The Non-Scary Guide to Your First Periscope Broadcast

February 8, 2016

Note: I wanted to name this post “How to Kick Your Fears to the Curb, Punch Doubt in the Face, and Do Your First Scope” but it seemed a tad long.

 

It’s no secret that video has become an insanely effective platform for growing your business. While true, getting in front of a camera can be downright terrifying for many of us.

The scariest of all: live video.

While the thought of creating unedited video content may make you shift uncomfortably in your seat, I’m a firm believer that if you’re scared while doing something, it probably means you’re onto something big.

I’ve been scoping since last August but I remember my first scope like it was yesterday. It felt like my nerves were having a go-kart race with how quickly I was talking myself in and out of broadcasting.

Imagine my surprise when two months later, my first community coaching client came from Periscope. I know Periscope can be a game changer for your brand too.

The great thing about Periscope is that it:

• allows your audience to connect with the (literal) face of your brand
• helps you rapidly build your thought leadership in your niche
• builds community rather quickly and in an authentic way
• takes less time than planning and editing a YouTube video/webinar/workshop (Can I get an amen?!)

Eminem said it best: Guts > Fear.

Here are a few tips to get you more comfortable:

Write a few talking points on a note card

Are you nervous about freezing up on camera and not knowing what to say? Outlining a few of your thoughts on a note card may help. Jotting down some quick bullet points to reference during your scope can give you that extra dose of security before starting your broadcast. Heck, I used a note card for my first month of broadcasts. Do what makes you feel most comfortable.

Even though you have some talking points, give yourself some wiggle room to explore your topic. Periscope is about interacting with your audience, not just being a talking head. It’s much more casual than a webinar presentation so let your hair down and be yourself. You can do it!

Cover something you know inside and out

I cannot stress this enough. You’ll already have a few nerves when scoping (hey, it’s normal!) so choosing a topic you know like the back of your hand will help you feel more at ease.

Ask yourself: What is my expertise? What is my edge? What could I talk to someone else about and never run out of new things to say? That’s what you should scope about for your first time.

Try a private scope with a few blogging besties (BBFFs)

If you’re worried about the smaller things like how to flip the camera or end a broadcast, a private scope can help you work out the tech issues and kinks so you are focused solely on creating engaging content when you do your first scope. Your besties can also comment during your private scope so you can get a feel for answering comments at the same time as teaching your content.

Ask your community to join in

Want your people to watch your first scope? Just ask! Really, it’s as simple as that. Whether you decide to give them days, weeks, or just a few minutes notice, tell them that you’ll be jumping on to talk about the topic you’ve chosen. If you’ve been investing in your community, you’ll find many will be more than happy join in and cheer you on.

Okay, so now you’ve got the nerves out. Here are a few things to keep in mind while scoping to keep things in perspective.

Don’t get hung up on the number of people tuning in

The most common fear I hear from bloggers and entrepreneurs who haven’t jumped on the Periscope train yet is “what if no one tunes in?” I want to start by saying I have never heard of anyone scoping without anyone joining in. It’s time to put that fear to bed and scope anyway.

As an extra tip, if you put “first time scoping” or another variation of this in your broadcast title, many people will hop in just to say hello and encourage you in your first broadcast. Periscope is cool like that.

Don’t worry about your heart count either

You do not need X amount of hearts for your scope to be seen as valuable. Repeat that until you believe it. Forget about this vanity metric for your first scope and focus more on creating an engaging conversation around the comments you receive during the broadcast.

*Everyone* flubs

No one, I repeat, NO ONE expects your broadcast to be perfect. Perfect is boring to watch anyway. Flubbing does not equal failure, friends. Is the fear of saying “um” or “like” one too many times keeping you from interacting with your audience? Don’t let it.

Don’t hit delete after you stop your broadcast

When you hit the ‘end broadcast’ button, I’m willing to bet a part of you will be tempted to hit the delete button on your replay. I know because I heard this little voice after my first few scopes too. Whatever you do, don’t delete it!

There’s no right or wrong way to scope, so have fun with it!