Periscope For Business – The Complete Beginner’s Guide

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    • Periscope for Business – A Beginners Guide

    New social media apps seem to be introduced daily, and it is often difficult to decide which ones are worth investing time in learning. If any new mobile app is worthy of your attention, it is Periscope.

    Periscope is Twitter’s live streaming mobile app that was released in the spring of 2015. Periscope allows anyone to live stream or scope video directly from a mobile device to a network of over 10 million subscribers. Periscope users are already streaming over 350,000 hours of video per day.

    What is the attraction of Periscope and why are so many people spending time using it?

    I love Periscope because I meet and interact with new people across the world each time I use it. I find Periscope entertaining and educational and it offers a true “social” experience different from the other video apps such as Vine, Instagram, and YouTube. This type of live-streaming video app allows a real-time conversation between the viewer and broadcaster. Periscope offers brands an opportunity to display a refreshing authenticity that users find appealing.

    Many brands have realized the power of using Periscope to engage with customers and fans. For creative examples check out 10 ways businesses use Periscope to attract customers. In this post, you will learn how to activate an account on Periscope and shoot a scope, as well as tools and tips for creating an effective live-stream video broadcast for your business.

    Let’s Get Started

    •  Download the app through the app store for your preferred mobile device.
    • Create your account using your Twitter handle or a new account with your mobile phone number.
    • Periscope migrates your Twitter bio and profile picture automatically. If you have multiple Twitter accounts, you can choose the one you want to use.
    • When you set up a Periscope account using your Twitter account, a link will automatically be tweeted to your Twitter followers every time you broadcast a new scope. This link takes the viewer directly to the app if it has been downloaded or to Periscope.tv (Periscope’s desktop version) to view the scope.
    • You can find people to follow by tapping the people icon on in the upper right corner. This page will open to a list of “Trending” accounts that are Periscope’s most popular users at the moment. Tap the + icon to follow an account. You can also search for a particular Periscope user. Active users are now providing their Periscope handles in their marketing materials.

    Be Sure to Permanently Save your Scopes – Here’s How

    Periscope only keeps a broadcast visible for 24-hours after the initial live stream. To extend this life, you need to save your scope to your device or use a third party service such as Katch.me.

    • Saving your scope directly to your camera roll will preserve the quality of the video. Go to the settings in Periscope and check to make sure that the Autosave Broadcasts feature is turned on.

    To turn on Autosave Broadcasts–

    1. Tap the People
    2. Tap the Profile icon in the top right corner.
    3. Scroll down to Settings.
    4. Turn on Autosave Broadcasts.

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    Power Tip 

    • Katch.me is a third party service that keeps all of your replays in one location and allows you to share, view and download your videos.
    • Go to Katch.me and sign up with your Twitter handle
    • Your scope uploads automatically to Katch.me once it has ended.
    • Katch.me will tweet you a link to watch your replay after you broadcast.

    Pre-Broadcast Preparation Tips

    • Promote your scopes through your social media channels ahead of time. Provide a time, date and a brief description of the content of your upcoming scope. You will get more viewers if you alert your social graph in advance. Periscope users often gravitate to broadcasts with a lot of viewers when they use the app.
    • Establish a goal for your scope. Periscope provides real-time content, and it is valuable to develop a plan before jumping into broadcast a scope. In 10 Ways Businesses Use Periscope, I showcase interesting examples of content, which include tutorials, product announcements and demonstrations and behind-the-scene profiles.
    • Write an interesting title that attracts and hooks viewers.
    • Add hashtags in your title. While hashtags on Periscope are not live, they become clickable and searchable when your scope is shared on Twitter. Hashtags will improve your reach and visibility on Twitter.
    • Prepare an image of all of your social media handles to cross promote your other social media profiles. Show a Word document of your social media handles during your scope to direct your viewers to the platforms where they can discover and interact with your valuable content. If you want to direct your audience from Periscope onto a separate landing page, be sure to include a call-to-action and a URL with your contact information.
    • Plan your engagement with your audience, so they remain interested in your broadcast.
    • Turn off the ringer on your device. If you receive a call during a broadcast, you have 5 seconds to decline the call before your scope is disconnected.

     

    Ready-Aim-Shoot

     Tap the camera icon at the bottom center of the app.

    • Enter your eye-catching title.
    • Turn on the Twitter icon to send out a tweet for your broadcast.
    • Start broadcasting by tapping the red Start Broadcast button.
    • You can shoot a scope in either portrait or landscape mode and change the perspective at any time during the broadcast.
    • Tap the screen twice to switch from the front to the rear-facing camera to demonstrate something to your audience. You can do this right during the broadcast.

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    Marketing Tips to Make Your Scope Effective and Engaging

    • Greet your viewers in the first few seconds and allow some time for your live stream to populate with viewers. Introduce yourself to your early viewers but repeat your introduction as more people join the session. You will receive a notification right on the screen when someone joins the scope.
    • Plan a simple intro pitch that describes what your scope will entail. Providing an outline of your broadcast plan will motivate your audience to stay tuned into the entire live stream.
    • Remind viewers that a replay of your scope is available. This will increase the number.
    • Suggest to your audience that they “heart” your scope if it offered information or inspiration. The number of hearts a scope receives likely influences whether an account makes the “trending” account list. It is also a good indicator for the type of content your audience finds interesting.
    • Monitor and verbally respond to the comments as they appear on your screen. People are looking for engagement as you scope. Do not ignore the comments unless they are inappropriate (Note: you can block an inappropriate viewer by tapping their name then clicking ‘block user’). Periscope users are interested in having a conversation with the broadcaster through comments.
    • Ask questions of your viewers. Your audience is eager to interact; questions are a great way to encourage viewer participation.
    • Create a unique hashtag for your scopes and place it in the title. Unique hashtags for your scopes will create a category on Twitter for anyone who shares your scope. When viewers share your broadcast, the hashtags in the title will become live; this will help you reach a wider audience and gain more viewers from Twitter.
    • Practice makes perfect. You may be nervous when you broadcast your first few scopes, but don’t let that deter you from scoping. The more you broadcast, the more comfortable you will become with live-streaming video.
    • Thank your audience as they arrive. Viewers appreciate a friendly host and will often stay tuned in longer if they hear their name mentioned. The names of your viewers will appear as they enter your broadcast.
    • Ask your viewers to follow you by tapping the icon in the bottom right corner, then tap your name. For live viewers this icon will look like a person while the replay viewers will have a pause button, either of these will show your account name where viewers can follow you.
    • Request a share. Ask your audience to share your broadcast by tapping the icon in the right corner of the screen and pressing the share button. You should thank both live and replay viewers verbally. Thank each person that shares your broadcast, this will encourage your other viewers to do the same.

     

    Metrics & Measurement

    • Check the stats after your broadcast.
    • After your broadcast, the app will provide a list of viewers of your broadcast and identify which viewers gave your scope hearts.
    • Periscope’s functionality is still developing and changing frequently. While there are currently no dedicated services for analyzing Periscope metrics, use these indicators to determine the content that attracts the most viewers. This will help you fine-tune the content strategy for your upcoming scopes.

     

    Must Have Tools for a Professional Scope Periscope3

    Tripod

    Using a tripod to stabilize your device allows you to remain hands-free while broadcasting and prevents your scope from looking shaky. I recommend using a tripod that allows you to change the orientation of your device so you can shoot in landscape or portrait modes. The tripod shown below is excellent for shooting scopes at home or on the go and will keep your broadcasts stable.

    You can purchase the Square Jellyfish Tripod on Amazon for $29.95

    Microphone

    Periscope4The microphone on a mobile device picks up a lot of background noise that can be distracting for your audience.  Use a plug-in microphone to give your scopes clear audio and improve the quality for your viewers. This microphone plugs directly into your device’s headphone jack and clips on to your clothing.

    You can purchase the Rode Smartlav Lavalier Microphone on Amazon for $79.00

    LightingPeriscope5

    Use a lighting attachment to increase the quality of your scope. This simple tool will give your scopes a professional look when natural lighting isn’t available.

    You can purchase the Neewer 32 Pcs Mini LED light on Amazon for $17.90

    Lenses

    Periscope6Use a clip-on lens with your device’s camera to increase the quality of your broadcasts. The Olloclip 4-in-1 lens kit provides an assortment of wide-angle lenses that clip directly to the front or rear camera of your device. A wide-angle lens is better for situations when an expanded range of sight is needed, such as a product demonstration, tutorial or interview.

    You can purchase The Olloclip 4-in-1 on Amazon for $79.99

     

    Sharing your Scopes 

    As you begin to scope regularly, you will accumulate a large amount of video content. This content should also be distributed through your other social media channels. Katch.me allows you to share your broadcast easily to your social networks as well as embed the video to your website.

    • Go to Katch.me.
    • Click the broadcast you want to share.
    • Click the share button.
    • Notice in the picture below Katch.me provides a link that can be copy and pasted, simple share buttons across major social media channels, and an embedded link to share on your website.

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    Keys to Success for Live Streaming on Periscope

    •  Consistent Broadcasting

    Broadcasting on a regular basis will increase your following and strengthen your fan base. By following a “scoping” schedule, your audience will anticipate your next broadcast and appreciate the steady stream of content.

    • Engagement

    Engaging with your audience is essential for building a loyal following on Periscope. To keep your audience attentive, you need to interact with the viewers who comment and allow them to contribute to the content of the scope.

    • Relationship Building

    To build relationships with users on Periscope, you need to visit other broadcasters’ scopes. Comment on other user’s scopes, provide them with hearts and share their scopes on your social networks; many will be glad to return the favor the next time you broadcast.

    Periscope is changing the way businesses interact with their customers and early adopter brands, professionals, companies and nonprofits are seeing great benefits from engaging in this channel. The best way to understand the “Power of Periscope” in generating leads is to download the app and start scoping today. Please share your Periscope handle with me so I can follow your broadcasts.