o o ebook Blab.IM
What is Blab.IM? Want to connect with a group of friends? Want to be part of a live chat without actually participating in it? Want to be able to talk to a couple or more people about any subject? Finding and Taking Part in a Blab Finding BLAB is very simple. Type in Blab.IM on your URL tab. Several live chats will be available to join. To find a chat all you have to do is scroll down the front page. The left side of the page has keywords that were used as tags. The first BLABs I saw on the page were the on air. As I scrolled down I was able to see the chats that are scheduled for another time and I could subscribe to. Joining I decided to create an account. How to join Blab.IM is easy as using my Twitter account. Blab brings us back to the basics of what social media is really about: Build relationships and engage. With Blab, we all have opportunity to go from being just followers and connections in a massive ocean to having real dialogue and interaction as part of a community. By comparison, Blab brings me back to the days of AOL chat rooms when chatting with strangers late at night was fun! - Carlos Gil, Senior Manager Social Media at BMC
Watching a BLAB I clicked on the first live chat that interested me called, Introduce yourself in 15 seconds. The chat had 18 viewers at the time and all four video chat spots were taken. I was able to witness for a minute how a group of individuals introduced each other. I met a couple of interesting people in only a minute. During Live chats, the link provides you with the amount of viewers currently watching the BLAB. I could join the BLAB as a viewer or I can jump in the camera if a seat is available as long as the host approves it. I noticed in some BLABs they were encouraging their viewers to join in. Feels As a viewer you can also give props to those that are talking in the live session by pressing the hands up pair of hands. BLAB refers to this part as the Feel. The Feels do not accumulate between BLABS. They only last in that particular BLAB. Blab is as much about the comments and the viewers who can share to Twitter as it is the 4 people on video because the people can change out so easily it truly is the first live streaming conversation platform of its kind! -Brian Fanzo, Social Technology Evangelist
Experience When I clicked on my first BLAB, How to introduce yourself in 15 seconds I was interested in meeting and knowing the people involved in it. It was interesting to see how people described themselves in such a short period of time. I was dragged into the BLAB by my curiosity of how people can describe themselves in 15 seconds. It was a fun experience. I felt a pull towards wanting to know them and the reasons why they would use this new live video experience. I felt that the BLAB was filled with a variety of people and yet here they were introducing each other. It s live and personal. It takes away from the superficial and clicking on a picture and clicking like. Seats Available The amount of seats for the live chat is four. I noticed right away that I could join as a viewer. I was able to see who else was connected as a viewer as well. If the BLAB was public I could join one of the slots in the BLAB when it became available. Even if the BLAB was not public to join the actual camera BLAB, I could still see it as a viewer. Unlike the one-to-many live video streaming apps like Meerkat and Periscope, Blab.im simulates a town hall setting that allows a true conversation to take place. As a result, real community is created. If the message boards of the old web could speak, this is what they would look like. -Joel Comm, NYT Best Selling Author
Image Above shows the Join+ box that I can click on and Join in as long as host approves as well as the comment section mentioned below. Commenting As a viewer you can comment on the chat. There is a comment bar on the right hand side of the chat. I noticed that the viewers were able to comment and ask questions. Subscribing to a BLAB I noticed some BLAB as I scrolled down that had subscribe on it. I clicked subscribe on a topic that interested me. I was under the impression I was going to see another live BLAB but what I saw was a countdown of when this topic would start. I then noticed it was the BLAB s main page. I was able to see the countdown that lets you know when the chat is going live. Also on the right hand side there is a section with list of subscribers that will be attending the BLAB. Blab brings together all the media types that we have grown to love together in one experience. TV, Radio, Chat, Podcasting, Video Conferencing, and it does so with virtually no barrier to entry (Sorry Hangouts!) The result is a platform that is flexible, accessible and engaging. The sercret sauce is that engagement! While most social platforms create connections Blab creates real engagement. -Steve Dotto, Founder, of Dotto Tech
BLAB Replays I noticed some BLABs were off the record meaning it did not allow any replays of it. I found it hard to find the replays. According to the website, it is on the bottom of their page. Needless to say it took me a long time to get to the bottom of their page. On the positive note, they also have them available on their Twitter page. Moreover, having a replay option is pretty neat since it allows you to go back to a specific conversation that you enjoyed or learned from. Following As soon as I signed in with my Twitter account I was able to notice that some people from my Twitter page where on Blab. I noticed this on my profile page. Your profile lets you see who you follow and who follows you.
Sharing the Blab I can share my BLAB by using the URL to send it to my friends or I can use keywords so they can access faster. Hosting a BLAB To host a BLAB just click on the top right hand side by your profile picture. Click on Start a new Blab. It will ask you what your blog is about and it will ask for you to use tags for easier finding by others. It allows you to pick if you want the BLAB to be live right away or in the future. If the future is clicked it asks what time you want it at. Scheduling a BLAB for the future allows others to subscribe and prepare for your BLAB. Hosting Features As a host, I will be able to lock seats if I wanted it to. For example, if I want to set up a BLAB for a group of friends about a subject, such as a chemistry final, but I did not want others to participate in the video then I can lock the seats. However, anyone can view the BLAB. Blab has become my go source for broadcasting my Instagram Tips & Business advice to a room full of passionate business owners who are eager to learn engage and connect in a very intimate way. The ease of use, and ability to promote the broadcast before, during and after the event has me hooked it is now my go to place to connect with my community and reach many new business owners who are eager to consume valuable information. - Sue B. Zimmerman, The Instagram Expert Recording Your Blab The BLAB is saved only when I place it on the record. Once I do so it keeps it on my replays. I can click on off the record as much as I can make certain parts of the chat private. You will also receive an email with an audio and video file so that you can post the replay on your own channels such as YouTube.
Settings and Profile In order to see my profile I clicked on my image on the right hand side of the page. It has my profile image from Twitter. Once I clicked on it several options came up and I clicked on Profile. My profile lets me see who I follow and who follows me. I also get to see the replays I have saved on my replay sections. On settings I was able to insert a bio. I also had optional settings as to when I wanted to receive email notifications. Tips, Tricks and Ideas for Building An Audience on Blab I notice that you can always go back to the home page by clicking on the Blab Beta icon on the top left hand next to the search bar. On the search bar you can search for keywords that will allow you to look up a BLAB that interests you. On the left hand of the screen on top of the word Tags you can click on the icon that hides the Tags bar. On the bottom of the TAG bar, to the bottom left hand corner there are links to the company s Blog, FAQ, Our Story, Terms, Contact. Blab is the ultimate live casting platform that combines all the functions of podcasting, live mobile broadcasting and social interaction into one nice little package that allows group conversations and even the development of new show formats. It is the true manifestation of social media. I think it s the evolution of interaction and every marketers should study it carefully. - Michael Stelzner Founder, Social Media Examiner
Audience Be Proactive. I noticed that some Hosts were alone and they were inviting others to join their live chat. Pick a subject that have more than one audience. Don t be too specific. Having an introduction BLAB could pull a lot of viewers which can lead to followers. Pick an instructional chat that targets a wider audience. Blab is a game changer because it is quickly bringing people together to have face to face conversations something we ve lost in today s social media/technology centric world. The access we have to information today is unparalleled. And now we get to share it with everyone. -Vincenzo Landino Founder, Landino Marketing Phillis Benson - Founder & Cre ative Idea Person of Virtual Partner - aka 'Your Virtual Business Manager - Creating & Implementing Virtual Projects Together'. Phillis Benson Co-creating Your Business Dreams I'm in the business of Mentoring & Coaching up-and-coming Entrepreneurs who desire to Create & Grow an Online Business and Sustainable Income. I've never met a cheesecake that I didn't like. A few (other) favorite things include my traveling buddy (cat) - CATmanDo, the kiddos, everything on Hulu & Netflix, and I'm a BIG supporter of the beers & wines! More at www.virtual-partner.com Document Origin: Technology Spotlight Series: Blab by Bryan Kramer