The Right Way to Use Real-Time Content in Your Marketing Strategy

If you’re not familiar with it, Periscope is a real-time video extension of Twitter launched in March of 2015.  

Now you might be thinking, “Wow, that is quite some time ago. Why am I just hearing about this now?”  Well, Periscope and real-time social video are finally just starting to gain some traction in inbound marketing.  

This report released in August of this year by the Periscope team shows the slow start for Twitter’s video service. But today, things are a bit different as Facebook’s recent announcement shows that consumers are about to become familiar with real-time video.  The world's largest social network is testing out their live video feature on key (read: celebrity) accounts, but the intention is to bring the feature to you and I.    

This article will tell you what you need to know to starting thinking real-time with your marketing strategy.

Real-Time Video Defined

Real-time video is a new marketing channel, but what is it exactly?

Well, as it sounds, it’s live video, but for the first time it’s in the hands of the everyday consumer who can now be the live reporter of any moment.

Platforms like Instagram, Vine, and Snapchat support the recording and playback of video - they allow you to capture a moment, make it your own, and post it for others to enjoy.

Real-time video is different - it allows you to capture a moment and share it with others live. It offers you the ability to share not only knowledge, but a human-to-human experience (something that is very difficult to achieve in a digital marketplace). Overall, real-time video helps humanize your brand in a way that pre-recorded media or text never could.

The format also allows for valuable engagement. For example, Periscope and Meerkat add the ability for viewers to communicate into their live streams.  If you wanted to host a live question and answer session with your followers, your followers can tweet right into the conversation.

Using Periscope in Your Marketing Strategy

There is one easy question you can ask yourself when determining if real-time video is the best medium for what you are sharing: Would this message resonate better with my buyers if I could say it to them instead of writing it to them?  

The value of using real-time video is it humanizes a traditionally computerized conversation.

Think of the experience of speaking to someone; you can judge their reactions, you can gain their feedback, and you can connect with them personally. You can’t get all this with real-time video, but you can get much closer to it.  

If that is something you wish you could do when sharing online; something your audience will respond to, Periscope may be the right platform for you.  

Using Periscope is a breeze: It’s linked to your Twitter account, so when you go live you tweet out a link to the stream to all your followers.  

Visitors on the app can tweet into the stream, while anyone can view it live on their computer.  Beware though - your broadcast is only available for replay for 24 hours.

3 Different Ways to Start Experimenting With Periscope

1. Live AMA (Ask Me Anything)

Give your viewers the opportunity to ask the questions they have and frame a conversation around them.  Sure, Twitter is already great platform for this type of reach out, but instead of limiting yourself to 140 character, use Periscope to speak to your viewers.

Luke Summerfield, HubSpot’s Partner Program Manager is doing a great job of this with his weekly lunchtime question and answer sessions.

2. Tip of the day

Periscope makes things quick and easy.  I know it takes me longer to frame an email around my thoughts then it does to say them outloud.  Take the 5 minutes every day to share a tip with your following and say hello to someone across the world while you are at it!

3. Behind the scenes

Share what goes on behind the curtain of your website or twitter account.  Developing a groundbreaking product?  Show your followers what a day in the life of making it looks like.