Blab... Fad or Fabulous?

The first I heard of Blab.im was when my buddy, Brian G. Johnson posted on Facebook he was hosting a Blab. Shortly thereafter, Joel Comm was promoting his Blab. Before I knew it, many of my friends and colleagues were Blabbing and having a great time doing so.

My initial thought was, "Oh no! Not another BSO - bright shiny object."

With all the new distractions on social media, I truly thought this was just one more to add to the bone yard of soon to be forgotten ways to mindlessly fill time online.

Knowing Brian and Joel the way I do, Blab warranted further investigation. After all, both of these online rock stars seem to always be on the leading edge of how to serve their communities.

After closer examination I got the bug. AND I predict Blab is going to create immense opportunity to those who strategically utilize this platform and the incredible capabilities Blab offers.

The great thing about Blab is there are virtually no barriers to entry. Unlike Google Hangouts, Blab is very user friendly. Even the most non-techie person can get the hang of it from the start.

As with anything, there are always Pros and Cons. Here is my take on the Pros and Cons.

PROS

• What I really like about Blab is you can use it as an open discussion forum, training platform or simply talk about trending topics.
• Limited number of on-camera participants. Some people think that having only four people on camera at a time is a major downside. Personally, I like this feature. This prevents a free for all conversation that could quickly get out of control.
• If you're the host of the Blab you have complete control on how long you let someone stay on camera. In other words, if you have someone who is inappropriate, tries to take over the conversation with their own agenda or is just an out and out jerk, you can X them out.
• The user interface is very simple and yet, it has room to grow.
• One of the nicest features is the Twitter integration. While on a Blab you can tweet out to all your Twitter followers by the click of the button that reads "Tell a little bird." Participants can do the same. In very short order, your Blab is being tweeted out to untold numbers of people.
• From what some experts are claiming, they are picking up quite a following, their subscriber lists are increasing and their visibility is going through the roof.
• Another nice feature is the ability to record your session. Many experts are using their recorded Blabs for membership sites, podcast shows and creating more value for their community.
• You can go live immediately or schedule your Blab in order to let your community plan accordingly.

CONS
Although the Pros are plentiful, there are some downsides. Yet, the upsides far outweighs the downside.

• You don't have privacy on Blab. Once you go live, anyone can join in.
• Blab has already proven to be a BSO for some people. The phrase, "Addicted to Blab" is starting to surface.
• If someone is using Blab simply for the purpose of filling their time, you can end up wasting precious time searching out high content Blabs.
• From what I've seen, there are more "time waster" Blabs happening than really useful ones.

Getting the most out of Blabs you host and/or participate in

The following recommendations are for those who want to use Blab to enhance their market reach, visibility and position their expert status.

• Use the Blab platform as you would any other training environment. In other words, treat the time of participants with respect and give them something useful from your Blab.
• Make sure the whatever shows on camera is not distracting. For example, don't do the Blab in your bedroom with an unmade bed showing.
• Avoid noise and distractions while hosting, or participating on camera, with the Blab.
• Record the session in order to repurpose into a podcast episode, content for a membership site, or added value for your subscribers.
• Dress and act the part you want to convey to the viewers. I can't believe the number of people I've seen on camera with messy hair, eating their lunch or dinner on the Blab, picking their nose (yes, I did see one person pick their nose) and/or looking bored while others are talking.
• Have fun. This is key to others having fun. If they see you enjoying yourself, it's likely they will too.
• Keep things on target. Unless your Blab is a free for all, keep the conversation on topic. It will keep your viewers more engaged.
• Acknowledge people as they join the Blab. A quick hello works great.

Ready to jump on the Blab bandwagon? All you need do is go to Blab.im to begin Blabbing.