Recently Twitter released a new app called Periscope. This new app is designed for live video streaming and offers a chat function for easy interaction, and the ability to save your videos for up to 24 hours. As with other social media platforms, you can build followers; these followers are notified anytime you use Periscope, and can choose to join the live session, or to watch it later.
Alpine Communications has been having fun using Periscope for the last couple of months. I “scope” as AlpinePR about PR tips and tricks. I also have scoped at various conferences, getting live feedback from speakers and attendees. Last month, I scoped at Atlanta’s Health Connect South 2015 and next month, I’ll be scoping for the Health IT Leadership Summit, also in Atlanta. I scoped my presentation to the Univesity of West Georgia’s PR class last week. You can view all my scopes here at http://katch.me/alpinepr.
In addition, Periscope videos can be broadcast anywhere around the globe and viewers can use an in-app chat feature that allows the viewers to interact with those who are in the room “live.” This interactive feature makes Periscope the perfect tool for the business world – regardless of one’s focus.
So why do you need to be using Periscope? Consider these 8 reasons:
- Insider videos – People want to put a human face on businesses. Periscope makes this easy. Even better, because of its design, you can use Periscope to demonstrate your products. Periscope is perfect for showing how your products are made, how they can be used and then to get feedback from your viewers.
- Showcase your knowledge – People want to know that you “know your stuff.”.Periscope offers you a way to have on-site Q&A. It will also hone your communication skills, while showing you are comfortable thinking on your feet to answer those curve-ball questions.
- Focus groups – If you are planning a product release, Periscope lets you get live feedback, which can save you time and money. You can quickly conduct surveys, get user votes, and much more.
- Extend your professional reach – Because viewers can watch from anywhere and on any device with Internet connection, and then have 24 hours to watch the recorded session, you can contact people easily.
- Tutorials – Have a new hire or student that needs help? Then use Periscope to host live training sessions. This is also a way to build brand awareness through offering free Periscope seminars. As Yunche Wilson of WhoRYou Marketing commented when talking about Periscope, “Because you have something of value, people will not only follow, they will tell others about you.” Periscope is way to showcase what you know so that others will want to follow you and learn more about who you are and what you have to offer them.
- Announcements – Periscope is much like a Press Release, it’s just done via live streaming rather than through the printed word. Ultimately, it is no secret that the ability to stream live video has opened a whole new variety of opportunities for businesses. Correspondingly, being able to share announcements in real-time through a video stream has a number of benefits. If you’re wanting to do this through your very own website instead of Periscope then start looking around on the internet for different interactive live video streaming API’s that can be installed to pre-existing applications or websites.
- Exclusive offers – This is a great platform for promoting products or services, or for giving sneak peeks into upcoming sales. Use Periscope to offer special Periscope Only deals, perhaps admonishing listeners to use the tagline, “I heard it on Periscope!” to get the savings. This approach will also allow you to track the effectiveness of your Periscope usage.
- Customer Service – Many of us hate to be put on hold when calling customer service, or to deal with a faceless voice. Use Periscope to offer one-on-one interaction that is informative and – dare it be said – fun.
Periscope is perhaps one of the best new tools available to businesses today. It has so many uses, and these are but a few. If you are already using Periscope, we would love to hear how it is helping your business. If you have yet to experiment with it, why not give it a try? You are likely missing out on a market you had completely overlooked. Have more questions about using Periscope for your business? Give us a call or use the form on our website. We would love to help you promote your business.