Periscope Marketing and Sales Ideas
Video content has been on my (and everybody else’s!) radar for a long time. Among the familiar tools that most people have used (or at least bookmarked for future use) are YouTube, Vimeo, Instagram, Vine, and (possibly) even SnapChat. One relatively new tool in the video content production utility belt is Periscope.
Actually there are two new video tools — one of them is Periscope and the other Meerkat. They provide virtually the same function, and although the indie app Meerkat actually launched first, Periscope launched within a few days after and it has the power of the monster micro-blogging platform Twitter behind it. Twitter even made moves to block it’s early-launch competitor from using Twitter’s API as a way to notify Meerkat followers of video content, so Periscope has the edge. Since they both provide essentially the same opportunity to salespeople and marketers, I’m going to address these ideas to Periscope, but you can easily apply them to Meerkat as well. Everyone loves an underdog.
Periscope offers users the ability to quickly and easily do a live video broadcast directly from their mobile device and it viewed by other Periscope users all over the world. Once the live video is over, the recorded session is available (by default) for an additional 24-hours in which people can still view and share it on-demand, a well as “send hearts” (more on that later.) If you turn-off the option for replay, the video won’t be viewable but a summary of the broadcast (title, location, duration, viewers, and heart-count) will still display as a record of your post.
I’m not going to dwell on the “How” of Periscope.
Their app is simple to use and there are plenty on online resources for figuring out the controls (I recommend just diving right in). Periscope isn’t perfect. There are certainly some things I’d like to see the developers change in the next release (pretty much every complaint/suggestion I have has already been mentioned in this post from Scott Kelby), but keep in mind this is virtually still a “1.0” version of the tool and I’m sure improvements are on the way. Think back to Twitter’s early efforts — you couldn’t easily reply directly to other users because they hadn’t implemented the “@” response yet and #Hashtags were still being referred to as “that tic-tac-toe thingy on the phone keypad”. Plus…
This article is more about the Why of Periscope.
Especially in regard to the Sales and Marketing efforts of individual sales reps and solo-preneurs. Periscope can be a game-changer and field-leveler for individuals battling larger competitors, and I think it has the potential to be a break-out tool for finding and connecting with people who want to do business with someone just like you. Besides, ways to use Periscope are still being discovered. These are just a few ideas on why you might want to take the app out for a test-drive and ways you can use this live video tool to deliver value to your clients and prospects.
Marketing and Sales Ideas for using Periscope (and Meerkat)
Public Demonstrations
Use Periscope to create excitement around a live product demonstration. I see this kind of use as the modern embodiment of the product pitchmen and demonstrators that started at carnivals and state fairs, and then later on television (think “Billy Mays”). This doesn’t mean just get on Periscope and do ads for your product. Look up a few examples of Billy Mays’ work on YouTube and study them. They were entertaining, educational, high energy, fun, and funny. People will watch (and share) great product demos. Make yours GREAT.
Private Product Training
Conduct live demos on how to setup or train or conduct walk-throughs on your product with new clients (Periscope has a private/invite-only mode). Make an appointment for this kind of training a standard practice within your proposals.
Celebrate Your Customers
Is one of your customers having a birthday? Did they just get a big promotion? Become a parent or grandparent for the first time? Gather all the employees in your department (or your entire office), invite the client on to a private Periscope session and sing “Happy Birthday” or “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow”, or to simply shout “Hip-Hip-Hooray” and give them a standing ovation.
Want some more ideas for using Periscope?
If you’d like another 10 ideas on the topic of using Periscope (or Meerkat) in your efforts as a professional salesperson or marketer, click over to purchase my latest Five Buck Brainstorm.
For less than 40-cents per concept, you can instantly download a PDF with my personal brainstorm on the topic of using Periscope to increase your client engagement (and your sales!)
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