Since I’ve downloaded Periscope, my iPhone notifications have quadrupled, but I don’t mind. Periscope is Twitter’s new live-streaming app that allows users to broadcast short, live videos. Well-known brands like Billboard and Mashable are streaming live music performances and tech conferences or seminars, amassing thousands of followers along the way.
Periscope and Meerkat are both live streaming apps that have made it possible for curious people like me to see other people and places around the world in (almost) real time, providing exclusive and behind-the-scenes access. Snapchat is similar to its live-streaming counterparts, except that videos and photos shared within a network disappears after its been viewed. I can watch Paris Hilton explore Dubai via Snapchat, watch staff discussions live from the Buzzfeed office in New York on Periscope or watch kittens playing in San Francisco with Meerkat.
All of this means destination marketers have a huge new opportunity: communicating to people in real time what a destination looks and feels like. Here is how you can use Periscope, Meerkat and Snapchat to market a destination.
What is Periscope, and what are its key features?
Periscope a live-streaming app owned by Twitter, and its integration with Twitter is seamless. When you first open the app, you’ll see a list of people you follow who are currently live. On the other tabs, you’ll see what else is currently streaming around the world and the option to start your own broadcast. When you start a broadcast, you have the option to add your geographic location and auto-publish to your Twitter account. Give your broadcast a descriptive name, and you’re ready to start.
Periscope allows users to ask and answer questions in real time. Viewers can type questions into the broadcast, and the owner of the account can answer them live. Periscope also offers the ability to watch via desktop when someone clicks through to a feed from Twitter. Additionally, broadcasts are viewable for 24 hours after a stream has ended, so if someone doesn’t have time to watch live, they can always catch up later. Finally, you’ll notice a series of colored hearts on the right side of the stream. When viewers see something they like, they tap on the screen, which produces hearts. More hearts let you know your viewers like what they see.
What is Meerkat, and what are its key features?
Meerkat is another live-streaming app that works a lot like Periscope. Meerkat shares many of the same features as Periscope, minus the ability to watch ended streams later. Meerkat adds a host comment function that Periscope does not have, where the host of the broadcast can participate in the written conversation as well as verbal. Viewers on Meerkat can also tweet a link to the feed they’re watching with the push of a button. Some networks, like Mashable, often broadcast on Periscope and Meerkat simultaneously.
How can I use to Periscope and Meerkat to market my destination?
– Start broadcasts during big events (“Live from the first day of our annual wine festival!”) to show people what they’re missing.
– Schedule themed weekly or daily Q&A streams and let people ask questions about your destination.
– Take viewers on live tours of new hotels or attractions. Similarly, give behind-the-scenes looks at new attractions or those under construction.
– Take viewers on live walking tours. Whether you want to show off your historic downtown, your beach boardwalk or a favorite nature trail, you can show your followers what it looks like in real-time.
What is Snapchat, and what are its key features?
Snapchat has a semi-live element without the pressure to watch right here, right now. Snapchat is known for the disappearing image; you send someone a photo or video, and once they’ve watched it, it’s gone. But you can also build what Snapchat calls a “story,” which is a collection of videos and/or pictures viewable for 24 hours by anyone who follows you.
Snapchat differs from Meerkat and Periscope because content is recent instead of live, and there’s no real interaction with followers. Stories are also short. Videos can only be 10 seconds long, and photos can be set to display for 10 seconds at most. The key feature with Snapchat is the creative aspect. You can type captions directly over photos and videos, and you can also use the paintbrush tool to draw any and everything over your content, which makes for a lot of fun for your viewers. Bonus: You can save photos and videos to your camera roll and upload them to your other channels, like Instagram.
How can I use Snapchat to market my destination?
You can use Snapchat Stories to quite literally tell a story. If you have a multi-course meal at a top restaurant, upload a picture of every course to your story. If you take a walk down a popular retail strip, upload a picture of every storefront. If you’ve got an exciting attraction underway, post regular construction updates. Upload videos or photos of the best views in your area. The possibilities here are endless, and don’t be afraid to get a little creative with your drawings and captions.