Video was backed by most as a hot trend for 2016, but YouTube, Vimeo and co aren’t the only tools being used by marketers. Andy Adamson of WEB, a web design and technology company that I’ve worked with on several projects, gives an overview here of some emerging mobile video apps that are worth taking a look at.
“Currently we have some really interesting apps on the market making streaming live from your mobile easy – so far they are being used mainly by the technology and entertainment industries, citizen broadcasters and even politicians.
If you are looking for an interesting way of reaching new and existing customers alike, have a look at three emerging video apps: Periscope, Meerkat, MyEye available on Android and iOS. These mobile video apps can be used for webinars, awards, conferences and simple webcasts, providing an engaging insight into what you do.
Meerkat launched first – around 2 million subscribers joined soon after. Twitter-operated Periscope had 1 million users within the first ten days and the app was downloaded over 10 million times in the first six months. Supported by David Beckham, MyEye is going to be popular too.
Periscope allows you to live-stream video from your mobile and can be used in conjunction with Twitter, enabling other users to see links tweeted in order to view live-streams. It offers similar services to Meerkat, but also gives users the option to let anyone play back the video stream.
A few things to note:
* Meerkat streams are watched live and then disappear.
* Periscope videos last for 24 hours before they vanish and can be accessed via the web.
* MyEye streams last for 72 hours and appear to be geared to individuals with better controls over privacy and location.
* You can save video streams to your phone for future use.
* Katch is a service that helps archive and share your broadcasts (for Periscope and Meerkat).
* Any content you post to Periscope remains owned by you, but you grant the service permission to use it.
Any live video marketing needs a clear strategy and some sort of a script or plan of what you’ll be talking about. As with any publishing you do, you will need to be aware of privacy, copyright and defamation.
The best way is to start following some interesting accounts to discover how other broadcasters are using the service. When you are ready, start with a practice broadcast and make sure the lighting and sound levels are good. Your broadcasts can be promoted elsewhere on your website and social media.
The expectation for live video is different, the real-time reality is compensated for by the users who don’t expect perfect quality. It all adds to the appeal of this media.”