10 Ways to Use Periscope for Your Business

Periscope is the newest social media platform to become popular. What is it and what good is it to your business? Find out here.

It’s the new social media network that’s gaining traction and you need to know how to use it. Periscope is a platform owned by Twitter. According to Twitter the platform now has about 10 million users and nearly 2 million people use the app daily. That’s pretty small when compared to the larger social networks but Periscope represents something more that you should understand for your business.

Times Are Changing

Did you know that standardized test scores now show that peoples’ ability to read and comprehend are at their lowest ever? People are no longer reading as much as they were causing their ability to consume content through text to diminish. In fact, experts predict that within just a few years the Internet will deliver content mostly through media—pictures and video.

What does that mean for you? It means that putting together print advertisements and blog articles will be far less important than your ability to produce engaging imagery—still and video.

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What is Periscope?

Periscope allows you to create live broadcasts of anything. Unlike traditional video that you record and share, Periscope videos broadcast to your followers as it happens. Simply hit the broadcast button and you’re streaming live to people’s mobile devices. On one hand that may seem a bit intimidating but there are plenty of ways to use it for your business.

1. Humanize Yourself

Millennials grew up with social media. They don’t put up with stuffy brands that try to look polished and perfect all of the time. They want to know the real people behind the businesses that get their money even if the real person isn’t as “put together” as some would like.

Use Periscope to show the person you are. If you’re a restaurant, show people the kitchen, for example.

2. Product Demos

If you’re in a retail-oriented business, show off the newest gadget. Every business has people who love to dream about having the best new products but may or may not have the money to do it. They want to know what’s new.

3. How-To Clinics

What’s easy for you is exceedingly difficult for your customers. Unclogging a toilet is easy for a plumber but not for somebody far removed from the plumbing business. What could you show your customers through a live video? People love to do business with people that freely give of their knowledge.

4. On Location

Think about Periscope’s application for Realtors, for example. Weekends are full of open houses but potential buyers can’t get to all of them. What if your company did Periscope walk-throughs of homes over the weekend or any new homes that come to market? Not a Realtor? Think of a similar application for your company.

5. Let People Virtually Attend Your Event

Hosting an industry event? Or speaking at it? Let your colleagues or customers attend with you through Periscope. Of course, you should get the event organizer’s permission first but bringing more exposure to their event is probably worth it to them.

6. Company Meetings

Maybe you have employees or contractors over a large geographical area. Periscope is the perfect way to hold a company meeting that doesn’t involve a lot of two-way communication. Periscope allows people watching to leave comments so you would need somebody helping you but Periscope is free. Those video conferencing platforms can get expensive.

7. Exclusive Offers

Especially since Periscope is relatively new, it’s a great way to set up an exclusive-feeling environment where you can offer discounts and coupons to people who connect with your broadcasts.

8. Customer Service

What if you set up a Periscope broadcast daily or weekly where customers could watch as you answer customer questions about your products or service. Kind of like a video support forum. What an awesome way to educate while being immediately responsive to your customers.

9. Collect Leads

There’s no reason you can’t have a call to action. Have your viewers leave their e-mail address in the comments section for more valuable information.

10. Share It

You have 24 hours to get your live broadcast out to others via social sharing. Push it out to your social media networks and e-mail list so people can see the valuable content you created.

Final Thoughts

Don’t worry about making your content look beautifully produced. Periscope users understand that videos are raw and real. That’s part of the appeal. However, use some basic video rules like good lighting, a steady camera (get a tripod for your phone or tablet) and possibly use headphones with a mic for the best audio quality.

Finally, remember that above all else, quality content is key. If you’re going to ask for your viewers’ time, make it engaging, entertaining, and energetic. Don’t talk about yourself. Use the platform to help them in some way. If you do that, they’ll come back.

Who knows if Periscope will be the next Instagram but for now, it’s growing and it’s early enough that you can find an audience quickly. Give it a try.