Yesterday we released some big updates to the VOKLE platform that you’ve probably already noticed. This will help you reach more people in your event along with taking interaction to a higher level.

Let’s start with the refreshed Twitter module! You can now tweet directly from a VOKLE event rather than having to be redirected to another window. You can also Retweet and Reply, all inside the chat. Now you can enlist the help of your audience to spread the word about your show!

We’ve also introduced a new way to ‘Invite Your Hero’ to join the your chat, this way you’ll be able to invite some of your favorite personalities to the chat. You can browse through our list of suggested Twitter users by clicking the left or right arrows on the header, or look for a specific user by using the search bar. Then, simply click “Invite!” and tweet away.

We’ve also introduced a new “Ask a Q” button to our chat box that will make it easier for your audience to ask video/text questions — it’s conveniently located next to the “Send” button in the Chat box.

To continue keeping VOKLE conversations fluid, engaging, and abundant — keep up with the question-asking and be sure to tweet out VOKLE to your favorite athletes, musicians, role models, friends, tech-savvy grandparents, and/or whoever else, and get them to easily create and share content.

-The VOKLE Team

Hello Vokelites! My name is Margaret, and like Steph, I am a fellow newbie to the VOKLE team as well. I was born and raised in the Bay Area in Northern California. I just moved to Southern California a few months ago and have fallen in love with its perpetual sunshine (I’m ignoring the last few days) and quirky variety of food trucks.

I was admitted to the University of the Pacific in Stockton as a Pre-Pharmacy major, but graduated in International Affairs & Commerce with an emphasis in Marketing and a minor in Japanese. A big jump, I know (my parents were ecstatic). Last year, I came back from a 10-month stint studying abroad in Osaka, Japan, during which I ate my way through Asia. And if you can’t tell already, I love food. I am a pop culture junkie who loves traveling, fashion, and Googling images of Ryan Gosling. I also draw comics poorly.

I am very excited to be a part of this team and will do my utmost to not bring VOKLE crumbling down to ruins. To be honest, there is nothing I can say about VOKLE that Steph hasn’t already said so eloquently (nor will I attempt to at risk of shameful embarrassment). So I will just end it on this note: I am elated to be on board. Please excuse my poor attempts at humor.

Greetings and salutations, good folks and friends of the VOKLE community! My name is Steph, but many people call me Slo — short for Stephanie Lo – and I just recently joined the team at VOKLE. I’m a born and bred Southern Californian with an impenetrable love for summer, sunshine, barbecues, and obnoxious fluorescent colors (see image above).

I was fortunate enough to spend four years in New York City as a student at NYU, where I studied Marketing and Management, dabbled within the realms of Entertainment, Media, & Technology, and ate way too much (or not enough?) chicken and rice from a Halal cart on 53rd and 6th. Some of my hobbies include: going to shows, eating, getting swept up in spontaneous adventures, rhythmic hand-clapping, and fist pumping. I’d like to say that I don’t do all of those at the same time, but that would be a lie.

I’m psyched to embark on my journey here at VOKLE, and look forward to doing whatever I can to help the company continue to push the boundaries of interaction and innovation. It’s hard to put into my own words exactly what it is about VOKLE that is so inspirational to me, but I know it has something to do with the following line from this most recent VOKLE spot, which was inspired by Larry Lessig’s 2007 TED Talk on the “laws that choke creativity.”

“Digital technology is the opportunity for the revival of [lost] vocal cords — culture where people produce for the love of what they’re doing, and not for the money.”

If digital technology is the opportunity for uninhibited communication, then I’m positive VOKLE is the right vehicle to navigate that opportunity, and I’m happy to be along for the ride.

While perusing the web, Shant stumbled across one of our Staff Picks on Kickstarter.com. Tour Chats has been one of our most regular broadcasters, and remains the premier haven for fans of cycling. And they need your help!

“Cycling fans usually can’t go down to the corner pub and find bike races on the TV and the camaraderie of fellow fans like other sports fans can,” explained Pamela Wood Browne, Creative Director of Tour Chats, so “we enjoy creating venues online for cycling fans to hangout and enjoy cheering on and getting to know their favorite champions.”

The Tour Chats live series has featured a number of cycling greats, and has been steadily building an audience. All shows are carefully recorded and edited into video podcasts which they share with fans for free.

“We’re committed to providing opportunities for fans to get to know and interact with their favorite bike racers and other cycling personalities, as well as, to connect with the worldwide cycling fan base - both of which the Vokle platform is perfectly suited for!” Pamela explained “While cycling fans may not have many chances to hang out with other fans in their local town—every week we can get together online!”

Tour chats has been producing their weekly video podcasts without funding for the last four months. Production costs are rising, and and it will take time for Tour Chats to attract corporate funding. Until then, they still want to be able to produce the t-shirts and other paraphernalia. “ If we raise more than our minimum goal of $3,000, we’ll put more funds towards production and marketing of the show,” explained Pamela. To donate or read more about the cause, see their Kickstarter page.

Another thing to get excited about: this Sunday they will be hosting an interview with Jonathan Vaughters, an amazing cyclist. They’ll also be announcing giveaways for financial backers, so don’t miss it:

VOKLE always insists that you “unmute yourself,” and this Monday one of our broadcasters is going to elevate our slogan to a new level. Meet Greg, a web-savvy tumblr afficianado who tweets about respecting women and respecting yourself:

Monday at 4pm PST (7pm EST) Greg will be hosting his first VOKLE show, and taking live questions from the audience. Broadcasting beside him will be a sign language interpreter, who will be translating audience questions live for Greg to answer. Greg is deaf, but his fans can still have a live conversation with him face to face (or thanks to his interpreter, mano a mano).

We encourage everyone to RSVP to the event, so that you’re notified a couple hours before it goes live. When it goes live, click the red “Join Event” button to submit your text and video questions, and chat with the rest of the audience. Each text and video question Greg takes will be saved as a special chapter that you can tweet out to your friends after the event is over.

No, we aren’t desperate.  But we may be a little sick.

It’s no secret that Justin Bieber is the talk of the town.  He’s got a global audience of fans that are nuts for him. He makes teenage girls faint with one flip of his bangs.  He’s got more twitter followers than Barack. And one lock of his hair goes for upwards of $40k.  Why so much love?  Because, this kid has humble roots, he’s got a set of pipes, and he does a stellar job at connecting with his fans. It’s no wonder why here at the Vokle office we’ve got a bad dose of…

Bieber fever.

So, in an effort to marry superstar singer with elegant live streaming platform, we’re introducing The Bieber Campaign.  The social media tidal wave created through ripples from none other than the fans of Justin.  So how do you join the movement? Join fans from around the world on Monday, August 15th and starting at 9AM PST, tweet at Justin Bieber asking him to host a LIVE Q/A on Vokle.  Throw a creative twist on your tweet, along with #biebervokle, and if the campaign is a success, we’ll ask several of you to work behind-the-scenes with the Biebs himself to produce the show!  With some luck and a few tweets we can bring JB to your computer screen. LIVE. Taking your text/video q’s.  :)

Let’s get the buzz going.  Right MEOW.

This year VOKLE is headed to VidCon, which sold out in a heartbeat. So we wondered, what about all the fans around the world who can’t make it? In an attempt to involve the fans who can’t make it, VOKLE has teamed up with VidCon to give viewers across the globe exclusive access to interactive conversations with top youtubers, directly on the VidCon website.

Youtube’s biggest stars will talk face to face with their fans, including…

• Jenna Marbles

• My Drunk Kitchen

• DeStorm

• Wheezy Waiter

• Phil DeFranco

• Karmin

• Mystery Guitar Man

• Olga Kay

• Soldier Knows Best

• Keep the Heat

• Gloria Nava

• Jimmy Wong

• Alex Goot

• Outback Zack

• Cobus Potgieter

• Dan Brown

• Jacks Films

These top youtubers and many more will broadcast for thirty minutes each in consecutive live events on July 29^th and 30^th, as fans speak to their idols via live video and text questions. The events will include a one-click subscribe button, so viewers can follow the Youtube channels of hosts they enjoy most.

After the events are over, they will be converted into an incredible collection of youtube celebrity recordings, so people can peruse their favorite chapters or tweet out the most exciting questions. To see recording in action, check out My Drunk Kitchen’s Hannah Hart:

As I wrap up my fourth week working here at Vokle I have made a couple realizations. The first is that Vokle is built upon synergy and fueled by passion; fostering relevant, sustainable relationships between broadcasters and their audiences. In an industry of black and white, suits and ties, 9am to 5pm, Vokle delivers a colorful business culture of intimacy and creativity.

The second is that Vokle has a lot of growing to do. However I have no doubt that as it goes through its growing pains, Vokle will not lose sight of the values that lend to its tight-knit community of users and its supportive, personable crew.

So, in honor of my love for both Vokle and infographics, here is a little visual digression designed by yours truly

On March 26-27th, YouTubers across the country united in Orlando for Playlist Live. Many Youtube Partners, including Freddie Wong, SwiftKarateChop and Mike Lombardo swung by the VOKLE booth and partook in nerf-gun knock-outs of Ustream (Uncool and Unoriginal VOKLE competitor).

Watch the Youtubers take down their target, plus a couple other playful Playlist moments:

Hey folks!

The time is upon us to finally announce the VOKLE slogan contest winner! There were tons of clever and inspired submissions, but the winner of the highly-coveted Build-a-Bear is Cameron Kashani (a.k.a “camsy”), for her simple slogan that speaks volumes: “Unmute yourself”

Huge congrats to Cameron for coming up with a fantastic slogan, you’ll be receiving a customized Build-A-Bear created by our very own @Jacquiengineer!

In her own words, Jacquie promises to deliver a “…BUILD-A-BEAR MODELED AFTER OUR ILLUSTRIOUS WINNER…” She noted: “…Since we’re fresh out of teddy bears up in hurr, I’ll most likely have to fetch my supplies by climbing up into one of those skankoid stuffed animal machines with the mechanical claws, presumably leaving tens and tens of sobbing toddlers in my wake when they see that I’ve pilfered the most bad ass toys in the history of the universe…”

There were many great slogans, and here are some that deserve an honorable mention.

Ed Baker: “Social video, social internet.”

Julia Taylor: “Break the silence.”

Kelly: “This is what Al Gore had in mind when he invented the internet.”

We have something special for everyone who participated in the contest, stay tuned next week for details!