by Leo Wiles
10 June 2016
Recently I wrote about a freelancer’s social media commitment on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook being more important than ever, to land gigs and maintain relationships with potential clients, leads and of course colleagues. So where in the mix does that leave apps such as the self-destructing Snapchat (with over 100 million users and not all of them under 20), or live-streaming video platforms such as Periscope (owned by Twitter) and Meerkat?
The latter are said to be favoured by news organisations, celebrities and others who want a rough and ready ‘reality’ outtake – AKA, a Mobile Live Broadcast.
If I sound cynical it’s because a) I am over 40 and b) I am. And I’m not alone. In fact, amongst the SME owners I had coffee with on the weekend, when it comes to experiencing social media overload and fatigue I am in the majority.
One café owner revealed she’s handing over these crucial branding tools to her barista; one was waiting to hear back from an agency and two others admitted that they happily outsource to a contractor who, like every delightful dinner party guest, is witty, charming and just that little bit quirky enough to hold everyone’s attention without being irritating or completely self-absorbed.
To my mind, the secret to the social media guru being so engaging and attentive is that she’s being paid well to do so. For her it is her job – not another thing to add to an already long day. And I should know, writing this at 11.40pm, having been researching all my online needs and pondering if I need to add the holy trinity to the pile when I can hardly keep up with the ones I have.
What has kept me researching the platforms to weigh up whether or not they are worth those lost hours of sleep is the Wall Street Journal’s description that if Twitter gave everyone a megaphone, these apps give you a camera crew.
They also give you a live audience. Unlike YouTube and other streaming platforms that have static boxes for comment beneath on Meerkat and Periscope the charm it seems is the immediate interaction of hearts emoticons and comments and that your broadcast doesn’t immediately act like a Mission Impossible missive and self destruct.
Instead you can integrate, publish and save your content to your other platforms – thus maximising the data, and viewers can stream your live or ‘recently broadcast’ material.
With Meerkat, launched in March, offering a live conversation that takes place on Twitter, and Hootsuite choosing Periscope to live-stream their office tours, maybe it’s time for the blue bird to take flight and let us flock to a new platform altogether (instead of adding it to the flock).
What’s your take on social media? Do we really need another platform to share on? Do you use any of these new-ish platforms as part of your work?
