Visit North Carolina is one of the first destination marketers to make an investment in the fast-emerging live streaming arena.
We've written about how Meerkat was the next big thing in travel marketing, and now Periscope, Twitter's newly-acquired live streaming answer to Meerkat, has launched.
Visit NC has chosen Twitter's version of live streaming, opting for the advantage of full integration with the Twitter's platform in addition to the ability to save recordings at a later date.
This is an essential piece for marketers spending money on producing quality video: if it can't be recorded and replayed the ROI is greatly diminished. And while the spontaneous temporality is also reduced — since users can watch it later — it still makes more sense for marketers.
The key is to still make it exciting and compelling to watch as it unfolds live, as live content always has a natural angle for consuming as-it-happens.
The live streams are being announced on VisitNC's Twitter page, which can then be viewed only through the mobile app. The smart thing here is that it basically creates a live travel show, with travel brands able to post a schedule and get everyone engaged in advanced. Users can then interact with the live stream, posting comments and asking questions.
This is truly the next evolution in travel shows — it's live and fully immersive.
https://twitter.com/VisitNC/status/581493408176463872
The schedule for this particular set of live travel streams, as quoted from the VistNC team:
- Noon: See wild Spanish mustangs at Carova Beach, the northernmost section of the North Carolina Outer Banks.
- 12:30 p.m.: Take a spin in the race simulator at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte.
- 1:00 p.m.: Sip a craft cocktail made from ingredients foraged from the North Carolina mountains in Asheville.
- 1:30 p.m. Soar through the trees near Saluda on The Gorge, the steepest zip line in the Continental United States.
- 2:00 p.m. Cross Grandfather Mountain’s Mile High Swinging Bridge, America’s highest suspension footbridge.