periscope - Express Writers

Is Facebook Live Streaming About to Replace Periscope?

January 1, 2021April 21, 2016 by Adam Oakley

“Live-streaming? What the heck is that?” Well, that totally changed in 2015 when everyone and their brother discovered Periscope and “live-streaming” became a sudden hit – to the tune of millions hitting record. The online marketing community was abuzz about the popularity of Periscope. 10 million users crowded in and started live-streaming the same year it came out (it grew to a million users just 10 days after launch.) Recently, however, Periscope has been the subject of a gradual downfall. There’s a lot of rumored reasons: a lack of communication on Periscope’s part, the bugs in its app that have never been fixed, or the trolls and spam that exists a-plenty in the streams? As it stands now, Periscope looks like it’s about to be surpassed in terms of popularity by a new, yet powerful live-streaming app from a long-standing social giant: Facebook Live. There’s a very good chance that this new live-stream king may well usurp Periscope off of the throne. What’s really going down in the battle between the platforms? Let’s explore. Is Facebook Live Streaming About to Push Periscope Down the Rabbit Hole? Periscope is owned by Twitter. Originally, Periscope was launched as an attempt by Twitter to gain more relevance and compete with other popular livestream apps like Meerkat. According to Hustle, Zuckerburg is going for the throat punch on Jack Dorsey. With all the tremendous power of Facebook, it’s a huge move to open up Facebook Live streaming to the public. And Facebook just did that. The Verdict on Periscope While Periscope enjoyed heavy buzz and widespread adoption in its early days (it was even named the best app by Apple in 2015), the app could be seriously deflating. Here’s just a few reasons why it’s on a downward slide: DailyMail.co.uk said that it’s a “parent’s worst nightmare” Another news site said that with Facebook Live’s launch, and Google offering their own version of live-streaming soon called YouTube Connect, Periscope could die off like Meerkat Chalene Johnson, a NYT Bestseller and Top #10 hottest iTunes podcaster with over 12 million podcast downloads and huge early Periscope fan with hundreds of thousands of followers, recently said in a podcast episode that Periscope is letting her down: it has gone too long without telling us why it was constantly freezing, not fixing a lot of issues, cutting down on the spam (trolls and fake accounts) The fact that you can watch people snort cocaine, a girl DUI’ing (don’t worry: the cops were called on her since she publicly streamed it), and that spam and trolls thrive and exist in every other live stream, well, to put it simply: that doesn’t bode well for Periscope. Spotlight was stolen: For another, Facebook stepped in and stole the spotlight. Facebook Live Stream is an app that the social media giant announced in late 2015 and which has been slowly rolling out over the last several months. Much like Periscope, Facebook Live streaming allows users to share their live videos via the Facebook platform. Just The Technical Side: Periscope’s 5 Worst Problems Don’t forget a whole number of technical problems Periscope has (likely some of the largest reasons for the platform’s downward trend): Freezing. Anyone who remembers Twitter’s infamous “Fail Whale” episodes might not be shocked by the fact that Periscope was freezing on a regular basis. Trolls. According to Business Insider, trolls were one of the most common problems on Periscope. From sexually explicit comments on female users’ profiles to harassment on posts that reached the trending list, many users were driven from Periscope due to bona fide harassment issues. Parents started reporting Periscope to higher authorities when they found their underage kids using Periscope and receiving illicit advances from these trolls. Periscope has came across as a very transparent platform where privacy didn’t really seem like a big deal: you could hit live and broadcast to anyone with very little trouble. Fake accounts. Fake accounts went hand in hand with trolling on Periscope and it wasn’t a problem that even the owners of the platform were unfamiliar with. In fact, even CEO Dick Costolo admitted that the platform “sucks” at dealing with fake profiles and abusive users. Failed notifications. One of the main reasons to join Periscope was to participate in live broadcasts. Unfortunately, however, many Periscope users simply weren’t getting notifications when live broadcasts came on. What’s more, when these users would report the issues to Periscope itself, the platform couldn’t identify the failed notifications and often had no answers for the users. Bugs. Periscope was riddled with bugs that made it freeze, function slowly, and provide a poor user experience. While these bugs may have been simple to fix, Periscope responded slowly or not at all to user inquires. Now, it would be unfair just to blame Periscope only for the bugs or trolling issues (after all, Facebook has dealt with some of the same problems); the issue is not so much the existence of the bugs as it is Periscope’s apparent unwillingness to deal with them as proactively as they’ve needed to. While Periscope users have long since been aware of the platform’s bugs and shortcomings, Periscope itself has seemed virtually oblivious or, at the very least, has failed to reach out and talk to its users about what’s going on internally, which is something Facebook has historically done very well. Perhaps the only plus Periscope does have still going for it, is that Twitter owns it. And with that kind of backing, I suspect it’ll be a good fight before it totally goes down – Dorsey is going to fight for it. (According to Hustle, their latest move is teaming up with GoPro to offer live streaming straight from GoPro’s cameras.) Introducing Facebook Live: A Whole New Way to See the World While Facebook Live streaming and Periscope may look quite similar on the surface, it’s what’s inside that matters. While Periscope is a simple live-stream app that’s connected to Twitter, Facebook Live is a live-streaming app that makes its home on Facebook – which remains the largest social media network … Read more

#ContentWritingChat February 2 2016 Recap: How to Use Periscope and Live Video in Content Marketing with Christoph Trappe

January 1, 2021February 5, 2016 by Rachel Moffett

Did you miss this week’s #ContentWritingChat? Not to worry! We have you covered with our weekly recap of our third-ever Twitter chat, on Tuesday, February 2nd at 10 AM CST. #ContentWritingChat February 2 Recap: Periscope & Live Video with Christoph Trappe Join us Tuesday, February 2nd at 10 AM CST for another #ContentWritingChat. Guest host: @CTrappe. pic.twitter.com/PTBY16g1sl — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) January 26, 2016 Our guest host this week was Christoph Trappe, the creator of the Authentic Storytelling Project, content marketer, a global keynote speaker, frequent Periscoper and blogger, and recipient of The Content Marketing Institute’s 2014/ 2015 Top 100 Most Influential Content Marketer award. We were thrilled to have him on! And, exciting times – once again we became a trending topic in the USA, ranking in at #47 this time! #ContentWritingChat is now trending in USA, ranking 47 — TT Mobile US (@TTMobile_us) February 2, 2016 Known as The Authentic Storyteller™, Christoph is a frequent Periscoper and shared his expertise with us specifically on live streaming video. Q1: Why should marketers join the trend of live streaming video? @CTrappe #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/CDuG0IMTiT — ContentWritingChat (@writingchat) February 2, 2016 People are really engaged with people sharing their expertise on apps likes @periscopeco, @MeVeeApp and others. #contentwritingchat — Christoph Trappe (@CTrappe) February 2, 2016 A1 Simple: it’s huge. Periscope had 1 million users 10 DAYS post launch. Now it’s >10 million. Massive audience #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) February 2, 2016 A1: Livestreaming is an event. People get excited about events. It’s a shared experience by appointment #ContentWritingChat — Michael Kinney (@michaelkinney) February 2, 2016 With the growth of live streaming apps such as Periscope, MeVee, and Blab, many marketers are feeling the pressure to join these platforms. As a marketer, it’s important to be where your audience is if you want to reach them! Live video allows you to better connect with your audience as a brand and on a personal level. Plus, it provides such a great way to engage them when you can get immediate feedback. Q2: What are the best/hottest platforms for live video streaming? @CTrappe #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/MpIHmUHX9F — ContentWritingChat (@writingchat) February 2, 2016 . @MeVeeApp is latest app. I love @periscopeco personally. https://t.co/YTrZXmCVg5 #ContentWritingChat — Christoph Trappe (@CTrappe) February 2, 2016 A2 @periscopeco and @blab are top, IMO #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) February 2, 2016 Our guest host, Christoph, mentioned that his favorite live streaming platform is Periscope. However, you shouldn’t count out the others. You should definitely give MeVee a try and Blab. Blab is great if you’re feeling a little nervous and want to have someone co-host with you. Grenae is right: live streaming is a great way to put a name with the face. Q3: How can live video streaming fit into content marketing? @CTrappe #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/x40vHvGc5s — ContentWritingChat (@writingchat) February 2, 2016 A3: Live video is great addition to a the suite of content you release on a topic. #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/IKSDBEyAKu — Maureen Jann (@MaureenOnPoint) February 2, 2016 A3. An opportunity to connect, build on customer relationship, put name w/ face. More personal #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/58luWNQGWn — Grenae Thompson (@DGGT) February 2, 2016 As Maureen pointed out, live video is just another layer to the content you’re already producing. It provides a whole new way to connect with your audience and get to know them. Strengthen your relationships with your customers, as Grenae said, and your audience is sure to love you. Q4: What are the best practices of “scoping” on Periscope? @CTrappe #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/VA2kDUYMJO — ContentWritingChat (@writingchat) February 2, 2016 Best practices: Be real, share something of value, don’t be annoying. #ContentWritingChat — Christoph Trappe (@CTrappe) February 2, 2016 Best practices are a good starting point, but don’t be married to somebody else’s alleged best practices. #ContentWritingChat — Christoph Trappe (@CTrappe) February 2, 2016 A4: Promote, promote, promote in advance if you want a decent audience. #ContentWritingChat — Michael Kinney (@michaelkinney) February 2, 2016 Do you want to do a better job on Periscope? Take Christoph’s advice: be real! It’s so important to be genuine and show your audience your true personality through your live video broadcasts. When your audience gets to know you and like you, they’ll start trusting you! Michael’s tip of promoting your Periscope broadcasts in advance is fantastic if you want to get more live viewers. If you have a broadcast coming up on a popular topic or are just talking about something you really want your audience to hear, let them know ahead of time so they know when to tune in. Q5: How often should you scope or do a live video? Are there best times or days? @CTrappe #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/X2EllaDcws — ContentWritingChat (@writingchat) February 2, 2016 As my friend @greggweiss has said: The best times to Scope are when you have something of value to say. #ContentWritingChat — Christoph Trappe (@CTrappe) February 2, 2016 A5 I HAVE heard that daily scopers see great results growing an audience base. But again, it’s about sharing quality #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) February 2, 2016 A5. Guess it depends on your audience & message, client availability. Be flexible #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/XHeQjGQgaf — Grenae Thompson (@DGGT) February 2, 2016 Broadcast on Periscope or do a live video stream when you feel like you have something to say. If you have quality material you want to share with your audience, go live. Our CEO, Julia, mentioned that daily scopers are seeing growth, so you may want to ramp up your presence on the platform when you’re just starting out. It will help you be seen and grow your audience quickly. However, you should also keep your audience in mind, as Grenae mentioned. Think about what time it is before you broadcast because you don’t want to go live when a majority of your followers are likely in bed. If you want live engagement, you have to give people the chance to join! Q6: How can you interact with and grow your fan base through live video? @CTrappe #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/AAl48yGpi3 — ContentWritingChat (@writingchat) … Read more

10 Hot Ways To Use Periscope To Promote Your Brand

January 1, 2021September 29, 2015 by Adam Oakley

If you’re not familiar with Periscope, it’s time to learn all about it. Owned by Twitter, Periscope is a video app that allows users to take real-time video and post it to a variety of social media outlets. After originally gaining popularity with a host of diverse companies, Periscope has quickly been hailed as one of the most exciting and effective ways for a company to extend its message and promote a brand. What is Periscope? Periscope is a live-streaming video app that allows people to stream video directly from their phones to anyone who is interested enough to watch. (Note: it’s only available as the app, not on a site currently.) Much like Snapchat except without the annoying immediate delete feature, Periscope is a broadcast platform that allows everyone to become an instant videographer. Twitter purchased the app earlier in the year for a grand total of $100 million dollars and, so far, it’s performing well. Within Periscope, users take videos, stream them out to the world and viewers can “like” and comment on the videos. It all happens real-time. These updates appear as a live-feed on the video screen for the original user to read and interact with. So, basically I can turn my camera on and immediately broadcast, and real-time comments, “hearts” and member names pop up as people join and interact with me. You can “follow” people here, and people can follow you. You’ll even be notified of live shows to watch if your friends say you should watch (it’s an annoying whistle on my phone that I need to turn off, ha). There’s even a map showing how many people are live on Periscope around the globe, like so: I’ve been pretty successful at watching and joining a few Periscopes, and soon I plan to host my own Periscope, answering questions about writing. (Feel free to get in touch if you have some you want me to answer before the show!) I have to say, it’s pretty fun to be on. You can join anyone’s live feed – and anyone can join yours. You can even share after to your Facebook or Twitter and anyone can watch the reply. How much better can instant video get? Some even say it’s more refined and useful than its close cousin, Meerkat. Periscope is a great way for content marketers to effectively promote their company while also making a unique and accessible impression on their audience. 4 Big Brands Using Periscope Although Periscope is new to the game of live video streaming, it’s already garnered a wide variety of followers. Companies have chosen to use the app thanks to its cool features: unlike some of its competitors, Periscope allows users to view archives of video streams, which means that viewers can locate live-stream videos even after the broadcast period has ended. Additionally, the app offers a curated and featured section that displays videos the Periscope team loves as well as the videos that people a user follows have recently interacted with. Because of these features, Periscope has become popular with these companies: 1. Spotify Spotify joined the Periscope community in late March and immediately got down to business by posting a behind-the-scenes video of a performance by popular Irish singer Conor O’Brien, a member of the band The Villagers. The video garnered 382 views during its live-stream period and gained 1,534 likes during that same time. 2. Mountain Dew Mountain Dew hopped on the Periscope bandwagon almost immediately after the app was released, choosing to release a vine-style video called “stop by to say what’s up.” In the video, a girl spells the word “Swag” on a chalkboard in front of a table full of the company’s logo-branded shirts and hats. 3. Red Bull Red Bull is known for being one of the first companies to hop aboard new social media platforms and they didn’t miss a beat when it came to Periscope. The energy drink company streamed its live events from the Red Bull Guest House at Miami Music Week earlier in the year using the app and supplemented its use of Periscope with updates on Twitter and Snapchat. 4. DKNY Known for more than just edgy clothing, this lifestyle brand has begun using live-streaming video as a way to offer customers behind-the-scenes views of the company’s shoots and clothing selection. Specifically, DNKY used Periscope earlier in the year to provide customers and fans with a look inside the company’s closets. This created a frenzy of anticipation among eager customers and was, by all accounts, a very good marketing move. 10 Ways to Use Periscope to Do More Business Most companies are familiar with the ways in which content marketing can be beneficial to businesses, but many people associate content marketing with written content in the form of blogs, articles, how-to’s and answered questions. Content marketing extends to video and visual content, however, and Periscope is a promising tool for any company that wants to promote its brand and reach more customers. Here are the top 10 ways companies can use periscope for business purposes: 1. Use Periscope to Make the Brand Relatable Customers love to feel like they can relate to a given brand. Often, companies can come off as somewhat cold, omnipotent forces without a human face or a personality. Periscope and other live-streaming video services can help change that. Take the Spotify example from above: Spotify is a company that specializes in live-streamed music and thus works closely with musicians. The average Spotify listener, however, doesn’t see that. All the user sees is a list of saved songs and various playlists. By live-streaming their studio session with Conor O’Brien, however, Spotify added a human face and a sense of relateability to an otherwise impenetrable company and, most importantly, allowed viewers to take a peak at what really goes on in the Spotify offices. 2. Use Periscope to Offer Behind-the-Scenes Peeks Much like making a brand relatable serves to produce a stronger brand identification in customers, giving customers sneak peeks of behind-the-scenes action helps make them feel like insiders. It’s a widely known fact that customers love to feel like they … Read more