#Periscope & #Meerkat Take #Video To The Next Social Level

Social Media Goes Video

It has been a few months since Periscope and Meerkat became a bit of a sensation.  If you don’t know about these services already, know you do!  You simply download these apps from iTunes or Android Play store to either your iPhone/iPad or Android device.  You can either watch video streams on your phone from anywhere in the world or BROADCAST YOUR OWN STREAM. That is the part I find the most interesting.  You can promote anything you want, talk about anything or video tape anybody.  Not that this is something new, but having the ability to walk around and be freed from the tether or a PC or MacBook.  That is what makes this different. What both products are doing is making it so easy that you can simply watch a video of somebody in Iceland, Japan, Doha or Hawaii right now.

Who Is Policing This Thing

You would think that this means that there would be a ton of garbage or porn on these channels.  Of course, there are some time wasting things people video.  Yes, tons of junk, but a few interesting videos here and there. For instance, I have watched orchestras playing in outdoor theaters on Greek isles, to red carpet walks, to street chases in Dallas, Red Carpet walks, Santa Monica beach scenes, and anything you can think of. There is the potential for something very very bad.  I guess that happens on all forms of social media.  Video is going to be the worst offender.

However, it seems that there is a some self policing going on.   You can easily identify junk and it is your choice to leave or identify there is a problem on Periscope.  You hit a button and it stops there video.  I played around first with Periscope and for the last 2 weeks I have shown it to many of my techno-neophytes and they are pretty much amazed.  They should not be completely amazed at the fact that we are watching video.  We have had webcams for over 15 years.  I remember when the first serious cams were placed in the Serengeti so we could stay up at night and watch a few lions walk by.  I also remember the first webcams on Lincoln Road in Miami that you could not just watch, but move the camera around remotely.  What amazes them is the inside your brain way of seeing things that others are seeing in the world.

Group Video Discussions Are Next

What Periscope and Meerkat are introducing is much more private and voyeuristic than the old web cams.  These streaming videos have a life of their own, a social life. That’s because they turn into group discussions, exercises in personal learning, watching people and living through their own eyes.  The fact that the computer has been disconnected and you can stream using your phone has freed up the cam to go where it needs to go.

What’s The Difference Between Periscope and Meerkat?

Obviously Periscope has been acquired by Twitter so it has a more twitter-like integration. This means my twitter followers can easily see when I am broadcasting, it sends out a tweet automatically, so they jump on and watch.  They get an alert if they have twitter on.  I noticed a few of my friends and relatives out there watching and listening to me.  It seems this has given Periscope a major upper hand over Meerkat for now.  I read that Periscope was growing very fast.

Periscope has an easy to use map system that is so simplistic, you can quickly go over to Turkey or Brazil and find a local streaming video.  Just happens those two countries seem to love the whole Periscope thing.  Problem is they don’t all know english in their country so they spend half the time asking people to speak English! You can find a person playing samba at a night club, or people running through the streets.  In Mexico it seems that guys like to just drive around and stream.  What you want to avoid are 15 year chubby girls in their easy chair giving you a rundown of their day and their thoughts.  That seems to be happening more often that not.  So, not too interesting.  Today on Meerkat I listened to a diatribe by Gary Vaynerchuk, who I follow on Twitter.  That was interesting.  He allowed his daily management meeting to be recorded on Meerkat.  Pretty cool.  I recently streamed a Periscope Venture Capital event at Venture Hive in Miami, and the followers (mostly kids) called out that the event was extremely boring.  For them it is.

Now what I have noticed on Meerkat is that it dies periodically on my iPad Mini.  Maybe it’s me.  The technology is new, so you just don’t know what to expect. What is important is it is a trend and something bigger is coming soon.  Both companies are adding features as quickly as they can.

Broadcasting Yourself

If you have it in you to be the broadcaster go for it.  If you think you have something to say, go on Periscope and pontificate.  It’s ok.  Nobody cares.  Or maybe somebody does.  What you will notice if you use Periscope is you will have a few followers you know.  It was surprising at first, but they will jump on and say hi. There are a few people using it to promote their product, service or business, especially for people who are professional speakers.

Streaming My Company’s Events!

What I am trying to figure out is how I take advantage of this technology by streaming our speed dating events from Pre-Dating.com.  For instance, I am planning on streaming our first Pre-Dating.com speed dating event on Periscope tonight at 7pm (EST).  I have to make sure the attendees are ok with this.  If they are not, I won’t do it.  We are just trying to find a way to take advantage of the technology and use it in cool new ways.

What I am looking for now is how to stream our videos back to our website, so people can watch the event.  I am going to figure this out, and will blog/tweet about this when I have it down to a science.  Till then, try out Periscope.  Works great on an iPad Mini (though I am only on the wifi version).  Periscope is easier to understand an move around in. Meerkat, it seems like you need to really study what is going on.

Good luck and check out our Speed Dating event being streamed tonight in Delray Beach, Florida on Periscope .