What is Blab?
If you are following this category, our last article was on Periscope, a live streaming app that lets you broadcast around the world and have your listeners interact with you. Today, I am going to introduce you to Blab.im. A live streaming conversation with up to four speakers and unlimited live viewers who can interact with you, and directly share your conversation. One way to think of it is “Periscope with friends” or “Periscope with live conversation.”
This is what Joel Comm has to say about it.
I think @blab is the best new platform for content creators! Here’s what I’m doing with it https://t.co/uDLWYlXaqQ pic.twitter.com/s6wDMEYO7b
— Joel Comm (@joelcomm) November 14, 2015
I think he is right. This platform is not only extremely addictive, it is the richest interaction between people I have ever seen online and the way it is set up will be wonderful for brands, advertisers, bloggers, and influencers to reach new people and their existing audiences in a very real way.
But isn’t this just like Google Hangout? Yes and no. But the yes’ end at live streaming. Blab actually works, and very well. Blab allows between 2 and 4 live cameras which is a great number to try to follow. Unlimited numbers of people can comment and interact in the comments and the host can control who is on and off camera.
Blab’s Background
I just saw a bunch of blabs talking about a 100 days on balb party. So I don’t believe it has been up for very long so I can keep this section short for you. I had heard at IZEAfest 2015 that idea for blab happened in April 2015, just a mere 7 months ago. The platform is still is beta and has a few small bugs but functions very well.
I want to share more about how bloggers can use blab, but for a great article looking at blab from a marketers perspective, check out this one by Adage.com.
Blab for Bloggers
If you are a blogger, you are in the business of making great original content, or at least organizing information in a way that ads value. Either way, you are in a very competitive market looking to attract advertisers and sponsors while trying to stand out from the crowd.
Almost everything I have ever read about bloggers is that they should find a niche, research keywords, and write content that people are searching for. None of this is wrong, but it is only half of the story. If you can sit down in an short amount of time and find your niche, anyone can do the same. You want to actually stand out to attract regular readers and viewers. That is where a little out-of-the box thinking and being willing to try something new comes in. Think of blab as a tool to make you stand out from the crowd. It is a relatively easy platform to use and creates rich content very quickly.
I think the best way to stand out is to add your personality. The problem with most blogs today is that anyone could have written the article, taken those pictures, and shared it on social media. Think of this, your blog becomes the brand and with only text, images, and maybe video, it can be knocked off by anyone. Live streaming technologies make YOU the brand.
If people come to see you, they will find you, even in the midst of social networks reducing feeds or changing SEO competition. If you only provide information that people are looking for (which is what you are doing with the traditional blogging model), then as soon as the information is found, the best thing that can happen is that you become a trusted source for information next time a reader is looking. But, if you actually form a relationship, or an emotional attachment to your readers by you becoming your brand, they will seek out, rather than finding the highest ranked SEO keyword writer the next time they want information.
Further, by creating your brand around yourself, you get to control the message. If people are looking for your personality, you will be found regardless of social media feeds and SEO, rather than following their rules to be found.
Blab is a wonderful platform for bloggers to start building their brand around themselves and show their personalities. Here are some quick thoughts on why you should be blabbing:
- Showcase your personality to attract new followers
- Fast, easy content creation
- Embed the blab in your blog for rich posts
- Easily collaborate with other bloggers by inviting them to your blab show
- Live streaming is very new. Get in now and enjoy the big growth in your your audience as it gets adopted.
- Considering having a good customer or a sponsor on blab with you for them to showcase their product and earn a few bucks.
- Make the audio a podcast
- Upload the blab to YouTube
- Share the blab video on Facebook
I hope you consider hopping over and checking out Blab.im. Follow me at https://blab.im/ChrisAshbach if you do. Are you already using Blab? Let us know about your show in the comments below!
