You know about hashtags and status updates and newsfeeds and retweets.
They’re all the buzzwords we’ve become accustomed to in the recently formed world of “social media.”
I hate the term social media, even though it’s part of my title. It’s used too much. It used to sound fun; now it sounds boring.
But something new has been percolating the last few months. And I think it’s the coolest thing ever.
It’s live streaming video. It’s impromptu. It’s a little random. And it can be a lot of fun.
Periscope is the app of choice, it seems, in the fishing industry.
You can get Periscope in the app store. It’s free, and it will help you find people you follow on Twitter. There are others, most notably Meerkat, and one day soon, Facebook will jump into this market, too. It’s already working on it.
Bassmaster Elite Series pros Justin Lucas and Matt Lee did a Periscope together July 21. Fans typed their questions, while Lucas and Lee read them and answered them on the spot, in real time. The questions ranged from what lures to use in certain situations to which Elite Series pro they can best impersonate.
The app launched in March, and we at B.A.S.S. immediately started using it, first at the Elite Series event in Guntersville, with great response. Lee was one of the first to set up an account, and Mike Iaconelli was quick to use it, too, even launching a separate Periscope account just for his show, Ike Live!.
But in the last few days — maybe inspired at ICAST — several other Elite Series pros have jumped in and tested the waters. Lucas is one, and others include 2014 Classic champ Randy Howell, 2012 AOY Brent Chapman, J. Todd Tucker, Ott DeFoe, Jordan Lee and Brandon Coulter.
The videos are raw. Anything can happen. And they’re not for replay, really, because they self-destruct in 24 hours.
Like a video? You can reward the broadcaster with “hearts,” just by tapping the screen. Really, really like it? Tap the screen as much as you want.
Whether you like ‘social media’ or not, it’s hard not to like a medium as spontaneous and quirky as live broadcasting.
To get started, download Periscope, follow @BASS_Nation and check out who we’re following to find all the pros we know of on the new app.
