by Bridgetti Lim Banda
BLive Media
IN THE BEGINNING
Blab.Im, a mothballed live video platform was like the ultimate watering hole where you could pick your poison to enthral or be enthralled by others. It was interesting, informative, and educational. A place to meet new friends, gather information, chill and hangout online. And then one day it all came to a grinding unceremonious screeching halt when the developers pulled the plug overnight. Yip, they ripped that band-aid right off. There was no time to think of the void it would leave in its wake.
Fast forward to October 2016 and BeLive TV launches a streaming platform that is hailed as the answer to what many missed about being on Blab.IM. Initially I simply observed and watched other streamers who adopted this shiny new streaming platform as I was awaiting major neck and back surgery and by January 2017, still donning my neck brace and hardly able to fully use my vocal cords, I finally decided it was time to dip my feet back into the livestreaming water.
Here is where things got a little interesting. Someone I knew from the livestreaming community offered to accompany me on my first dive into Live TV. I was nervous because I was still recovering from the trauma of my surgery. It was someone I knew from the Blab.IM days, so, I felt pretty confident that this person would have my back.
The experience was pretty much like being drenched in a bucket of ice-cold water or being rudely awakened from a pleasant dream. I have met some awesome people online in the livestreaming community who are now the most amazing friends, but I will never forget the humiliation I felt when this person simply said to me “move over and let a pro show you how it is done” … live and on camera! Before I knew it, my first experience using BeLive.TV was over. This person immediately reached out to my show guest and asked my guest if they would be interested in partnering on a show and promptly started a new broadcast with MY guest. The audacity was astounding!
DAY ZERO - OPPORTUNITY IN CRISIS
It was around this time that the Cape Town water crisis started to emerge in South Africa, and I realised that livestreaming could give me the unique opportunity to create a platform from which to share unfiltered and unbiased news, information, and education. This gave me the fuel to push through the embarrassment and humiliation I felt from someone I was beginning to identify as an online bully. I was determined to regain my confidence as a livestreamer so that I could deliver a service to my community. I surrounded myself with knowledgeable and respected experts in the water industry who graciously and generously offered their time and experience so I could share it with my audience. Before long I was perceived as an expert and was interviewed by several local and international radio and TV stations around the world about the Cape Town Water Crisis. BLive Media provided a platform and played a meaningful role in connecting role players who may otherwise not have had a voice during this critical time.
That was how I launched my career as an On-Demand and Live TV Producer and Talk Show host. Since January 2017 I have done more than 1000 livestreams helping creators, and industry and social commentators across diverse genres. Titles include: The Water Show; Writers Corner; Cappuccino Club; Do Good Live; and The Conversation. I was invited to beta test several new livestreaming platforms and am thrilled that my contribution has led to the successful launch and improvement to many of these platforms.
COVID and BEYOND – OPPORTUNITY IN CRISIS
LinkedIn launched “LinkedIn Live” in February 2019. 50 Million companies are registered on LinkedIn with more than 260 million monthly active users. Africa and the Middle East have 61 million users. In April 2020, there were almost 8 million LinkedIn users in South Africa. I got access to LinkedIn Live on 7 June 2019 to become the 1st LinkedIn approved LinkedIn Live Producer on the African continent.
I keep abreast with what is new in the Industry and am able to match clients with the right platform solution to fit their needs.
Deciding on the right streaming platform for your business is not the only decision one needs to make when you add live video into your marketing strategy. Partnering with a Live Video Producer to anchor and/or host your broadcasts with the right skill set, who is knowledgeable and ethical is as important a choice to make.
By partnering with BLive Media you have access to and the ability to reach millions of potential clients across the globe.
No comments:
Post a Comment