Periscope 101: What It Is, Why It Matters, & How to Start

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Periscope 101: What It Is, Why It Matters, & How to Start

There’s a brand new app that has taken the social media world by storm over the last few months, and while I’m just starting to figure it out myself, I’m so excited about it that I think it warrants it’s very own blog post.

What It Is

You may have already heard of it, or maybe not–it’s called Periscope, and it seriously rocks. In a nutshell it is a platform that allows users to conduct live broadcasts anytime and anywhere. Those watching the broadcast can comment, ask questions, and “heart” the broadcaster in real time, and the broadcaster can read the comments as he or she is talking. (And, in case you are wondering, it’s free.)

I’ll be honest, I tried to ignore it at first. I mean, really, who has time for yet ANOTHER social media platform, much less one that involves live broadcasting? Right?

But then, hearing so many people talking about it….I got curious, so I downloaded the app and started watching. Almost instantly, I was hooked. There is something incredibly powerful and FUN about watching and interacting with someone in real time.

Why it Matters

Let’s face it–we can all use a little extra encouragement & motivation sometimes! There is something so reassuring about knowing we’re not alone, and that other people sometimes face the same struggles that we are too afraid to talk about.

In fact, if you subscribe to my weekly email newsletter, you know that the newsletter is the space where I keep it totally real, and where I lay it all out there. Each week I share personal lessons from my own life and experience, and include a strong dose of encouragement, inspiration, and motivation. I look forward to writing that letter each week, and I also LOVE all the responses I get back. Reading my email on Friday afternoon, and hearing what is going on in YOUR lives is my favorite part of the whole week. It reminds me why I do what I do.

And then…Periscope happened.

After a few weeks of watching, I decided to take the plunge and start broadcasting, because I realized very quickly that this is an element that Living Well Spending Less has been missing. I don’t always get super personal here on the blog, because want it to be an amazing resource, full of well-researched, in-depth posts that you can refer to again and again.

Periscope is a little different. Oh, don’t get me wrong, my Periscope show–like this blog–is still very much dedicated to discovering the Good Life (on a budget), but on Periscope, you just get me (@RuthSoukup), totally unscripted, along with a strong daily dose of encouragement, motivation, and inspiration.

For instance, last week I “scoped” about creating good habits for fall, 3 things that hold us back (& what to do about them, finding inspiration, choosing your ONE thing amid a busy world, and even how to pick yourself up when life knocks you down, where I talked very honestly about my own struggle with depression.

I also watched a variety of inspiring scopes, everything from business & blogging tips to ideas for goal setting, saving money, improving my marriage, and even how to make salsa.

Now, the thing about Periscope is that it is best watched live, because you can interact and ask questions or comment in real time. However, if you can’t make it live, you can view the replay right on the Periscope app for up to 24 hours after the broadcast.

That said, I have also set up a page at Katch.me/RuthSoukup to store all my past Periscope broadcasts, if you want to see those as well. You can find it HERE.

If you are planning to join us in October for 31 Days of Living Well & Spending Zero, you should especially consider getting started on Periscope, as I will be hosting live scopes related to each day’s challenge, which should be a LOT of fun!

How to Get Started

If you haven’t yet downloaded the Periscope app, I encourage you to do that HERE. Don’t worry–it is completely free! If nothing else, even if you’re not ready for a new social media platform, just secure your name before someone else does (or you might regret it in 2016!)

Once you have downloaded the app & signed in, getting started is really easy:

First, search for the people you want to follow by clicking on the “People” icon all the way to the right and hitting the small magnifying glass in the top left corner. (To find me, just search for @RuthSoukup. I usually try to scope daily sometime between 10 & 11am EST.) Periscope will notify you when the people you are following are live.

While watching a broadcast, you can leave interact, ask questions, and participate in the discussion by typing into the comments at the bottom of the screen. You can also give hearts (Periscope’s way of letting the broadcaster know you like what their saying) by tapping the left side of your screen.

If you can’t watch a broadcast live, you can catch the replay for up to 24 hours after the initial broadcast. The recent broadcasts of the people you follow will appear in your home screen.

To start your own live broadcast, simply choose the broadcast icon, then type in the name or subject of your broadcast and press the start button. People following you will be instantly notified that you are live.

And really, that is about it–easy, right? I’ve never really posted about any type of social media before, but this is one I am really excited about, and I would love to have you join me!

P.S. Today I’ll be scoping about procrastination and some easy ways to overcome it! Look for me around 10:30am EST.