Periscope, the live streaming video app purchased by Twitter in February and launched about one month later, is oddly addictive despite the fact that two-thirds of “scopes” seem to be people driving in cars or sitting around their home. There are more valid uses for Periscope and its counterpart, Meerkat, but they have yet to be embraced on a large scale.
Periscope marketing will be in the mix at some point, but to date, businesses make up a small percentage of scopers. Early adopters on the consumer side include some of the usual suspects, including Red Bull and Mountain Dew. Business writers and marketing types have taken notice of the technology and sounded off on the possibilities.
A marketer’s dream
“Marketing executives should be drooling right now. While a traditional tweet might only receive a small click-through rate, a live-stream audience is much more engaged, which presents an opportunity for much larger traffic surges,” says Jonathan Long, founder and CEO of Market Domination Media, in a Huffington Post blog entry. “Companies that really connect with their Periscope audience correctly will build an army of promoters.”
Long suggests companies could Periscope to announce special offers, give behind-the-scenes production facility tours and offer live Q&A sessions with clients and prospects.
“The best way to find out what your customer wants is to flat out ask them. Periscope connects brands to their customers in real-time. This direct-to-target consumer advertising opportunity is priceless. Periscope has arrived and so has live-stream marketing. Companies will need to adapt or be left behind,” Long says.
“It’s safe to say that no other technology is capable of having such a widespread impact,” digital marketing strategist Samuel Edwards stated in a post for Entrepreneur. “The future of Periscope, and live streaming technology in general, is unclear. Will it be a flash in the pan, or will it morph into something transformative? As a business owner or marketer, you have to bet on the latter. The companies that are able to build a strong foundation in the beginning stages will reap long-term benefits down the road.”
Reinforce your authenticity
Commenting on MadeFreshly.com, an online marketing blog, contributor Alyssa O’Sullivan says Periscope provides an important enhancement to the authenticity that other social media marketing platforms have initiated.
“Think of Periscope as a direct window into the unedited world of your business for your customers,” she says. “The authenticity of a real-time broadcast without Photoshop or post-production is a more trustworthy form of brand storytelling that your viewers will believe, connect with and respond to.”
She offers these tips for live streaming marketing:
Create an exclusive experience. People will only follow you if you’re adding something worthwhile to their feeds, which is why you’ve got to offer exclusive experiences.
Embrace the interactivity of live broadcasting. Remember that this new technology is not just a show — your viewers can comment and you can respond right on the air. Research shows people get a psychological lift when they get a shout out on social media.
Involve viewers in brand decisions to boost loyalty. Offer livestreams at decision points during new product development and invite fans to help in the planning — then your new product “baby” becomes their “baby” and they’re emotionally attached.
The good news is both Periscope and Meerkat are cheap and easy tools to use, with little risk and resources needed to experiment with their marketing possibilities.
