Colleen Fielder | @yogirlcfield Live streaming has become a huge trend and Twitter’s buying into it. In efforts to stay competitive with other platforms, Twitter acquired the app Periscope in January of this year. With Periscope, you can upload and view videos from all over the world straight from your mobile phone or device. 

From the Periscope website: “We wanted to build the closest thing to teleportation. While there are many ways to discover events and places, we realized there is no better way to experience a place right now than through live video. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but live video can take you someplace and show you around.”

Users can follow friends and notify them when they’ve shared a broadcast. You can also choose who can see your posts. Periscope emphasizes the feeling of a shared experience, as close to live as possible. Similar to other platforms, if you enjoyed a post, double-tap to “like it.” Tony Hawk, Mark Cuban and Aaron Paul are just a few big names already using the platform.

So what does this mean for businesses? Because this platform is so new, only time will tell, but we do have a few ideas. The clearest benefit for businesses using Periscope is real-time interaction. This could used for customer service or an informal question-and answer-session with an audience.

Apple is a great example of a company that could use Periscope easily. Showing features of the new iPhone or Apple Watch could be streamed using Periscope. Apple could also use Periscope to make announcements to the public. The options, really, are endless.

Another use of Periscope would be a behind-the-scenes look or a “day in the life," similar to what companies are doing on Snapchat now. They give their audience a peek into what’s happening at their company. The hope is to create a greater, stronger connection with their fans.