Effi has two ways to display incoming chat messages to your viewers: Chat and Chat Pro. Both can display messages from all the different platforms you’re streaming to and they’re both completely customizable so you can design them to fit the look and feel of your stream. Another great feature they both share is that you, the user, has control over which messages are displayed. Overall, both these chat elements offer a fantastic way to engage with your audience and create a personalized experience that will keep them coming back for more.
That being said, there are some notable differences between Chat and Chat Pro that you should be aware of. The most significant difference is in how they handle chat curation.
Curating messages in the Chat vs. Chat Pro
Chat was created with a “set it and forget it” usability, with functionality that allows you to simply add the interactive element and have it display all incoming messages. It does the work while you focus on the stream.
But if you are looking to ride the line between ease of use and automation, chat also gives you the option to manually select each message from the audience chat to display to your viewers. Once you choose to show, or hide, a message the change is immediately reflected in the display window.
Chat Pro, on the other hand, gives you a little more flexibility in your curation. Chat Pro features a separate moderation panel that allows you to curate a custom queue, choose how long your messages are displayed for, and even save awesome messages for later!
While Chat Pro has that curation flexibility, it is also a little more hands-on than Chat and will often require a separate person dedicated solely to chat. Don’t worry though, we make it easy— If you have someone on your team who can act as a moderator, we have a special moderator role that you can assign to a team member. They’ll gain access to just the moderation panel, but you or other members of your team will still be able to change settings, customize, and have access to it.
Which one should you choose?
Choosing between Chat and Chat Pro really comes down to a couple things.
Think about what your event looks like. Is it more casual? Then you might want to opt for the regular chat element, a less formal option. Is it a really big paid event? Well then you might want to have more control over what’s displayed.
Do you have the resources? As I mentioned earlier, Chat Pro requires another set of hands. If you don’t have a team member to spare than Chat might be a good option.
The key takeaway is that no matter which chat element you choose, you'll provide your viewers with the thrill of having their comments highlighted and the ability to see what's happening on other platforms you're streaming to. This creates a fun and engaging community vibe among all your viewers, regardless of where they're watching from.