Today, there is so much that a business has to do to stay relevant. With the competition and connectedness that the internet delivers, a business without the right influence can easily get lost in the competition. One effective tool you can use to help get your business the influence it deserves is Google Hangouts. Ready to learn how to use Google Hangouts and see all that it can do for your business?
From its name, you know Google Hangouts is a service you shouldn't be missing out on. After all, it's made by the search engine experts themselves. And, just like you'd expect from a service provided by Google, when used correctly, Hangouts can help increase your business influence. Whether you've never used Google Hangouts before or are looking to take it to the next level, we've got what you need to know right here.
Before we get into how to use Google Hangouts, let's make sure you understand what this useful tool is. Simply put, Google Hangouts is a communication platform, but with so many communication platforms, what makes Google Hangouts stand out?
Google Hangouts was created from the evolution of multiple other Google platforms, like Google Talk (VoIP), Google + Hangouts (video chat), and Google + messaging (texting). The search engine experts combined these features into one service for added convenience and user-friendliness and released Google Hangouts in 2013. All from one platform, Google Hangouts provides voice calling, video calling, text messaging, and webcasting.
There are other services that combine audio, video, and text communication, but Google brings a unique feature to the table. Google Hangouts allows up to 25 people to join a video chat at once, but that's not where it gets interesting. Using complex software, Hangouts implements face recognition to turn the focus to whoever is speaking. This feature allows for conference calls, meetings, etc., with no confusion.
Plus, the webcasting feature is unique too, but more on that later.
A big part of how to use Google Hangouts is about accessibility. Fortunately, Google makes it easy by making this service accessible via:
Okay, now that it's clear what Google Hangouts is, let's look at the benefits it has for business and how to use Google Hangouts to increase influence.
We will cover how this service can increase your influence and how to use Google Hangouts for that, but Google Hangouts can do a lot more for your business. Here are some of the many ways that a business can benefit from Google Hangouts:
Google Hangouts provides an easy and convenient way to connect with employees, colleagues, and partners. This is especially useful for a business that has teams or individuals that work remotely. Remote teams and individuals have the opportunity to feel like a part of the business and engage with everyone through Google Hangouts.
Even if your business involves everyone being on location every day, Google Hangouts eliminates the need to go office to office, or desk to desk with questions, comments, or requests. This way, people aren't interrupted and kept from important and time-sensitive work because someone else is at their door or desk. Plus, time spent going office to office or desk to desk can instead be used more productively.
Google Hangouts provides a way to get more personal with clients. Through this service, a business can interact with its clients face-to-face, thus, providing better service.
Google Hangouts is a great way to not only promote your products but also to explain how they work. The video feature on Google Hangouts is a great way to explain how products work, and, even better, the content can be saved and published in other places.
Video interviews are useful in business, and Google Hangouts provides an efficient platform for them. You can have multiple people join in on an interview, or share live interviews with prominent members of your team.
When problems come up, make your clients and customers feel truly cared about with Google Hangouts. Through this service, you can provide service to one person or to many people at once. Plus, you can save the video and publish it to a support page to save time and money in the future.
Another great benefit of Google Hangouts for a business is that it is so easily accessible. Most people today own a Google account of some kind, making it easy to use this service. Plus, joining Hangouts as a guest is simple too. And, as we mentioned before, this service can be accessed from and is supported on an array of devices.
Google Hangouts is free, so there's no cost there. The low cost is associated with the need for a device with a webcam, but as a business or brand, you most likely already have one or several of those.
One of the greatest benefits of Google Hangouts is that it can be used to engage with your audience, reach a wider audience, and promote your brand or business. Google Hangouts can be used for effective video marketing, connecting and communicating with your audience, and providing a way to conveniently reach more people.
The benefits above are great for your business, but for increasing your influence, you need to know the right moves to make. For how to use Google Hangouts to increase your influence, check out the next section.
What really makes Google Hangouts great for increasing your business influence is Google Hangouts on Air. Google Hangouts on Air allows for simultaneous live broadcasting on Google + and your Youtube Channel. As you live stream, Google records the video and posts it on Youtube. Youtube has a huge user base, so this feature allows you to share your live video content with a much larger audience. Here's how to use Google Hangouts to increase your influence:
A great way to get your business or brand name out there and increase your influence is by presenting a webinar. With Google Hangouts, you get to ditch the fees of webinar platforms. For hosting a successful webinar, make sure to choose a topic relevant to your audience based on your audience analytics. Choosing a topic that your audience relates to is how you can drive attendance and views to your video.
A great way to engage with your audience is by hosting a Q&A session. Get together with team members, with other people in your business, or with industry leaders, and give your audience what they want - answers! You can answer questions that are submitted live or ones that are submitted ahead of time.
We mentioned before that one of the business benefits of Google Hangouts is taking interviews to the next level, but those interviews don't have to only be for internal needs. You can use this service to interview industry leaders and influencers and either save the video for sharing after edits or stream the video live. With the live option, you can further increase engagement with your audience by opening the floor to questions at the end.
Ready to launch a new product or service? You can use Google Hangouts on Air to live-stream the product launch to boost excitement in potential customers all around the world.
A successful business knows more content is a good thing, so use Google Hangouts to create a weekly series to engage with your audience. Create Hangouts with an interesting name and keep it consistent. If you don't want to hold one every week, choose something like every first Wednesday of the month.
This series will give you a chance to interact with your audience consistently. Through this, you can create a community, inform your audience about what is going on with your brand and business, answer questions, and hold a place as a thought leader in your industry by showing your field expertise.
Humanizing your business is a great way to expand your influence and give users an inside look at your business is the perfect way to do just that. Give your audience an inside look at your business through Google Hangouts on Air; show them around your workspace or introduce them to your team
We've mentioned that Google Hangouts Air allows you to reach a wider audience by posting to Youtube and your Google + page, but you shouldn't just stop there. You can also post your videos, with or without edits, to your own website, social networks, etc., further increasing your reach and influence.
Photo by Alok Sharma from Pexels
Communication and connection are so important to a business. There's no better way to help your business grow than by engaging with your audience and by finding ways to stand out for them. Whatever your business and goals, knowing how to use Google Hangouts can help you increase your influence, and ultimately bring you more success. And now, you know how!
Featured Image: Image by Prashant Gautam from Pixabay
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