How to use Periscope for your Business The Tutorial

What is Periscope?

Unless you have been stranded on a desert Island for the last few months then you can't have failed to notice the buzz and hype surrounding the latest HOT Social Media App, Periscope. Periscope is Twitter’s new live streaming app, it lets you stream video live to your followers, let's your followers interact with your broadcast and then offers playback for up to 24 hours after broadcast. It also offer you the opportunity to save your broadcast for later so you can distribute it after the 24 hours as well.

I don’t know about you but I have been wondering for a while where we are going next with social media and what the next big Social Media hit was going to be and it seems it has arrived in force. With a million users signing up in the first 10 days and now over 7 million users at the last count Periscope is continuing to grow at record speed and it’s taking social media to a new level.

Periscope is not only proving to be great fun but is also offering brands an even better opportunity to connect and interact with their audience in a more personal way and build invaluable relationships and trust. This genius little app lets you either broadcast yourself to your followers or watch broadcasts in a fun, informal and totally unique way. The unique part is that you can interact with the broadcast while you are viewing by commenting and you can also show your love and approval for the broadcast or the broadcaster by tapping your screen which produces a flurry of really pretty coloured love hearts. The broadcaster can see all this action, they can see when anyone joins the broadcast, they can see the comments and hearts which then offers them the opportunity to respond to comments and questions. This functionality is making Periscope a complete hit and totally addictive, users are absolutely loving it.

Here is a little example of a scope showing New York city at 6.35 ( Absolutley love this guy Ron Waxman showing us the New York skyline at all times during the day form 6.35 and onwards )

I think the early success of this app is that it is so easy to use, requires little technical knowledge and the way Twitter has set this up allows you to broadcast to your Periscope and Twitter followers in seconds, The app is so simple to use, you simply sign up, press a few buttons and you are up and running . Your followers will be automatically be notified that you are broadcasting and if you signed up with Twitter then your Periscope link will be automatically tweeted to your followers as well.

So how can this new app be good for Brands and how can you maximise this app to help you grow your business?

Live streaming on Periscope has a multitude of benefits for business and brands . The benefits are endless and even more powerful because the opportunity for relationship building is maximised by the fact that your audience can interact with you while you are broadcasting. Your audience can also interact with each other We all know that one of the best ways to reach your audience and build your audience is through video but this goes one step further. Periscope is like social media on steroids, it really is awesome! However like all social media it is all about relationship building, trust and giving value. It’s not a place to just try push your products all the time, this is just going to bore people and put them off. But it is a place to start getting yourself and your brand known by offering great content and building influence.

So here are a list of benefits for using this app and then further down this page you will find a list of ideas about how to use Periscope to build your business and your brand.

Benefits of using Periscope for Business

1. It’s really easy to use, you can press a few buttons and go, no need for fancy equipment and you do not require and technical knowledge at all

2. Followers and Twitter users are automatically notified when you are broadcasting so it’s easy to build an audience

3. It’s live and people love that, even though there is always a replay the attraction seems to be the live interaction

4. When you broadcast you can interact with you audience live and demonstrate your real passion. This offers your audience a level of transparency that can not be achieved through other forms of social media

5. Your audience can interact and network with each other. They may feel like they are having a true conversation.

6. You can build personal connections and make you as a brand more memorable

7. Your audience can get to know you

8. Your presentation can be as long or as short as you want

9. You can reach people all over the world

10. Like other social networks you can find your ideal customers by working out where they will be hanging out and following them

11. You can target individual users or a small group and have a private session or you can target all you users and have public session.

12. Offers you the opportunity to offer info in a bite size format on a regular basis

13. Provides another way to listen to your audience and find out what they want.

14. Offers numerous ways for you to promote your business without being pushy

How can you use Periscope to build your Business?

Literally there are endless ways you can use Periscope.

1. To connect with you audience in the most personal way and increase your likeabilty

2. Run Q & A Sessions

3. Interview your customers or other experts in your field

4. Show behind the scenes at Trade Shows or Events

5. Demonstrate your products

6. Use it to create Buzz about your next webinar

7. Share your promotions, deals and competitions

8. Introduce your staff to your customers to help build relationships

9. Share your latest news and product news

10. Offer Sneak previews of your products

11. Find out from your customers what they want, Market research

12. Offer regular scopes to inspire your followers.

13 Offer bite size business tips

14. Offer your audience a glimpse of any events you are running. This is especially useful for those that can not attend and can help to promote your next event

15. Promote your YouTube Channel. This is such a great way to promote your channel.

You can do a teaser on Periscope for your video on YouTube. You can upload your 'scopes' to YouTube too,

How to started broadcasting on Periscope and how to grow your audience

1. First download the free app from Google play or iTunes.

2. You can now either register with your Twitter credentials or without and register with your phone number.

3. When you sign up with Twitter it will automatically take your Twitter username, however you don’t have to keep this and you can change this if you want to .

At present you only have this opportunity to change your username and after that you can not. So if you want to grab that one special name (like your own) THEN DO IT NOW . Even if you don’t necessarily want to start using Periscope right away ,its a good idea to grab your name now as when it gets more popular it will much harder to get the name you want. Also REMEMBER once you have created your account it is currently NOT possible to change your username so think very carefully before you press the 'Create your account'.

4. If you don’t have a Twitter account then you can sign up with your phone number, Its really easy. Simply add your phone number and your confirmation number will be sent to your mobile and then you add it and away you go.

5. Once you have created your account by pressing ‘Create Account ‘ you can now create your Bio and add your photo. If you signed up with Twitter then Periscope will import your bio and profile picture. These can be changed. To edit your bio, simply double tap the bio and you can add whatever you want. Even though Periscope does not support website links by offering clickable links, you can still add it ( the simpler the URL the better).

6. To upload your profile photo simply tap on the profile photo and you can choose from your camera roll or take a new one.

Ok so now you have added your profile and your picture now it's time to find followers and people to broadcast too.

How to find Followers on Periscope

As the app matures it will get easier to find who you want to follow. Here are a few ways how to build your audience

1. Announce your presence on your other social media platforms

Your existing customers are by far your most important audience for Periscope. Not only can you build on your existing relationships but also these people are far more likely to be supportive, interact and share your on Periscope . Maybe your followers have not met you in person ( via video) before. This is an excellent way of letting your audience get to know you. Simply write a post telling your followers on Facebook or any platform that you now have an account on Periscope and ask them to follow you. You can continue promoting your account by announcing your broadcasts on other platforms too.

1. Search users in your niche

For starters I would follow some familiar people. Here’s is one you can follow for starters AlexStearnCom ツ

The best way to find followers is to find people in your niche. Find them through search and then click on their followers and then follow people you want to follow. You can follower a handful of your broadcaster's followers while they are broadcasting and they will be notified. If they see you present they may well follow you back. You can easily follow users who are commenting on a broadcast by tapping on their name and it won’t take you away from the broadcast.

2. Follow your Twitter Followers

When someone you follow on Twitter joins Periscope you will be notified and you can choose whether to follow them. You can also follow any of your Twitter followers. However be discerning here , you don't really want to follow for follow as you will be inundated with notifications about Scopes you are not really interested in.

3. You can follow Periscope most loved

These are the people with the most hearts. Following people with large follower numbers may give you exposure but you still may not necessarily attract the right followers. Whether you want to follow these people is up to you.

4. Follow users watching Broadcasts

A great way to find people you resonate with is by following people while you are watching a broadcast. Already a huge amount of networking is going on and you can follow people by clicking on their comment and view their profile. If you think they are a good fit then you can follow and you may find they follow you back.

How to get on the Periscope ‘Most Loved’ List

The people who are at the top of the most loved list are those with the most hearts. Each user has a limit of 500 hearts per broadcast. You can use your hearts on broadcasts and on replays. There are ways to get more hearts and broadcasters are already offering incentives for giving all your hearts away.

Tips for Broadcasting on Periscope

1. Plan your Scope before you broadcast.

You do not need a script but you do need to have a good idea of what you are going to talk about .

2. Set up your location and use a Tripod for your smartphone

It's definitely a good idea to invest in a tripod, only a few dollars. This will stop all the shake and arm ache! Make sure you decide on a location which has good light and where you are comfortable

3. Set up your image for your introduction

Make sure have an attractive and interesting 'cover image' at the start of your broadcast. Your 'thumbnail' is taken at the beginning of your scope. One idea is to create a topic /title on your laptop. An intro image like this is great wen people are joining.

4. Promote your Scope.

You can promote your broadcast before you get started by either Tweeting or posting on Facebook or other social media platforms.

5. Cut out all interruptions.

Before you broadcast make sure you switch on Airplane Mode and switch your wifi on, this way you will not get interrupted with calls. Also it's a really good idea to put your phone on Do Not Disturb mode so you will not get notifications which can be distracting when you are broadcasting. You will find this in your settings.

6. To broadcast simply click on the broadcast icon at the bottom.

You will then arrive on this screen

7. Add your compelling Broadcast Title

Your Title is really important way to gain the attention of your followers. Try and choose a compelling title which will stimulate your audience's curiosity without being misleading. Including emojis will add colour and interest and using #Hashtags in your title can also help to increase your reach on Periscope. Hashtags help people to find what they are looking for on Twitter which will open you up to a much wider audience. You can see what is trending on Twitter search too and use sites like Hashtagify.me to find relevant hashtags. Make sure only you use Hashtags which are appropriate for your content.

8. Choose whether you want to share your location or not

You can choose if you want to share your location or not . Periscope does not offer your exact location anymore so you are safe to add it without giving away your address!

9. Choose to Broadcast Private or Public

If you want to have a private broadcast and broadcast to only a few selected users then click on the padlock icon. This is really handy for testing and practising on Periscope.

10. Choose who can comment

If you choose to click on that icon ( the chat icon above) only people whom you follow will be able to comment on the broadcast.

11. Twitter Icon

If you want your followers on Twitter to be notified then click the bird icon ( shown on image above ) and a tweet like this one will be created automatically for your followers.

12. Block Trolls

Unfortunately you may get some unwanted comments , you can easily block these users just by tapping on their username, you have the option to follow or block. BLOCK BLOCK them.

10. How to Save your broadcast.

Periscope will automatically save your broadcast so it can be replayed for up to 24 hours after the broadcast but if you want to save it for yourself you can turn that function on in your settings and you will be offered the option to save it to your camera roll once the broadcast is over.

13. How to end your broadcast?

At the end of your broadcast you can simply swipe down from the top.

14. How to flip the camera

During the broadcast you can flip the camera so you can go from filming yourself to filming what ever is around you, simply double tap on the screen.

15. Don’t want a replay?

No worries you can find the option to delete the replay after the broadcast.

Tips on how to get the most out of your broadcast

1. Engage with your followers by welcoming them and thanking them for joining sending you hearts

2. Introduce yourself every so often so new viewers who join late can find out who you are and what the subject of the Scope is.

3. Ask your followers to share your broadcast with their followers. This is very simple for users. There is a people icon on the bottom right of the screen, when this is clicked viewers can share the broadcast.

4. Get to the point and give value quickly. I have watched some broadcasts and seen viewers leave quickly when the broadcaster is not getting to the point. Try and keep your broadcast as upbeat and interesting as possible.

5. Ask for hearts. Some people like to do this and some do not. But I don't think there is anything wrong with reminding people to tap on the screen if they like the scope. Some 'Scopers' offer incentives offering a prize for the most hearts. An example would be if you had a large Twitter following and offered the person who gave the most hearts a shoutout. There are other incentives like money off coupons etc. The platform is so new but I am sure some very inventive ways of getting people to send hearts you will emerge :)

6. Before you close ask your viewers if they have any questions. It's all about engagement and offing value.

7. Remind your viewers them to follow you or hold up a piece of card with your URL written.

8. After the broadcast you can watch the replay and follow people who have watched your broadcast by simply clicking on the comments. This really helps you as it's not easy doing this while broadcasting.

How to view interact and gain new followers on Periscope

If you are not quite ready to dive in yourself and broadcast on Periscope you can just enjoy watching and learning until you are ready to take the leap. Watching Scopes is where half the fun is and you can network and gain news contacts too .

1. First of all you will need to download the app from either iTunes or Google Play

2. You can either sign up with Twitter or with your phone number as explained previously

3. Find some users by pressing the People icon at the bottom right and then you can search for people by name or subject. If you signed up with Twitter then you can follow people you are following on Twitter.

4. When you arrive on the app you will be taken to the viewing section ( TV icon) and this will show if anyone is live and will give you a list of most recent broadcasts from the people you are following. To watch simply tap on the broadcast and away you go.

5. You will also be notified with a push notification every time someone you follow is broadcasting so you can hop straight onto the broadcast from the notification. This will also happen while you are watching a broadcast as well. This is where you need to be really discerning about who you follow and make sure you only follow people you are interested in, otherwise you are going to get loads of notifications. This may get quite annoying and you are then more likely to miss the ones you are actually interested in. You can turn Push Notifications off altogether but that may not be the best idea as you may miss some great broadcasts. You can do this in Settings- Periscope-Notifications .

6. So once you are on the broadcast this is where the fun starts :) Assuming that the broadcaster is allowing all users to chat ( the broadcaster can choose to only let this who they follow chat ) You can comment and ask questions throughout the broadcast.

7. You can click on the username of anyone who is commenting and view their profile and then follow if you wish.

8. You can see who is viewing the broadcast by tapping on the number of viewers in the bottom right or by swiping from left to right and you you can also see the title of the broadcast here too.

9. If you like the broadcast and think it will help your followers you can share with them and with Twitter and you can choose to share with specific people as well . Simply swipe the screen form left to right and you will see the share icon.

So that’s it a complete guide on how to use Periscope and what the benefits and the uses are for business. It's still early on so there will be lots more to find out and learn but this will definitley help you to get started.

My best piece of advice is to do a couple of practice runs to a private audience just to get used to using the app. Even though it is straight forward, preparation is everything. When you ready to go with your first scope don't get too hung up on how many viewers and followers you have , everyone has to start somewhere, right!

The more you scope the better you will get at multi tasking and learning how to best engage your audience, it can be a challenge keeping up with the comments, engaging with your audience and keeping on subject.

Good Luck and Have Fun. Please feel free to leave any questions below and hope to see very soon you on Periscope soon. :)