5 Top Tips for First Time Periscopers

I recently started Periscoping for my hobby and discovered how awesome it is! I know it’s been around for a while now but if, like me until recently, you haven’t tried it yet, here are some tips that will make your first time better.

If you’re not familiar with Periscope, it’s an App that allows you to live stream video to anyone who wants to watch (or knows how). So basically you can show a video of wherever you are, or chat about whatever you want to talk about, and all your Twitter followers can see via a Tweet, and if they connect on Periscope they can comment and engage by tapping their screen to send you hearts.

If you’re not planning to live stream anytime soon, but would love another way to access awesome content and get to know the people you’re connected to on Twitter, I recommend downloading the app and adding people you like, so that you’ll be notified when they Pericope.

For those planning to live stream, start with Kate Toon’s article on Periscope: A How To Guide.

But if you’re pressed for time, have already downloaded the App and linked your Twitter account, here are my top tips for newbie Periscopers. These tips are really obvious to experienced Periscopers, but in my research I missed seeing this info before my first time, so I’m sharing them so you don’t miss seeing this info too!

1. Your Twitter followers who have the Periscope will get a notification the first time you’re live on Periscope

If, like me, you plan to do a test Periscope while no one is watching so that you can figure out how it works, this tip is critical!

The Periscope app pops up an alert when anyone that you follow on Twitter Periscopes for the first time. So be ready for people to join. 68 people joined my first Periscope when I couldn’t figure out how to turn the screen around, or stop the broadcast! (refer tips below).

2.Add a Title to your Periscope

Seems obvious but particularly if you’re setting up your Scope while in the sun when it’s hard to see the screen of your phone, you can miss this and then your Periscope will be called “Untitled”, which won’t motivate as many people to watch! Type the Title where is says “What are you seeing now?”

3. Double tap the screen to turn it around

The first few minutes of my first Periscope were spent with viewers watching a wall because I couldn’t figure out how to turn the screen around to show me. A kind person advised that I needed to double tap the screen. Then all was ok.

4. Swipe down to access the “Stop Broadcast” button

As above, I wasn’t prepared enough to know how to stop the broadcast when I was finished. Simply swap down and the “Stop Broadcast” button will appear.

5. Block people by tapping on their name on the screen and selecting the “block” option.

Unfortunately like all social media Periscope has trolls and aweful people who join only to share smutty, distasteful and distracting comments. To block them, tap their name on the screen when they make a comment and then select the “block” option.

5. Autosave the video to your camera roll

Periscopes stay live for 24 hours and after that time they can’t be viewed via Periscope anymore. However you can save the video and upload it to YouTube or share it wherever you like.

To set up your Periscope’s to be autosaved to your camera roll, select the “three heads” in the bottom right hand corner, the “the head” in the top right, select Settings and switch on “autosave broadcasts”.

When I was researching how Periscope works these articles were really useful:

• Top Five Tips for Success on Periscope by Vintuitive (scroll down towards the end of the page to see the vid)
• Top Periscopers Share Their Secrets 

I’ll be Periscoping soon via my account @ClickTips

I’m looking forward to sharing tips for making the most of Google AdWords and Analytics. See you there!