Are you an app user? It’s kind of hard not to be these days. There’s a lot of apps out there – too many to choose from it seems. And in case you hadn’t noticed, Google is no stranger to the app world – they’ve got a lot of them. Google is highly regarded for its growing suite of business and personal use applications. With many of its Internet-based products and services designed to help businesses and entrepreneurs boost their productivity. Google Hangouts happens to be one of those cool apps.
Google Hangouts is an all-encompassing tool, that essentially comes with everything a business needs for efficient video conferencing. With this one app, you can conduct virtual meetings, from practically anywhere (as long as you have internet). And with real-time sharing and collaboration features available, it makes it even easier to conduct a productive meeting.
Did you know that Google Hangouts recently upgraded with two new features: Hangouts Meet and Hangouts Chat?
- Hangouts Meet is a quick, easy-to-join way of conducting meetings for members using an interface that was designed for quick access. Hangout Meet can be accessed on the web or using its app available on iTunes and Google Apps Store.
- Hangouts Chat comes with a whole lot of other functionalities. It was built to support collaboration. It provides chat rooms where conversations and sharing can occur. This is great for virtual business meetings as you can have conversations, share files, videos, and photos, view them together in real-time, with ease.
What other ways can Google applications be used to increase productivity in your business – let’s take a look?
Using Google Hangouts to Grow your Business
1. Host webinars
It is a very effective and cost-friendly tool for webinars. It provides a Hangout on Air option that allows you to invite as many people as you choose to your webinar, and also provides an option for QandA during and after the webinar, for people who might have questions.
2. Conduct a Q&A session for a new product launch
If an online product launch is included in your marketing strategy for your new product, Hangouts is a good platform to conduct the launch. It will help your potential buyers learn as much as they can about the product. It’s a great tool to boost their buyer decision process in your favour.
Having a Q&A session will give you the opportunity to clearly explain the functionalities of your product, and create anticipation for its release. Doing this will create awareness for your brand, and establish a better connection between your brand and your customers.
3. Record demos for your products and services
Live demos are a great way to establish trust in your brand. With live demos, there are no secret edits or manipulations.
Hangouts can be used to conduct demos for both new and existing products and services. There’s also the option of receiving questions from your viewers. So you can clarify issues which might not occur to you but are posing a problem for your users.
These demos can also be recorded to be uploaded later to sharing sites like YouTube.
4. Upgrade your recruitment strategy
Hangouts are great for businesses which choose to employ workers remotely and keep their staff online. The traditional recruitment processes are not necessarily a good fit for them in this case.
With Google Hangouts, you can conduct individual or group virtual interviews with the people you have selected from your listings. You can also shorten the process for yourself by recording all the key information they need prior to applying, and send that to all applicants, using a single platform.
Utilizing Hangouts in these situations can be quite beneficial. Now applicants will not be required to travel from far locations for an interview that will only last a few minutes, especially when you plan to work with them remotely.
5. Host meetings with client and staff
If you work from home and want to avoid the time and stress required to commute, you can choose to hold meetings with clients online using Hangouts. Hangouts also allow for file sharing. Meaning you can exchange as much information using this platform, as you would in a meeting with both parties physically present.
You can also increase your productivity by holding meetings with your staff, without needing a schedule that requires everyone’s physical presence, at the same time.
6. Host brainstorming sessions
Influencers and decision makers in your industry are most likely very busy. Organizing a meeting where everyone will be physically present might take some time, and won’t always be as soon as you want. Hangouts can be used to organize a series of brainstorming sessions where you can all collectively discuss new ideas to introduce to your industry.
7. Host interviews with experts and influencers in your field
Hangouts can also be used in your content marketing strategy.
Conducting interviews with guests in your industry who are seen as influencers. Doing this provides your viewers with information that interests them, further encouraging their interest in your business. The interviews can be done using live steam while being recorded for other viewers who might want to watch later.
As noted above, you can also introduce Q&A sessions to give viewers an opportunity to talk to your guests and ask them questions.
Some added features of Google Hangouts
- It offers integration with other apps like QuickBooks or Zapier, allowing you send information to members of your team, during your chat. This integration allows for better understanding during meetings as everyone has immediate access to the same information.
- It provides a YouTube integration that means everyone is watching the same video at the same time. Any of the chat members can look up a video and share it to be played, in real-time, with everyone else.
- Apart from conference calls, you can choose to text chat. Chats are not private and will be shared with all the members of the hangout. You can also choose to keep your chat “off the record” and it will not be saved by Google.
How do you leverage Google Hangouts for your business? How much of your collaborative efforts does it support? Let us know in the comment section below.
