All eyes are on Periscope. Are yours?

Why Periscope, Why Now

YouTube is not dead, but Periscope is definitely alive. See how important this online video app can be to your immediate social media marketing plans. In case you haven’t heard, online video is climbing the content hierarchy on social media.

With 4 billion daily views, Facebook’s video traffic is a significant indicator that the moving picture is the way to capture your share of audience attention.

Likewise, views on YouTube are in the billions.

It’s safe to say that social media users are into online video.

These numbers didn’t slide by unnoticed by other social media platforms, either. In February of this year, Twitter purchased a live-streaming video app called Periscope.

Today, just over half a year later, the Periscope video app boasts more than 10 million users.

An audience of this magnitude is just one reason why we think businesses and brands ought to consider Periscope for their social media marketing. Here are a few more:

• Relevancy: In its article on the “Power of Now,” think with Google states “What happens in the now—in what Google refers to as "micro-moments"—is often becoming more important than the cumulative effect of our best-laid and elaborate marketing plans.” Creating live-streaming videos with Periscope allows you to offer up real-time content at a moment’s notice, and that makes sense for the customer journey. • Urgency: Speaking of a moment’s notice, that might be all you have to work with when it comes to your audience. Periscope videos have a 24-hour lifespan, so it creates a sense of urgency among viewers to catch that “can’t miss” content. (Note: Videos can be archived on YouTube or Vimeo.) • Personalization: Giving a literal face to your company or giving social media users a look “behind the scenes” or on location makes your brand more transparent and approachable. If you want to increase engagement, demonstrate relevancy, and improve brand loyalty then video marketing with Periscope could be one of the best ways to do it. • User-friendly: By downloading the app on your smartphone or tablet, you can begin taking and uploading video right from your mobile device. The barrier to entry is much lower, because there is no need to hire a professional to create video content. In fact, brand-generated video can come across as much more authentic. • Twitter integration: If you already own a Twitter account, then your username transfers to your Periscope account. This is important for aligning the brand across social media marketing platforms. It also makes it easy for users to find your page on Periscope.

Live-streaming video apps like Periscope are an important consideration for brands engaging in digital transformation. Video that tells a story, demonstrates a product, or broadcasts real-time events is the kind of content that elicits emotion, interest, and loyalty from consumers. And in the new world of digital media where consumers control when and where they view content, brands best be prepared to deliver.