By Susan Guillory
Blab? you think, What the heck is that?
Blab is the next in a line of live streaming social tools that promises to change the way we do business and interact with fans.
I recently participated in Scott’s Marketplace’s Blab, Network & Pitch Your Business Like a Pro. It was my first time using the tool, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.
The Setup
If you’ve ever used Google Hangouts, Blab is very similar. You can sign up with your Facebook or Twitter account, and once you’re in, you can view the Blabs that are currently happening as well as prerecorded ones. Have fun.
If you want to start a Blab, you can create tags to help people find it, make it public or unlisted, and even set it up for the future so you have a landing page to send people to.
Once your Blab is live, you’ll be the talking head. Others can call in, but you have to accept them for them to show up in a talk box next to you. Others can use the chat bar to ask questions or send little handclaps when you say something they like.
What I Learned
Here are my takeaways from my first Blab experience.
1. Opportunity is Wide Open
There’s not a ton of business activity on Blab this early in the game, which could help you position yourself as a leader there. Blab is still in Beta, so many people sign up and then drift around, looking for interesting content. If yours is there, you can attract people who wouldn’t otherwise know about you.
2. There’s a Bit of an Ego Factor
The little handclaps at the bottom of the video might have been a Millennial construct (and I’m Gen X) but I found myself looking to see how many claps I got. It felt good. If you wanted to, you could pay attention to when people gave them to you to understand what part of your presentation resonated with them.
3. Promotion is Key
Blab isn’t yet ubiquitous. I hadn’t even heard of it. So it’s essential that you inform your social network if you have an event planned. You might even write a blog post ahead of time explaining what Blab is to get them warmed up and interested in participating.
4. Blab Personalizes Online Relationships
It’s all too easy for me to hide behind my keyboard. I’m an introvert, so tweeting is one thing, but showing my face online is a little taxing. Still, I appreciate that nothing beats face-to-face interaction, even if it’s via video. Because I contribute to Scott’s Marketplace’s blog, I had interacted with the Community Manager, Stephanie, via email, but it was cool to see her face and talk to her rather than type.
So what do you think? Is Blab worthy of being added to your marketing mix? Give it a try and let me know how you like it.
