By Mitch Carson

If you’re a Twitter fan, then you’re going to love Periscope. Picked up by Twitter in January, Periscope is a new video streaming app that will change the way you interact with the world. Periscope lets you broadcast your share-worthy moments on the go, connect with your Twitter followers in a whole new way, and impress the entire Periscope community with your personal milestones and on-the-spot business presentations. Broadcasting your video with Periscope, you can do all this and more right from your mobile phone.

mitch@mitchcarson.com

The relationship between Twitter and Periscope means that each transmission you broadcast will automatically show up on your Twitter feed and, should you choose the app’s public setting, become available to the broader Periscope community. This will enable you to gain new followers even as you entertain the ones you already have. Of course, you don’t have to include all of your Twitter followers in your Periscope feed. The app is highly customizable, so you can pick and choose who gets to see your videos, who you follow, and who follows you. Versions are available for both iPhone and Android, so anyone with a smart phone can join in.

In addition to live video streams, Periscope also archives videos so you can watch (or watch again) later. Periscope’s brand new “Couchmode” feature allows you to flip through videos just like you would TV channels. The app’s easy to use format and aesthetically appealing layout make it a pleasure to use. Timely push notifications on your mobile device ensure that you stay connected with your followers and never miss a newsworthy moment.

Periscope already has a devoted celebrity following:

• The Rolling Stones used the app to broadcast a recent show in Los Angeles

• British Prime Minister David Cameron used it to broadcast his first post-election speech

• Roger Federer used it to touch base with fans during Wimbledon

• CNN used it to cover the birth of a princess

Reach Out With Periscope

With Periscope, live tweeting has gained a whole new dimension. Now you can broadcast the moments you want to share with the world in real time. It’s Grandma’s birthday but your favourite faraway cousin can’t make it to the party? No problem. Periscope lets you broadcast the festivities so the whole family can join in, regardless of geographic barriers. For the privacy minded, Periscope offers custom settings that allow users to share content with only select friends and family. For the extroverts of the world, Periscope offers the option to share live video broadcasts with the entire Periscope community.

What’s more, Periscope allows you to witness events from all over the world in real time straight from your mobile phone. Watch the news as it unfolds. See events through the eyes of those who are right there in the fray of things, witnessing history in progress. The interactive nature of this app allows you to participate in a conversation with the broadcaster. Send messages using the in-app chat feature or show some love with a unique feature that lets you send hearts simply by tapping your screen. Ask questions, send encouragement, make suggestions. Connect like never before with Periscope.

Stream – and watch – live video from anywhere in the world. (Well, anywhere you can get an internet connection!) With Periscope, an entire world of experience is right at your fingertips. What’s more, with Periscope you can share your own experiences with a global audience. With the press of a button, your mobile device will begin broadcasting to users all over the world. When you use Periscope your mobile phone becomes a storehouse of video-captured moments. Whether you want to witness history in the making or just watch videos of strangers playing with their cats, Periscope has something for you.

Periscope for Business and Education

The potential to profit with Periscope is also exciting. Business owners and entrepreneurs can now connect with existing and potential clients in a whole new way. Do you have a new product you want to demo? Live broadcast your product demonstration with Periscope and you can potentially reach millions of viewers. With the simple press of a button your followers are immediately notified when you go live. Interact directly with your clients and benefit from the instant feedback of Periscope users all over the world.

Do you own a restaurant? Emulate your favourite celebrity chef by live broadcasting your busy lunch hour on Periscope. Want to drum up more business for your food truck? Now, in addition to tweeting your location and specials to your followers, you can provide them with a live video broadcast of your movements. Words can say a lot, but nothing conveys a scene or an event quite like live video. Sure, your poetic description of today’s tuna tartar with cilantro lime glaze might pique a foodie’s interest, but with a live video feed to showcase your delectable dishes, you’ll have hungry customers lining up outside your doors.

With Periscope, business owners can live broadcast special events, offer clients a video tour of available products and services, or give viewers a behind the scenes peek at the inner workings of the industry. Educators, too, can use Periscope to reach students in a whole new way. Live broadcast lectures or hands-on demonstrations, answer students’ questions, and receive student feedback in real time. Periscope truly has the ability to revolutionize the way we work, learn, and live.

Broadcasting for the Masses

Sure, a lot of people are going to be using Periscope to keep up with their favourite celebrities or witness breaking news as it happens, but just as many will use this app to connect with ordinary people from all walks of life and all parts of the world. With upwards of 40 million registered users, the potential audience is staggering. Celebrity users realize this, which is why they were among the first to get on board when Twitter launched the app early this year.

The true beauty of Periscope, however, lies in its accessibility. It works equally well for business, personal events, news, and entertainment. Sure, the Rolling Stones can live broadcast an L.A. concert, but with Periscope there’s no reason your favourite garage band can’t do the same thing from a small town in Iowa. Roger Federer used the app to cover his big game, so why not use it to cover your daughter’s next varsity tennis match? Big-time British politicians can use Periscope to broadcast their speeches, and so can passionate grassroots activists and community organizers. Whatever your interests and talents may be, you can use Periscope to share your message or your gifts with the world.

We live in a world that gets smaller with each passing day. Periscope allows users access to all parts of our global village. It also allows businesses to reach potential clients in all corners of the global marketplace. Whether you are in the business of sales, entertainment, or education, Periscope – and its 40 million users – are good news for your business. Employ interactive experiential marketing strategies using Periscope. With a live video broadcast, customers will be able to experience your brand like never before. Don’t just show your customers pictures of models dressed in your retail boutique’s newest arrivals. Provide them with a real-time fashion show using Periscope. Don’t just write about your new groundbreaking software application. Give your tech-hungry audience a personal demo in a live Periscope broadcast.

Periscope provides business owners with an interactive means to market their products and services. It provides up-and-coming entertainers with a new way to reach a global audience. It provides educators with an innovative tool for delivering information to students all over the world. The possibilities for the news media are limitless, as anyone can now broadcast newsworthy happenings in real time. Aspiring or student journalists, as well as seasoned reporters and even accidental newscasters, will find that Periscope is an ideal tool for practicing the journalistic arts. Musicians, actors, and other artists can use it to share their talents with a global audience.

Beyond the global marketplace, however, Periscope is also in the business of building relationships. It’s all about staying connected and keeping in touch. From births to birthdays to anniversaries, Periscope enables users to capture life’s most important moments using little more than a mobile device and an Internet connection. With the press of a button, Periscope allows friends and family members to remain close even if they live thousands of miles apart.

Best of all, Periscope is super easy to use! Here are some quick steps to get you started:

1. Open an account. This will automatically link to your Twitter, but you’ll be able to customize your list of followers with Periscope.

2. Ready to broadcast? Think up a catchy title that describes your broadcast and type it in.

3. Customize your options for each broadcast. The three icons above the “Start Broadcast” button allow you to control your location settings, make your broadcast private, or live tweet it for all your adoring followers to enjoy.

4. Tap “Start Broadcast” and you’re live!