What are Periscope and Meerkat? You may have heard of Periscope, especially if you follow business people who have podcasts and such.
Now, when we’re talking about Meerkat, we’re talking about the app. These are live streaming apps. Now, I’m instantly going to discount Meerkat, poor Meerkat because although they’re doing fine I’m sure someone will buy them out eventually.
Periscope was bought by Twitter just before it actually launched and at the time of this recording Facebook live or Facebook mentions has just been called.
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I think they want to call it Facebook mentions which is their version, although it’s only been launched to mega personalities with verified accounts and so.
People like me, simple people like me, can’t get my hands on it but they will get it out to everyone eventually once they’ve found out the glitches.
But Periscope is the fellow at the moment. Meerkat does the same; live streaming app. So in effect or in reality what you can do if you got a Twitter account is just download the Periscope app for free.
It connects with your Twitter account so you press a button to get to Periscope. Once you get there, you simply hold your iPhone in front of you with the camera on you or whatever you want to talk about and then hit broadcast! It’s as simple as that.
Some people hold it pointing at a computer screen if they want to show something on computer.
I’ve seen people use it to un-box a brand new product that they have to review in a post.
Once you end the Periscope, it will go out to anyone on your Twitter stream and if you put your location and people will be looking around, they will just find it.
People will watch your Periscope. It is called scoping. It is going to be huge. It’s an instant hit. If Twitter is going to buy it for a 100 million dollars before it even launches it’s going to be huge!
It is already causing issues with some sports organization. I think the NFL or the NHL have already banned people from periscoping at the games because they want to hold on to all the broadcast rights so they can sell expensive advertising.
As if sitting in the back row of a Hockey game on an iPhone and people are going to be able to watch that and they prefer to do that then watching it on TV.
But I’ve seen Periscopes of people doing speeches at conferences. I’ve also heard of others using it very imaginatively where someone goes to a sales pitch, to pitch to a company and the company have other branches and Periscope the actual sales pitch so that other of their staff and other offices can see the pitch without having to hop on a airplane and come along.
Now on these things, the person giving the talk can talk and do whatever they want but they can’t text or anything but all the people watching can put in text comments.
Now if you get some spammers or nasty people or people swearing or whatever, you can simply click a button and block the people.
To make your Periscope popular, the viewers give you hearts by using their finger and tapping the screen repeatedly. What it does is it gives you hearts and gives you love. The hearts are the way that Periscope knows who the bigger scopers are.
People can also swipe side to side on an iPhone, up and down on an Android I believe and share it on Twitter, share it to their friends and say, ‘Hey come along this is great. Come watch this’.
Now the other thing is this that these live stream events are recorded but they’re only available in the replay for 24 hours. So I advice you get a Katch.me account.
That will link with your Periscope account and will record these. Then you’ll get an embed video which you can put on your website or do whatever with. You can also build or use that or use the link from Twitter and put it into a template and put it up on YouTube.
Personally I wouldn’t put everything on YouTube because these are quite often rough and ready like these podcast videos but Periscope is going to be the business.
Now the reason Meerkat is still around is because a lot of the larger brands, Meerkat was there first but lots of the large brands use it. However, for the masses its just simple to use Periscope with your Twitter account because it gives you an instant audience of anyone who follows you on Twitter.
And same with Facebook. If you have a large Facebook following, if you get on to Facebook mentions, it’s going to give you an instant audience. But, every app is trying to get you on video so that is the way the world is going.
You need to think, “How can I use this for my business?” If you want some top people to follow on Periscope, I’m going to recommend a couple of English guys.
One is Alex Pettitt. Another is Mark Shaw. Both of these guys were around on the day or I’m not sure the day after Periscope was launched so they are originals which means they have a huge following.
They are also very good at it. They scope two or three times a day. I think I’m not sure even more but Alex Pettitt I think has possibly got more hearts than anyone else — something like fifty million.
That’s a lot. So follow them. Another one is Kim Garst. She actually has a product and a free bin. It gives a good summary of what Periscope is.
Wwatch what they do and how to use it because they will give you good advice on some simple simple tips. So remember join up to Katch.me .
Have a little, if you want to say a hash tag or a URL have a little white board and write it on it and have it there ready. Ask people when they are on it to share and explain to them how to share via Twitter while we air on it.
Also ask people to follow you. Explain how to follow so if you go on to this and look me up by the name Jon Butt, and you will find me.
Periscope will tell you when stuff is streaming that you want to follow. It’s clever like that. It’s very addictive by the way I warn you. It’s very addictive.
So tell people to follow you, tell people to share, ask people for comments, ask people questions, give them value. Don’t waste their time. Don’t show them that you watch watching TV, messing about. But give it some personality.
The thing that people like about Periscope is it puts people in the raw. Kind of like this video, no tricks, no special effects. I am out here by the Golf course with a bush behind me or something. I think it is a fur bush.
I’ve got a simple mic on me. I’ve got an iPhone. I’ve got a tripod. I’ve got no lighting, no make up. No honestly I look like this, no makeup. No people here helping me.
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I have no tools whatsoever and that’s the same with Periscope. It’s raw! Yes you can put your make up on, yes you can brush your hair but who cares where you are you can do it from anywhere you’ve got a connection. You will be amazed how many people will follow you.
I, for one, will be putting out material on Periscope and we’ll be putting it out regularly and I will be following the experts and following best practice. I recommend you do to that as well.
Tuesday Toolbox Tip
It is a Tuesday. You will not be surprised when today’s Tuesday toolbox tip is Periscope. You can look at me. I may be giving it a service. It may come up with some fabulous features that make it unmissable but to be honest all I hear about is Periscope. Go for it, try it what have you got to lose? It’s free.
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