What is Twitter’s Periscope and How to Start Using it

What is Periscope?

Periscope is a live streaming app, owned by Twitter, that allows you to share and watch live video broadcasts from your mobile gadget of choice.

Periscope is a ‘visual pulse of what’s happening right now‘. It lets you ‘discover the world through someone else’s eyes‘.

And it’s the new hottest social media platform that just might be here to stay.

Periscope: Broadcast vs Watch

There are two basic things you can do on Periscope: broadcast or watch others broadcast.

For broadcasters, Periscope is a great opportunity to share your experiences with others.

Press a button and you are live. Not only that, but your followers will be instantly notified you are broadcasting, so you’ll be directly connected to your audience.

For viewers, Periscope will give you an opportunity to discover the world the way you never could on your own.

And you are not just a passive viewer either. You can interact with the broadcaster, ask questions, and encourage them by tapping the screen to send hearts.

How to Get Started with Periscope 

1. Download Periscope app

Here’s your download link on iTunes.

And… Periscope is finally available on Android!

Here’s your download link on Google Play.

2. Log in with Twitter or your phone number

When you open your Periscope app, you’ll have two options: log in with Twitter or your phone number.

It’s nice to have a choice, but why would you want to sacrifice integration with Twitter?

I don’t think that’s smart, so unless you are an anti-Twitter fanatic, I definitely recommend creating your account with Twitter login.

 What if you have several Twitter accounts?

Just like on Twitter, you can choose to have as many Periscope accounts as you have Twitter accounts.

3. Create your Periscope username

Just because you sign in to Periscope with Twitter, it doesn’t mean you have to keep your Twitter username.

If you are not happy with your Twitter username, you CAN and should create a new username for your Periscope account.

Should you go for your own name or your company name?

Personally, I’ll go for my name every time. Doesn’t mean you can’t create a separate account for your brand, but bringing ‘personal’ into your brand is extremely important.

Once you create your Periscope username, you are in!

So that's it for this tutorial. Stay tuned for more information on Periscope.