3 Steps to a Successful First Periscope Broadcast

Twitter’s new live streaming app, Periscope, is quickly gaining popularity, especially with the online marketing crowd. Periscope’s recently released stats show their audience has grown to over 15 million registered users, and out of those 15 million users, only 1 million are regular broadcasters.

What does this mean for you? If you have a business—and you’ve heard about the recent successes enjoyed by some of the early Periscope adopters—you should make Periscope part of your marketing strategy.

Live streaming, and specifically Periscope, is changing the landscape of social media. Instead of 140 character tweets, or a never seen Facebook update (thanks to FB’s algorithm changes), Periscope is a new opportunity. Live broadcasting brings you, your personality, your brand, and your expertise to life and puts you in your audience’s pocket.

The basic fundamental principal of marketing, known by outside sales professionals for decades, is people are more likely to buy from you if you are someone they know, like, and trust. Live streaming expedites the process by putting you in front of your audience unedited and uncut. The live component makes you, the business owner, more real, relatable, and authentic, than any blog post or tweet you’ve published. Which in turn makes it that much easier and faster for your audience to get to the “know, like & trust” stage of the marketing/sales cycle.

If you haven’t hit the broadcast button on Periscope until now, and would like to join the live-streaming trend, read on for 3 steps to a successful Periscope broadcast:

Step 1: Gain a following:

Have a professional profile. Set up your bio, include your photo, and a link to your website.

Watch others’ live broadcasts and comment. Commenting, especially if your comments add value to the broadcast, gains you followers.

Related Article: 5 Ways to Use Periscope for Your Business

Join Periscope “tribes.” A Quick search on Twitter or Facebook will introduce you to a host of Periscope communities organized to lend support to fellow broadcasters. Joining a “tribe” will help you gain a following, make new connections, and introduce you to a new audience.

Step 2: Prepare to broadcast:

Use a tripod. A tripod or cradle for your cell phone are not a necessity, but will help you feel more comfortable during your broadcast. Not only will you have your hands free as you deliver your content, but a tripod will also limit any shakiness or unnecessary movement of the camera angle.

Focus on audio. Audio quality is the most important aspect of live broadcasting. Always deliver your broadcasts from a noise-free environment. You can go the extra mile by investing in a small microphone, or use your mic ready headphones when broadcasting.

Prepare notes. Before you tap the broadcast button, prepare an outline of your broadcast. What is your topic? What are the key takeaways? And do you currently have a download or article you can point your audience to for more details? Share this link during your broadcast to drive traffic to your website or resource.

Prepare your intro. The intro is the most important 5 seconds of your broadcast. Have your “elevator pitch” ready and use it to introduce yourself in the first few seconds of your broadcast.

Step 3: Broadcasting Live:

Introduce yourself. Include your bio, website link, and any additional ways your audience can connect with you.

Welcome your audience. Use the first minute to welcome users as they enter your broadcast.

Introduce your topic. Provide an overview of the topic your broadcast will cover.

Use your outline/notes as prompts. Keep your notes close to your cell phone so you won’t have to look away to jog your memory. Frequently refer to your notes/outlines to ensure you are not straying from your main topic.

Watch the comments. If you have a lively audience interacting in the comments section, monitor the comments. This is a great opportunity to interact with a new audience by answering their questions and thanking them for their input.

Closing your broadcast. As you near the end of your broadcast, thank your audience for joining you and ask them to follow you if they’ve found the information helpful. Restate your “elevator pitch” and share a link to further info or ways to connect with you.

And smile. Live broadcasting is a wonderful opportunity for small businesses. Leverage this new platform by sharing valuable content, showcasing your personality, and demonstrating your expertise.

Do you use Periscope? What do you think of this list? And do you have any live broadcasting tips you’d like to share with others?

Author: Sam Picarello, an online marketing strategist for women entrepreneurs, delivers marketing and positioning advice through mastermind groups, live workshops, and 1-on-1 strategy consultations.  She can be reached at www.SamPicarello.com or on Twitter @SamPicarello.