Image: Adobe.com

This post also appears in the June issue of PR Tactics, published by the Public Relations Society of America.

Internet video conferencing services have become standard issue for digitally savvy communicators. PR professionals are employing Skype, which lists more than 520 million users, and similar livestreaming tools such as Ustream and Livestream, to supplement traditional broadcast media — or circumvent them altogether. Their flexibility combined with reasonable audio/video quality has aided adoption, and practitioners should examine their capabilities for expanding reach.

Major TV networks use Skype to cost-effectively bring guests and reporters into national broadcasts. Oprah uses Skype with guests and viewers regularly.

Winfrey notes on her website that Skype “changed the way we do television.”

Last year, she appeared on a video screen in a New York Best Buy store having impromptu, comical discussions with passersby. She has also talked with newsmakers on location around the globe, such as a scientific researcher in Antarctica.

However, you don’t need a national stage to benefit from livestreaming. Professional sports, consumer technologies and even small businesses are among those tapping its potential.

Jeramie McPeek, vice president of digital communication for the Phoenix Suns, has been a Skype guest on several programs including the Row Show, a live weekly Internet show about technology in professional sports hosted by digital marketing agency row27 Studios.

His virtual appearances are timely, topical and easily produced, benefitting the Suns’ PR efforts.

McPeek finds livestreaming intriguing and plans to use it across the Suns’ digital properties.

“We’re thinking about players livestreaming from the road via their iPhones and a Skype interview with a Phoenix Mercury WNBA player traveling overseas,” he says. “Player and fan chats also seem natural.”

Technology evangelist Robert Scoble used Ustream to livecast from Facebook’s f8 2010 conference this past April. He streamed the event’s press conference for nearly a thousand viewers, offering his insights and talking with other guests along the way.

Practitioners can consider the following to achieve similar results:

Get your gear — When Oprah calls you want to be ready.  Equip your spokespeople and clients with webcams now instead of sprinting to the store during your hour of need, or missing an interview opportunity.  You can pick one up for less than $100, and newer model laptops have built-in webcams.

Enhance your message — Good communications strategies require good content, and livestreaming can help you affordably achieve volume.  Web audio and video generates some of the best audience sharing statistics. Capture short discussions with your clients for video blog posts or record podcasts. Get customers involved by encouraging user-generated content. Report from your own event by sharing a livestream feed with your social network.

Expand your reach — Geographic, time and cost barriers are now more navigable thanks to livestreaming: the keynote address that your media cannot attend in person; the last-minute news station interview request; the international industry analyst you want to feature during your press conference.  All are doable with technology and openness to virtual attendees.

Imagination is the lead ingredient since livestreaming has mitigated previously limiting production factors.  And we’re PR people at heart, so there’s plenty of that to go around.

My “Tweeting up with THE_REAL_SHAQ: Phoenix Suns PR Pros embrace Twitter, social media” article for PRSA Tactics published today. Thanks as always to the PRSA publications staff, and also to Krystal Temple (@sunsprgirl), Amy Martin (@phoenixsunsgirl), Jamie Morris (@sunsprdiva), and Jeramie McPeek (@sunswebmaster) from the Suns organization for their time spent meeting and interviewing with me about their social media use.

The article is about a Tweetup event the Suns held during their January 16th home game for fans who use Twitter, and it of course emphasizes the PR perspective that drove the event. Shaq (@the_real_shaq) himself attended, and there were plenty of activities to satisfy just about any NBA fan.

Equally impressive is the team’s application of social media beyond Twitter. They have put themselves in a leadership position as far as sports franchises go. The organized Tweetup for example was the first of its kind in the NBA. I think it was an award-caliber event (hint: Krystal, submit in “events” category of various PR award programs).

See the article for details on other social tools the team is using; there are many, these are the highlights. The article also includes a link to video of Shaq meeting his Tweeps after the game (also below), and to capture some of the vibe from that night search #sunstweetup on http://search.twitter.com.

Judging by the favorable reaction from Tweetup attendees, I would expect more spins on this idea to come from the Suns, and likely other NBA teams. Next up may be the All-Star Game which Phoenix hosts at the US Airways Center Feb 14th and 15th.

Rick Welts (the very guy who created All-Star Weekend – that’s right, the dunk and three-point shooting contests etc.) is the Suns’ President & COO. Could he have something new and unique up his sleeve with the game being on his home court? Jamie Morris tells me that although the Suns are the host team, they have a prescribed league event flow to follow. Makes sense, but consider this my encouragement to shake things up a bit. Whatever the case, the Suns are “one to watch,” on the court and off.

(Full “Tweetup” article at PRSA Tactics online)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXZjTDoSxQI]