Things are certainly changing at a rapid rate, as far as marketing is concerned. Long lost in the catacombs of Millennial minds are the days when traditional marketing was built upon complex campaigns involving roadside billboards, radio advertisements, "snail mail" and-believe it or not-the Yellow Pages.
In today's day and age, however, things are different. Speed, accuracy and entertainment are what's required for marketing agencies and advertising firms to win the attention of overly distracted consumers.
Relatively new, social media has become the stuff of savvy marketers looking to join an industry-specific conversation, as opposed to interrupting those who have little interest in having a product or service forced upon them.
While Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIn generally take the proverbial cake as the Internet's finest social outlets, real social experts see the future of social media marketing headed in two directions: mobile usership and video production. In fact, according to Invodo, 92 percent of mobile video viewers will subsequently share their videos with others.
Due to such recent trends, it can safely be assumed that it's only a matter of time before Periscope, much like Vine, makes its way onto the aforementioned list of the world's leading social channels as a powerhouse of video sharing.
For those late to the game, Periscope-a creation of Twitter-is a new live-streaming video app which allows users to both broadcast and view live videos in a quick and timely manner. Since its release in March of this year, Periscope has been an exciting addition to an impressive number of smartphones.
Within just 10 days of its release, Periscope saw upwards of one million users register to get involved. As audiences continue to flock to the groundbreaking app, social media strategists have battled over how to make the new program an important part of any digital marketing strategy.
Sure, the office is a fun place, but there's a clear-cut difference between watching a political protest in the Middle East and a clumsy ping pong game in the break room. That being said, there's an audience for everything and there are definite ways of harnessing the advertorial capabilities of the video-sharing tool. The key? Present, promote and publish.
1) Present Company Culture
If you and your brand are already active on Instagram, then you're more than aware of this reputation-building technique. Yes, the ill-fated ping pong game of which was already made mention isn't the most exciting thing on earth, but those with a particular interest in your company's industry-potential employees and customers, for example- are bound to take notice.
People want to know exactly who it is that they might become professionally involved with. Furthermore, the presentation of company culture needn't only be limited to the front desk and water cooler. Business trips, sales calls, office tours and employee bios are all attractive access points for B2B interactions.
Simply put, if Periscope is good enough for the world's largest, most successful brands, it's worthy of your strong consideration. Whether you like it or not, refusing to be active on social media, regardless of platform, in and of itself, is a message for those with whom you could very well be networking.
2) Promote Special Offers and Customer Contests
Each year, U.S. News releases its ranking of America's most desirable jobs. In the creative category, the responsibilities of the typical public relations specialist were pegged as the most enticing. While the debate as to the subtle differences between marketing, advertising and public relations will most assuredly continue, for the sake of this piece, it's safe to assume that social media involvement would be a task of each communicative field.
With that in mind, it's imperative that Periscope be used creatively. Through live streaming, special offers and brand contests can be promoted with great ease. In the past, the occasional tweet was thought to suffice in the ways of corporate contest promotion. Unfortunately, most tweets receive small click-through rates. Moreover, when live-streaming video is involved, there's more room for user engagement and jaw-dropping traffic surges.
Jonathan Long, Founder and CEO of Market Domination Media, provides an interesting example of Periscope's true advertising potential: "Companies that really connect with their Periscope audience correctly will build an army of promoters. Would a beverage company see a better return from a primetime TV commercial or thousands of consumers live-streaming to millions of viewers with said beverage in the shot? Marketing executives should be drooling right now."
3) Publish Live Q&A Opportunities
Market research is incredible for determining exactly what it is that a specific target demographic desires. While irreplaceable, a quick sample of public opinion can easily be obtained as live question and answer sessions are published through your company's Periscope account. Imagine sitting in on a board meeting or brainstorming discussion and-instead of making assumptions about what customers want-going directly to them to actually ask them about what they'd like.
With Periscope, though there might not be any suits, ties or briefcases present, outsiders can participate in providing invaluable, instantaneous feedback. If you consider your brand an innovator in your industry, you'll wholeheartedly embrace this idea and perfect its application.
More than anything, when social media is involved, it's important to be creative and, as much as possible, venture outside the confines of social normalcy. For social media gurus seeking to take their craft to the next level, Periscope is a wonderful opportunity.