Last week we saw some updates to the Periscope iOS app and this week we have seen a new feature launched for the web browser.
The Couch Mode feature allows web browsers to navigate through content, advance content automatically and you can also toggle hearts on and off. You also do not need to have the Periscope app to be able to watch the live streams.
There does not seem to be a specific reason that people are featured – some people I watched using the Couch Mode feature had only a few people watching the live stream.
You can see some screen shots below – at the top right is a navigation arrow which if you click it you will advance to the next event. The event the screen shots are from are by a fashion blogger names Orion.
Here is an example of what you will see if you are watchingin couch Mode and the broadcaster is live streeaming on Periscope in the usual vertical format.
This is what people will see in Couch Mode if the broadcaster changes to horizontally live streaming.
So that is an interesting feature I did not expect. Perhaps that has always been the case as I have not noticed it before as most people live stream in protrait mode which is what currently Periscope is optimised for.
You can watch a replay of my recent Periscope live stream on Periscope (available for 24 hours from the time of broadcast or on the web here – and if you miss that you can watch a replay here.
I featured live streams by Richard Hill and Scott Pasmore.
Four Key Issues To Be Aware Of When Using Periscope To View Live Streams In Couch Mode
1. There is no moderation feature on the web browser so people can not report inappropriate content which I think is important as any one of any age can access the content
2. There is no navigation button to move backwards to a live stream you were watching – the only move backwards if you wish to return to a previous live stream that you watched is to click the browser back button
3. The link to Couch Mode is case sensitive and on mobile browsers you need to add periscope.tv/couchmode – see the Tweet from a member of the team on Periscope clarifying this here
4. Now people have the ability to find you through scrolling through content it is going to be even more important to have an engaging and relevant title as there is no image that you would see as a thumbnail when viewing Periscope live streams in the app.
Do you plan to use the web viewer and couch mode to watch and discover new content on Periscope?
Additional Resources To Help You Use Periscope For Marketing
If you found this article of assistance in taking your Periscope marketing to the next level you may be interested in the article where I cover a low cost lens kit to enhance your live streams.
You will find this article of assistance if you want to invite a member of your team to join you in moderating your live streams especially in relation to social customer support.
I also recommend this page with more resources about how to use Periscope for business which has details of the Periscope training and mentoring programmes and training that I offer.
