something, such as, “LEARN HOW TO PLAY ‘STYLE’ ON THE GUITAR.”
If you are extra adventurous, throw a trending hashtag in the title or a popular emoji or two. (Hello key emoji, thanks to DJ Khaled.) Users will be scrolling through a lot of potential broadcasts, deciding what to watch so you need to be as attention grabbing as Tila Tequila claiming that the Earth is flat.
Make your audience want to tune in and know more about what you’re doing and what you are broadcasting. Kiss the haters goodbye because you are about to leave them in the broadcasting dust.
2. Get The Timing Right
You might need to find a rhythm with your audience, but practice makes perfect. Start broadcasting at different times and take note of what times do better than others. You’ll want to keep your eye out for engagement levels and when they are the highest.
This information will then help you figure out your best time to broadcast and how long your broadcasts should be. Some broadcasts should be short and sweet while others can be a good chunk of time; it depends on the content you are about to show. If it is something like an office tour, keep it quick and moving but if it is a spectators event, keep that camera rolling. Hopefully, by using this rule, you’ll also start to see your audience expand too so you can keep becoming #ScopeFamous. (Coining that if it becomes a thing.) For places like Reading Terminal Market, typical times that work best are breakfast, lunch and dinner and most broadcasts are under five minutes. Because people are hungry and don’t like waiting for food. Duh.
3. Make Your Broadcasts Available On Twitter
Periscope gives users the option of sharing their broadcasts on Twitter and yes, you always should. Periscope and Twitter just upped their game and made it so your Periscope video shows up with your tweet and not just as a link. #genius
To explain this further, as an America’s Next Top Model superfan, when I saw that Tyra Banks was on Periscope, I knew that I could see her “smize” all day long but sometimes I would miss it. Footage is only available for 24 hours after you finish filming and then it disappears; so remember to save that footage to your phone if you wish to use it again! Thank goodness for the save button or we wouldn’t have important videos like which accent Tyra talks better with while modeling.
My Final word: “It’s like REALLY live” – Adele
So even though Periscope is the newest social app on the block there is no doubt that it’s cool and is certainly proving to be popular – especially as the product improves. So while you’re coming up with and perfecting the art of Periscope, I think that the best advice I can give you is to try and make sure that you’re making use of the fact that Periscope is live. Make your marketing reactive on Periscope so it can be purposeful and successfully get the message out through your broadcast. Be the trendsetter that actually makes ‘fetch’ happen. Happy Periscoping!
