Have you blabbed yet? If you have no idea what I'm talking about, don't worry… you soon will.
Blab is the latest steaming social platform to hit the interwebs. But, even though I've only been active on it for just over a week, my money and my gut say it's going to be BIG.
Blab had a soft launch back in April, and, since then, it's been growing by leaps and bounds, with users loving the interactive nature of the platform, that far surpasses anything experience elsewhere. For the uninitiated, Blab combines the experience of Google Hangouts, the social spontaneity of Periscope, and the video-on-demand features of Spreecast. But more importantly, it gives everyone equal (and easy) access to participate in he conversation… just by clicking a “join” button.
The Basics of Blab
Blab is currently in its beta phase, and, while it's starting to test well on the Firefox browser, it seems to be best accessed using the Chrome browser at blab.im, or via the iOS app, sorry Android users, you'll have to wait.
Blab users are able to participate in real-time conversations together with up to four people on a variety of topics (all searchable inside the platform or categorized by keywords). First you select a subject that interests you, and then you are given the option to join a live Blab or subscribe to a Blab scheduled for a future date and time.
Each conversation is defined by a title (and it looks like hashtags are being incorporated too), and access to each conversation is managed by the host/moderator, who can choose to accept or deny the entry of those who click the aforementioned “join” button. Alongside the on-camera discussion, viewers who are not speaking can freely interact with the participants using a chat feature.
And once the discussion is completed, the moderator can decide to either delete the broadcast or hit record to save it for later viewing (to be accessed by anyone, currently).
In my circles, Blab is a really big deal… it's simple to use, and broadly accessible. Plus, it brings engagement to a whole new level.
The platform is based on the concept of providing instant feedback, which means that viewers can click a set of hands to show their approval for things people say. And, during my binge addiction to Blab over the past several days, I've seen all sorts of everyday people connecting with influencers, creating rewarding experiences, and even gaining a few minutes of fame (and a whole bunch of new social followers to boot).
Want to Get Started with Blab?
Joining up is REALLY easy. All you need is a Twitter account, and you're in. Simply active your Blab account via your Twitter profile credentials, and you can subscribe to Blab content providers who interest you.
And creating your own Blab is simple too. There's a large blue button on the top right corner of the desktop browser. Once you click on it, all you need to do is choose the topic and category of your chat, and then you can sending the link on to your co-host (if you have one). Your Blab is ready to go live as soon as two people are inside the chat.
When you combining the user-interface of Google Hangouts with on-demand video, Blab seems to be changing the way we utilize live-streaming apps. I, for one, am excited about seeing where this platform goes – and think you should be too.
Get More Social Marketing Guidance
Blab isn't the only happening place in the social marketing web-o-sphere… there's lots more out there. And I want to help you stay on top of it all. When you sign up for free access to my Social Marketing Mastermind training site, you'll learn about tons of marketing opportunities to help grow your business. Better yet, upgrade to a Premium membership, and become a part of our private Facebook group and help direct the conversation.