AKRON — One trend in social media is that the bigger social media sites are buying smaller, more niche-type sites.
Facebook, which owns Instagram, reportedly made a bid for SnapChat, etc.
Then there's Periscope, a live video streaming app that was purchased by Twitter in March. It's a niche app that has fascinated me and I have been trying to see how to make it work for the independent tire dealer.
It's been thought that Twitter purchased Periscope to contend with Instagram. Whatever the reasoning, the platform has taken off and there are uses for Periscope both personally and professionally.
I have done research on the subject and came across this Business2Community article that details some of the professional uses: product videos, live Q&A, focus groups and professional “How Tos” are all detailed.
For the shop owner, I think professional “How Tos” and product videos could be a great way to use this live video platform. If you have a new tire line, why not broadcast some of the features, the way it looks, the benefits, etc.? We often hear that this age of consumer does research online before making a purchase. Why not give the people what they want and present this information in a way that they want to consume it?
This could work for the demonstration videos as well. A shop could walk customers through checking oil or tire pressure. These are simple things everyone should know how to do, but there are probably some of your customers — and potential customers — who do not.
You also can incorporate this live video streaming with other promotions or social media campaigns you are running. For instance, do you ever have any customer appreciation raffles at the shop? You could host a Periscope broadcast when you announce the winner. This shows transparency when you do pull the winning ticket and it also allows people to be involved virtually.