Over a week ago I finally got onto Periscope and did a little test, asking viewers to help me choose a Netflix movie to watch for the night but then I started to watch other Periscope’s and I fell in love with the real time interactivity, matched with the ‘current view’ visuals and now it has me wondering if Periscope could become tough competition for the podcast?
Podcasting is a great tool for creating audio broadcasts where you can play music, conduct interviews or educate listeners on business, life, health and more. The same can be achieved with Periscope, but with the added benefit of a real-time visual component and the extent of what can be Periscoped is astronomical…one guy Periscoped himself dancing while cooking and people loved it!
Podcast Pro’s and Cons
What I love about podcasts is that they can be downloaded and listened to while you’re working or on the go and with podcasts, there is something for everyone, whether you’re seeking spiritual enlightenment or recipe for tonight’s dinner. The major podcast con for me is that to create a good podcast, some people invest quite a bit of money on equipment and editing and a lot of time goes into preparing a podcast, especially interviews and if you have to broadcast and moderate at the same time, it could become a handful.
Periscope Pro’s and Cons
I’ve probably used this term a few times, but I love the idea of having a real-time view of what’s going on in different parts of the world. I caught a Periscope at this club in New York. The Man of Inspiration, Dr. Antoine D. Moss shared some life pointers with us from his bed and of course the education and thought leadership continues with quick tip broadcasts, broadcasts with homework assignments and so much more. Wendy Raquel Robinson even Periscoped herself at dinner with friends to talk about the launch of a new program.
The few cons of Periscoping (and podcasting for that matter) that I see so far, is the inability to engage once the broadcast is over. I really enjoyed some of the educational Periscope’s I came across, but was not able to ask questions or comment since it was not live. Of course you could find the Periscoper online and email or tweet them, but we know not everyone is quick to respond to emails and tweets.
Periscoping is also not the best ‘on-the-go’ platform as you have to be able to watch the broadcast, which is not a good idea if you are walking or driving. There are also some broadcasters who get caught up in responding to comments as they come in, so in the middle of your broadcast, you get a ‘hey xyz! good to see you’, which is nice, but when you’re sharing an important message, you want to limit distractions as much as possible.
Anyway, I could be a little biased because even though I have a podcast and Blog Talk Radio account, I have yet to create a podcast but with the ease of point and shoot Periscope broadcasting, I’ll be starting a PR FAQ’s Periscope every Tuesday, I hope you join me and send in your burning PR questions so I can respond.
But to conclude and answer the question of if Periscope will replace the podcast, I really don’t think it’s likely because the medium a brand uses to communicate depends on their audience and what they are most likely to tune into. Also, even though they are similar in terms of interactivity, both platforms differ in terms of recording, preparation and replay. For example one might script, edit and post a podcast but most Periscopes are live, unscripted, unedited and can only be available for replay on Periscope or if you have a separate video or audio recorder to share the broadcast online later.
I’ll leave you to explore more on your own, but I hope you join my Periscope this week where I discuss affordable PR strategies.
