EASY Periscope TIPS!

Hi there! It's Ashley here from Schroeder Shenanigans in 2nd!  Have you joined the fabulous world of Periscope yet?? I wanted to bring you a few quick tips today about the BEST time to periscope!

As a teacher blogger  - I know that there are better/smarter times to post on social media platforms such as Pinterest and Facebook - I know that there is a great amount of data and analytics that I can look at as well as resources {like Tailwind for Pinterest!} that I can use to see when the MOST people are viewing my pages so I know when the best times to POST on my page are!

So - that lead me to think about Periscope and the WHEN for jump on for my live broadcasts!  Should it be in the evening? Should it be a certain day of the week? Should I avoid scoping on the weekends? How many times a day should I scope?! There has to be a BEST TIME TO SCOPE, right?!

Wrong.

After some careful data collection and sharing, as well as turning to the Periscope slash social media experts from whom I have learned OH so much, I have learned that there IS NO BEST TIME TO SCOPE! If you've got QUALITY content to share that you're passionate about -IT'S A GOOD TIME TO SCOPE!! 

There are also a few things that DO consistently keep your scopes filled and engaged and I thought I would share those tips with you today so you can make the most of the times that you DO jump on Periscope and #flipthecamera! 

The first thing to keep in mind is your CONTENT!!  And that begins before you even hit the "broadcast" button! Be sure that you have a CATCHY title that will have people DYING to tune into your broadcast as soon as they hear the whistle! Include emoticons in your title - use a catchy content organizer like "Top 3 tips to...."  that will also help keep you on track during the scope, or leave your viewers in suspense like: "Come hear about my WORST teaching mistake ever"  - BE CREATIVE! Think about what gets YOU to join a periscope, and use those ideas to fill your scopes, too!

So you've got your catchy title, and now you're LIVE! SOOOOO stay focused on your content!!!!  People have joined you because of your title - so stick to the content from your title AND get started right away!  QUALITY content, tips, ideas, etc WILL snag an audience no matter WHAT time of day you go live!

Another point to keep in mind whether you decide to jump on to scope OR if you're jumping in to watch a fellow 'scoper's broadcast is having Periscope etiquette!  Here are a few things to consider!

1. Try to avoid scoping over your teacher friends! - If you know a teacher friend of yours is live, and you had planned on going live with your own scope, wait it out if at all possible so that their viewers aren't tempted to leave their scope early to jump onto yours!

2. INTERACT! If you're scoping, try to interact with your viewers and their related comments as much as you can without veering from your content!!   And if you're WATCHING a scope - INTERACT!! Engage! Type comments! Invite your followers!  Tap others' comments to view their profiles and/or to follow them! When the 'scoper says an email address or a website during their scope, type it into the comments for them! They will appreciate it, I promise, AND you'll be noticed as a Periscoper with Periscope etiquette! You're bound to gain a few followers by interacting in these ways!!

3. Give credit where credit is due! I am by NO means an expert on much of anything at all - but I DO spend a lot of time self-teaching myself, researching, and hunting down/coming up with ideas and strategies that work for and that make the most sense to ME! I, in turn, SHARE THOSE IDEAS with you all, but not without giving credit where credit is due! If you heard an awesome tip on Periscope that you want to share with your followers - DO IT! Share away!! But don't forget to give a shout out to the 'scoper who shared that fabulous idea with YOU! 

And lastly - guess what!! It doesn't have to be time to talk shop EVERY time you jump on Periscope! It's ok to jump on for a "you being you" kind of scope - It's ok to have a bit of a balance between teaching and non-teaching related scopes - but be courteous of your viewers and their time in letting them KNOW THAT in your title! 

One of the BEAUTIFUL things about Perscope is that your viewers get to see YOU BEING YOU!  And let's be real - we all have lives outside of our classrooms and outside of the lit up side of our computers!  Guess what! Your viewers want to see a little bit of that REAL LIFE side of you, too! 

For example - Sheila Jane does a Wine Chat Wednesdays which I ADORE! Do they sip on Merlot and talk lesson plans? NOPE! But you KNOW headed into that scope than it'll be a relaxed, chat filled scope {bring your own beverage style} that is non-teaching related!  

SO!! I kind of tricked you - there is NO BEST TIME TO SCOPE at all! But there ARE a few things to definitely keep in mind before you flip the camera that will guarantee you a happily engaged set of viewers!!

Come find me on Periscope and join in on my next 'scope that'll I'll find the PERFECT TIME to do. :)