It’s hard to ignore the rise of Periscope, the live streaming video app released just a month ago. Adoption has been fast and furious, with Mashable reporting the Periscope app reached 1 million users in just 10 days.

And global B2C and media brands are already piling on the bandwagon.

In the last couple weeks I’ve enjoyed seeing world-renowned chef Rene Redzepi show his internal kitchen workings at the number one restaurant in the world, Noma. I watched the Washington National Zoo inseminate a panda in their ongoing efforts to save the species. And most recently, kept up with Steve Herman of VOA as he documented heroic emergency services being deployed from all over the world to assist Nepal in their time of turmoil.

But Periscope’s meteoric rise in popularity has also created challenges for brands:

  • The NHL was the first sports league to officially ban the app, citing copyright infringement concerns
  • Replays are only available for 24 hours, so content is fleeting
  • Metrics are limited to live views, replay views, and how many hearts your broadcast received (a form of engagement, similar to Likes)
  • There is no way to track how many comments or questions you received during your broadcast

Sure, there are workarounds for now… and I’m sure as more businesses adopt the app into their social media strategy more metrics and features will be added.

B2C companies are often early adopters in social, incorporating new media quickly and working through the rough spots. But that doesn’t mean B2B can’t also sit at the cool kids table, wear pink on Wednesdays, and join in the fun and excitement of a new social app or network!

Let’s look at why adopting Periscope for B2B might be just the thing to liven up your social strategy.

Why Periscope for B2B?

1. Reach a Younger Audience
First, and possibly most importantly, Periscope has a wide audience but certainly skews towards the digital natives. If you’ve been having issues reaching Gen Y and Millennials, Periscope could be the social channel to hook them. It’s mobile, has instant gratification, and is spontaneous = exactly how they like to consume content. Broadcasts often have high engagement rates, so you’ll also see a rise in conversation with that fickle and often elusive demographic.

2. Bring Your Brand Culture to Life
Second, it’s a great way to communicate executive thought leadership. If you’re trying to carve out your voice, or just continue growing it, having a “fireside chat” with an executive is an excellent opportunity. Answer questions from viewers, discuss a recent announcement, or simply just use it as a way to show the culture behind the company. Brands with a strong culture have an easier time attracting and retaining new customers and top talent.

3. Boost the Impact of Your Events
Periscope can reign supreme at events and conferences. Showcase your booth activities, customer conversations and testimonials, and panels and presentation to those unable to make the event or simply those who are too busy to attend every panel. If you’re launching a new product or solution at an event, it’s also a great way to host the next generation of “Ask the Experts” and allow viewers to get technical questions answered. It’s far more dynamic than a Twitter chat or forum thread. You can also encourage attendees to broadcast their own Periscope broadcasts at your booth and monitor a pre-determined hashtag and create a contest around the created engagement.

Lastly, if your global security office (GSO) has made your social media job difficult with limitations on access to Twitter, Facebook, Google Hangouts and the like (been there!) this mobile-only option is a great way to market and engage socially. But don’t tell your GSO I told you that! It’ll be our little secret 😉

Don’t fall into the trap of believing certain social platforms can only be used for B2C. Or that a new app is too hip for your brand. Your decision on how to market on social media is determined by where your audience is and the ability to communicate to your audience clearly and efficiently.

If you see a strong use case and high likelihood for compelling ROI on a channel, take the plunge. Don’t wait to see what others do, be a trailblazer in your space. It will only strengthen your brand in the long run. See you around the Periscope-sphere!

 

Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/joestump/

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