Marketers are no strangers to new technologies, apps, and social media platforms. We are constantly testing new tools and evaluating them for our clients.
One of the newest technology crazes is live streaming apps. Chuck Webster (@wareFLO) hosted today’s #HITMC Twitter Chat, “Periscope and Blab for Healthcare IT Marketing & Public Relations.” Here are my top 3 takeaways.
1. Marketers See the Real World Application
In today’s HITMC chat, participants shared ideas for using live streaming apps such as Periscope and Blab for technology and healthcare marketing. Some ideas include:
- An authentic behind the scenes look
- Broadcast live from events and trade shows
- Put customers on camera during site visits
- Live product demos
- Q&A follow-up after a webinar
- Exclusive content and offers
- Drive traffic to social media
2. All New Technology Comes with Doubts
Some participants in the chat expressed concerns about live streaming apps for health IT. Some think we can lose focus on the audience by always chasing the newest platform for content delivery, instead of focusing on the content itself. Others question whether apps like Periscope and Blab are the right vehicle to reach the health IT audience. All are valid concerns.
Start-ups and smaller companies may have more to gain with new technologies. Larger, more established companies have the luxury of waiting until a technology or platform matures to jump on the bandwagon.
3. If You Think Live Streaming Video Won’t Catch On, You’re Wrong
New technologies and social media platforms are usually met with resistance before they eventually catch on in consumer markets, then slowly but surely trickle down to B2B audiences.
Think about YouTube. Now commonplace (and really a “must have”) for hosting product demos, webinar recordings, and client testimonials, B2B companies once considered YouTube unworthy of marketing investment.
The same can be said for social sites and apps like Twitter, Pinterest, and Snapchat. People didn’t initially think these platforms had any application in the B2B environment, but now they are proving (or have proven) their worth. I don’t think live streaming apps will be any different.
As with any new technology, we will have to wait and see how it pans out. Unfortunately, no one can predict what apps or social platforms will take off and which audiences will adopt them. As technology marketers we have to keep an eye on Periscope, Blab, and other live streaming technology to evaluate if/when they are right for our audiences.
To learn more about using Periscope or Blab, check out this blog post written by Chuck Webster, and this one by #HITMC Twitter Chat participant Jared Johnson.
