The Next Hottest Thing (Not Yet)

Last year live streaming was all the rage with two competing services, Periscope and Meerkat, duking it out. I wrote about it here and postulated that it could be the next big thing. I still think it will be, but this week one of those two services shut down.

With the technology at our fingertips, people live streaming things in their everyday lives is inevitable, and it’s already happening a lot. Perhaps, even more so in businesses. Here at Patron Technology, we’re on some kind of video chat with staff who work remotely several times a day. It’s become a natural (and integral) part of our work lives, and we don’t really think anything of it.

So, it seems clear to me that the problem with introducing live streaming into the consumer realm was the execution. A stand alone product just wasn’t the right thing. But Snapchat and Facebook are in this game now, and word is that Google is changing its live streaming “Google Hangout” product to something (hopefully) better. And one wonders when/if Skype will ever innovate again?

I still think every arts organization should start live streaming something – a backstage tour, a pre-concert lecture, a season announcement, etc. Despite the fact that live streaming hasn’t taken off as something all consumers are participating in, I’m sure it’s coming. 

Suggested Blog Posts

Learn More about PatronManager, the powerful CRM platform that helps you sell more tickets, raise more money, and cultivate stronger bonds with your audience, all in one database.