Twitter‘s video streaming platform Periscope has been welcomed by 10 million users since its March 2015 release. The iOS and Android mobile app invites followers into users’ worlds via live broadcasts, resulting in 40 years of video being consumed every 24 hours. Broadcasts are synched with Twitter and announcements can be published to users’ feeds to alert followers to fresh broadcasts, which can be viewed up to 24 hours later, after which time they disappear from public view.
So what’s the point – or point of difference, you ask? As WIRED explains, Periscope allows followers to participate in broadcasts in real time by asking questions, commenting and liking: “It’s more immediate than Twitter, Instagram, even Snapchat. It’s life, right now, through anyone’s eyes I choose. It’s intoxicating”. Here’s how your wedding business can capitalise on this intoxicating new social media to attract, engage and convert customers with these fun, low-to-no budget Periscope promotional ideas:
Reveals, introductions and industry news
Whether it’s unveiling a new product, giving followers a behind-the-scenes tour of your studio, or introducing a new member of staff, customers thrive on exclusivity and insights into their favourite brands and suppliers. It might look like a boring old workshop to you, but humanising your brand with fans is a requirement, not an option if your business is going to outperform competition. Announcing industry news is another way to encourage fans to check in with you on Periscope regularly, and offering commentary on wedding trends (particularly controversial ones) creates dialogue between you and potential customers, while positioning you as an authority in your field.
Discounts
Offering a Periscope-only discount or special using a code word to redeem an offer rewards customers for following you and encourages them to check back periodically for more great deals. Try announcing a special offer at the same time each week and test the response to this type of repetitive approach. Unique codewords also make tracking the success of your Periscope marketing efforts easy, as each sale made with the tracking code is directly attributable to individual campaigns and products.
Tutorials
Periscope may well threaten the reigning how-to tutorial champion YouTube with its ability to take questions in real time, rather than wait for answers left in the comments. As Business News Daily reports, the “slightly rough- and-ready feel of Periscope makes product demonstrations feel more real and unrehearsed”, showing customers that your product is simple to use and there are no special effects or editing required to make it more appealing or intuitive.
Forums and focus groups
Not sure if you should release a bridesmaid dress collection in citrus gold or peach puff? Throw it out to your Periscope followers and survey your target audience to find out which will be the more popular of the two collections this season.
Live events
Hosting a product launch, fashion show or networking event? Even exhibiting at a trade show presents a great opportunity to show your followers what you’re up to – and what they’re missing out on!
Recruitment
Hiring hair models, an apprentice baker or a full-time photography assistant? Jump on Periscope and list the qualifications, desirable attributes and prerequisites your ideal candidate possesses, then let the Twittersphere take care of the rest. You could even take it one step further and restrict applications to Periscope. Not only will this save you having to trawl through piles of paper applications, but if you’re hiring for a customer service position, you’ll be able to see first hand in a broadcast just how well applicants perform under pressure and their natural ability to connect with an audience. For privacy reasons, you can encourage applications via private broadcast.
Interactive Q&As
What could be more transparent than taking questions in real-time during a live broadcast? It’s a true demonstration of your expertise, your broad industry knowledge and confidence in your product or service to be able to field unfiltered questions from a range of prospects. You could even invite a former client to appear in a Periscope broadcast and respond to questions as a case study example of someone who has dealt with your business before and experienced first-hand your product or service in a real-life wedding.
The magic of Periscope is that literally anyone with a smart phone and a Twitter account can join the conversations happening on Periscope and view live broadcasts 24/7 from anywhere in the world.with zero production costs or acting experience. In fact, the more raw, the better! Jump online and sign up to Periscope for free to “explore the world through someone else’s eyes”. Let us know your thoughts in the comments – is it really “the closest thing to teleportation?”
