Periscope: It’s new and it’s hot. If you are not on it, you are missing out on international recognition.
So what is Periscope?
This is a live video streaming application available for IOS and Android developed by Kayvon Beykpour and Joe Bernstein. This application has been purchased by Twitter for 100 million dollars in March 2015.
Periscope basically enables you to go “live” with your mobile anytime and anywhere, and to watch people’s live broadcasts from all over the world. There are approximately 14 million users on periscope with almost 100 thousand joining in every day.
Users of Periscope are able to choose whether or not to make their video public (anywhere in the world) or simply viewable to certain users such as their friends or families.
Periscope allows viewers to send “hearts” to the broadcaster by tapping on the mobile screen if he or she likes the video.
After 24 hours, the broadcast is removed from the application.
Since the month of May, you can only log in with Twitter but with the new update you can now log in with your phone number or with Facebook, proof that Periscope has gone for more accessibility and user friendly.
I) How to get started with Periscope
First of all you need to download the application. You can log in with Twitter, your phone or Facebook but I highly recommend to log in with Twitter as Twitter owns Periscope, they are directly linked. You will then be asked if you want to receive Periscope notifications on your phone, this allows you any time to know when somebody is doing a live stream.
When you click on the little globe, a world map will appear to your screen with small red points: these are all the places in the world when people are live streaming. If you are not particularly interested in finding live streams in a particular location with the map, you have a simple list of the live videos without the map, just click on “list” at the top, next to “map”. The globe gives you two different views of the different events across the world.
When you have access to the video, you then have the possibility to share it: share on Twitter, with all your followers, or specific friends. You can also copy the link and share it now on Facebook with IOS.
To start your own stream, the actions that come up are the following:
– Enable camera
– Enable microphone
– Enable location
you also have the option to make your broadcast private, by choosing only the people and followers that you want to see your live broadcast.
Give your video a catchy title, you can brand it by including emoji’s. Titles can be anything you decide. “First time with Periscope” can be the title of your first video. Don’t forget to include any hashtags important to you.
For your first video, my advice is to do just a quick introduction, say who you are, and make it clear and keep it simple. Every broadcast is available during 24 hours.
If you want to find somebody in particular you can do so in the research bar.
II) What Periscope can bring to your business?
You can indeed use live-streaming to market your business. Periscope is such an innovative and powerful social tool to make your business known and make it grow.
For example you can do:
Live Product Demos: If you’re launching a new product, or if you have a new idea, just share it. Share the characteristics of your new product with your audience on Periscope. You can do an interactive product demonstration by answering questions from viewers. Periscope is also a great way to share relevant news in the industry and about the marketplace. It is also an effective way to get noticed, asking relevant and intelligent questions, and to connect with influencers in your industry.
Periscope is also the opportunity for you to build your mailing list and to attract some more clients to your business, talking about what you do, the book you’ve written, make promotion for your products and services may give people the will to give their email addresses in the comments to sign up.
III) Periscope’s last updates.
Introducing landscape mode
Periscope has just been updated with some new features: latest version of IOS and Android, the possibility to film yourself in landscape mode that is to say with the smartphone horizontally, which enables a better view of the screen. This new update was a response to the community’s demand. People can now hold their phones either in portrait or landscape. Viewers love the fact that the Landscape mode gives more viewing room and looks so much better when uploaded on YouTube. They can continue holding their device in portrait, or match the broadcaster’s orientation to maintain full screen video. Now you will never need again to tilt your head to watch sideways video.
Periscope opens up a bit on Facebook
For IOS only, but soon for Android as well, Periscope has developed the possibility to share the broadcast’s link on Facebook.
You can now share the link to a live broadcast or replay onto Facebook on iOS. To see this option, you’ll need to log in to Facebook from the iOS Settings app on your smartphone. Once you are logged in, open Periscope, view a live broadcast or replay to share and Facebook will be one of the options.
To put it in a nutshell, you absolutely have to download Periscope application. This application is so powerful both culturally (allow you to discover different events all over the world) and professionally. The world is getting easier to make yourself, your company, your products and services known and you can do this by using live streaming talking to potential future clients.
There are a few key profiles to follow on Periscope, you can get from them regular updates as they happen: Kerry Shearer, Official Periscope, Kim Garst.