TokBox - Oprah should video chat like this

Category: Communication Tools   |  Tags: online community tokbox video chatting video conferencing

How to get the most out of video conferencing using TokBox

Skype may have a draw with Oprah fans around the world, but multiple-user video chats like TokBox and TinyChat have a much larger draw for people who want to create or engage in online community. (TokBox just happens to be one of my favorite ways to connect with friends outside of the area.)

TokBox is completely free for up to 20 users in one video conference, and it can scale up to 200 people for less than $20. It works for both Mac and PC users and requires no downloads or installations; Skype, on the other hand, requires a download. You can send video messages by email using the service. And it syncs with your gchat or google talk contacts.

This is me chatting with people I met through Twitter and/or TokBox. Locations from left to right: Southern California, Fresno (me), Oregon, Georgia, and New Jersey.

If you're exploring video services to engage with your online community, here are a few tips for ensuring a grand ‘ol time (especially on TokBox):

• Don't limit your TokBox conversations to people you know. TokBox is a great networking tool to meet your friends' friends, and their friends. Instead of handing out your business cards out at networking events, meet people directly from your home office...or dining room.
• Use headphones and/or the "mute" function. The downsides to having multiple people in one video chat include ambient noise and occassional echoing. Using headphones reduces the echo, and using the mute function when you're not the one speaking reduces all sound-related interferences.
• Chat within the chat. TokBox is a place where chatting while other people speak is completely acceptable. The chat box below the webcam head shots is a place where you are free to make jokes, add related links to the speaking topic, or simply add a few sentences of input without stopping the flow of conversation.
• Play with people's heads. No, really. You can shuffle the boxes around in any order you want, enlarge one person and hide another. It's fun. Try it.
• Schedule a video conference. Although you are probably capable of setting up meetings on your own, there is now a way to officially schedule and moderate your video chats through TokBox.
• Invite others to join. Want to start a spontaneous chat? Click on the "start a video chat" icon and you can automatically invite your network on Facebook, Twitter, or by sending them a link via email.

Is this a tool you could see yourself using for business or personal use? I find it's a great place for fostering open discussion where anyone is free to weigh in. What topics would you suggest for this type of video conferencing?

Posted Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Alisa Manjarrez is new media manager for Paprika Studios, helping our clients effectively implement search tactics, online advertising campaigns and much more. She writes about trending technologies, community interaction, fashion and food.