There was a massive uptake of the BBM app when it finally released for IOS and Android, with over 20 million downloads in the first week of release, but that was just the beginning…
Now BBM is going to include Voice Calls, Video Calls and a new social and promotional element called BBM Channels.
What is BBM Channels?
BBM Channels allows you to create you own personal Channel or subscribe to another users Channel.
In your own Channel you can engage in discussions with your subscribers without having to divulge any personal details or even add them to your contact list.
You can control the interaction of your subscribers by moderating comments before they are published, you can also set chat hours to control the time period where interaction can take place, it’s like running your own little chat room.
With BBM’s built in notifications you will get instant updates when a subscriber posts a comment on your channel or a channel you are subscribed to.
BBM Channels Analytics
BBM Channels comes with a built in analytics tool so you can measure engagement with every post you create, like how many followers your Channel has, how many visits, likes, comments and unique subscribers.
BBM Channels for Brands
Where Channels will undoubtedly come into its own is for brands wishing to promote services, products and promotions, sort of like a mini Twitter, Facebook and messaging app all in one and I can see advertising coming to highly subscribed Channels very soon.
BBM has always been one of the biggest attractions for BlackBerry users, and it seems like BlackBerry have got a cunning plan to finally monetize this app after years of free ad-free messaging.
Always on, great for Brand promotion
The beauty for Brands, companies, and anyone trying to promote their business or services through BBM Channels, is that BBM is an ‘always on’ application, giving them 24 hour access to subscribers devices.
All in all this seems like a smart move for BlackBerry, enhancing a very popular application into a standalone business model that could possibly rival Twitter and Facebook as a promotional marketing tool for anyone with an opinion, to a multinational company and everything in between.
Download BBM for here for Android or for your iPhone from the Apple App Store.
