The Best Way to Use Periscope: 8 Tips for Broadcasters

If you haven't already heard, Periscope is a big deal. Even more importantly, it's here to stay, it's powerful, and you should take advantage of it. I have become a huge fan of Periscope, and for many businesses, it could be a gold mine.

Just tappin' the app and broadcasting is great, and people enjoy it. But with a little extra effort you can turn your "Scopes" into something great. Let's talk about ways you can increase not only your viewer's experience, but ways you can increase your brand exposure and even get leads and customers.

X Tips for the Best Ways To Use Periscope

First, realize that Periscope is about the RAW. If you're going to try and make some super-polished presentation on Periscope, you're putting a lot of effort into the wrong platform. 

Periscope is about conversations, and just like Twitter, it's a great place for brands and their customers, as well as thought leaders and their tribe to have an intimate dialogue.

1. The Title is Everything!

It has to be interesting, compelling and promise value to your potential audience. Don't just throw together a title and expect your audience to jump on with excitement. 

At Lean Labs, we spend quite a lot of time coming up with post Titles. We start thinking of titles as our very first step, and sometimes we're still tweaking them when we're posting the blog into our CMS.

They are that important!

Why? Because no matter how much effort we put into the blog post, if the title doesn't hook the reader, none of that time and effort mattered. It's wasted. Not because the content was bad, but because no one cared about the title, which means no one experienced the great content.

It's the same with any medium, including live broadcasts. Try coming up with 4-5 titles for your next Scope, and see how the extra effort pays off.

2. Be Aware of the Time

In blogging, time doesn't matter - you can publish something at 3 am and schedule it to launch at 1 pm. With live broadcasts, it's not nearly the same thing.

For businesses, consider your target personas. If they are all at work, slaving away, you won't have much success in them catching your broadcast. Maybe doing it in the evening or at lunchtime makes more sense.

Consider the time of day and the audience you want to reach. If you're unsure which time of day is best, do an experiment. This week Periscope at the time you think is best. Next week, schedule them at another time and see what happens. 

After a few tests, you won't have to guess. You will know the best time of day to reach your target audience.

3. Converse - and I'm Not Talkin' About Your Shoes!

Have a conversation.

It's okay to respond to comments while you're Periscoping. Remember, people don't go to Periscope to watch a production. They want behind the scenes, personal, intimate. Where else can you get a celebrity to see your comment in real-time?

When someone asks a great question, go ahead and answer it. Read it out loud. This makes your audience excited and lets them know you're not some preachy robot. You're a real person that knows they exist!

This doesn't mean you have to try and respond to everybody, and if you're in the middle of saying something important, you don't have to stop. But do your best to give your audience a chance to be heard.

It's about an unscripted conversation, not a sermon. So squint those eyes and read those comments!

4. What Do YouTube and Bridges Have in Common?

Yeah, I'm a fan of Internetainers, Rhett and Link. They asked this question in one of their latest episodes, and the hint they give is "The Hobbit."

And the answer is: Trolls!

Don't suffer trolls on Periscope. Don't feed them either. Just tap on them, and block them. Then, move on.

Trolls love attention. When they get blocked with little recognition, they go elsewhere.

5. Don't Waste the Good Content

Any content marketer hates spending time creating something to see it go to waste. Why spend time on Periscope to have that broadcast limp away into forgetfulness?

Record the periscope - there is a setting where you can save it to your camera roll. Another way to record your Scopes is to go to WatchOnPeriscope.com and tune into your broadcast. Then, record your screen.

Hopefully, you'll be able to send your Scopes straight to YouTube one day. But until then, use creativity to save them. Then, upload them to YouTube, embed them on your website, and provide your audience with more content to enjoy!

Michael Hyatt does an awesome job at this. Look how he brands the portrait video from Periscope. This is very creative, and brands that need that extra polish should adopt this method.

6. Consider Your Background - It Matters

Some people put themselves front and center. This is okay for the most part, but notice in the video above how Michael Hyatt puts himself off to the side so he can have some valuable information for those tuning in.

You may not be able to use slides or anything cool like that, but consider what is around you. It matters also to consider your background. 

A plain, white wall is boring!

Do something that doesn't take the attention off of you, but also doesn't make it look like you're in some jail cell with nothing exciting around you.

Also, have good lighting! It's important!

7. Don't Forget the Call to Action

This is so simple, yet so often overlooked by the best of us.

If you want people to "give you hearts," ask them to. Ask them a question where the response is to give hearts: "Do you prefer steak over fish? If so, give me some hearts!"

Before you end your Scope, tell people what they should do. If they liked the Scope, they should subscribe and follow, right? If they like you or your content, tell them to go to your website, subscribe to your list, or visit your store.

If you're a store that sells products, give people an incentive to watch your Scope. Give special deals only to that audience.

Do something that spurs action in the people who tune into your broadcast. It pays huge dividends to have compelling calls to action ready to go.

8. Outline Your Content, Don't Read It!

Please don't read like your a political prisoner reading a prepared statement. It's boring, no matter how much you try to make it exciting.

If you have a topic you are covering, please outline it. Be prepared. Have some notes ready. Don't bore us by not having your thoughts together.

But for pity sakes, don't read! Be normal. Be real. Relax and communicate!

Bonus Tip: If You're a Local Store - Be Local!

My favorite feature is the geolocation - turn it on.

For local stores, this is brilliant! People are interested in Scopes going on close to them. I'm checking Seattle often to see if anyone is broadcasting from my city. Businesses should be capitalizing on this right now!

It's better than a billboard. It's a living, breathing free advertisement where you can offer deals, and answer questions at the same time. 

Let people find you on the map!

How Do You Use Periscope?

Periscope is a relatively new area for marketers. So there may be some tips you've found that are valuable to other marketers. Please let us know in the comments!