Streaming live video apps are all the rage this summer, particularly because of their ease of use on social media for live personal events. While you've likely seen live Periscope or Meerkat video feeds on Twitter, they aren't the only video streaming apps available on the market today. They're also not completely a play toy, even if it seems that way with most live streams you've seen.
So far, it seems mostly celebrities (and the non-famous) use these streaming apps to showcase first-person narratives of their worlds.
Some comedians have even used Periscope to attempt to innovate in satirical and ironical ways. Legendary comedian Albert Brooks, for instance, recently created some live Periscope feeds on Twitter where he walked his dog in a Los Angeles neighborhood. He's also turned the camera on in a dark room in his home to talk randomly about the news and his career.
On a more significant level, live concerts are starting to stream on these devices. Numerous pop stars have already posted live Periscope streams of full concerts around the world to show there isn't any time limitations.
If you can look at those as being recreational uses, the marketing possibilities still haven't completely taken off. The chances for marketing with live events is a very valuable prospect as you attempt to capture prospective customers in real-time.
How do you know which streaming video app works the best for you? Plus, how do these apps significantly improve upon the current live services of Google Hangouts and Skype?
Using Meerkat for Marketing
While you may think there aren't differences between Meerkat and Periscope, there are a few. As Tom's Guide pointed out last March when Meerkat first launched, the app has an elegant simplicity in its design and use. It essentially involves simple one clicks to get started and to sign off, with instant notifications going out to your followers.
You might be annoyed at some of the screen clutter Meerkat places on the screen while you live stream a video. Nevertheless, it does provide more viewing options by doing so. It's also the only live streaming app with the ability to stream in both portrait or landscape screen sizes.
For live events and streaming of your marketing efforts, users are going to appreciate those type of viewing options, particularly if they're watching on a mobile device.
Yet, there is one significant difference between Meerkat and Periscope you may want to consider once your marketing event gets done streaming live.
The Glaring Meerkat-Periscope Difference
The one real difference is Periscope lets viewers re-watch live streaming events after they occur. On Meerkat, once the live stream finishes, there isn't any way to watch it again.
No doubt Meerkat will add this capability later, though you want people who couldn't watch your event live to see it later so they don't miss a single detail. Those Periscope videos stay archived until you remove them.
Using Other Streaming Apps
You'll find some other streaming apps that are a little under the radar at the moment. One that's sure to become more popular is Blab, which allows you to view a live event with multiple frames. Think of it a little like a Brady Bunch grid, or the guest boxes you see on cable talk shows.
It works nearly the same as Periscope and Meerkat, and it's a great tool when you have a live business chat underway and want to feature everyone at once.
You may see people argue that Google Hangouts and Skype do the same things. The difference, of course, is the quick convenience of using an app on your phone without excessive equipment or trouble.
At this point, it's too early to say if Periscope is the lasting standard model to use for live streaming. And, we've already started writing a post to give you more info on Blab. Regardless, marketing has a lot of exciting potential through the rest of this decade as new tech tools help you reach prospective customers faster than ever.
