How the right web conferencing software can create connections

Whether you’re planning a one-time mandatory training or an ongoing series meant to inform and educate, live webinars can help you make meaningful, memorable connections with your team, your clients or the public.  

For webinars, be sure to choose a web conferencing tool that allows you to share your screen in real-time. This way, your audience can get an up-close look at documents, forms, videos, and any other materials you might discuss.  

If you’re looking for a way to connect with people outside of your organization or your client list, you can create a paid training (or a series of courses) and place the live webinar behind a sign-in page and paywall. Not only can something like this help you establish authority and expertise on a subject, but it may even help you meet new clients or find potential hires. 

As with the other types of events, be sure to use a tool that allows you to record the webinar. This way, you can provide attendees with access to the recording afterward, use it for internal training or edit the video and release clips of it on social media or in marketing materials.  

Town halls and panel discussions may require more logistical work, but they also present an opportunity to broadcast as a live web conference for your organization or a select group of clients or the public.  

They can cover everything from a single topic to the state of the company and can include one speaker or a dozen. (Just make sure you have enough cameras and enough mics to help everyone be seen and heard.) And with screen sharing, they can quickly include video, demonstrations, and more.  

Both town halls and panel discussions usually have an in-person audience as well as online viewers. And with the power to hear and see everyone, plus the ability for remote viewers to ask questions in writing, you can easily field questions, interact with your audience and connect seamlessly.  

If you’re not comfortable hosting a multi-faceted town hall or panel discussion, you may be able to join one hosted elsewhere and record it for your organization’s use later. Just be sure to ask the organizer well before the event date to ensure you have permission and the technology in place to record the event. 

Whether it’s for your internal team, your clients or the public, hosting a special live streaming talk from a thought leader at your organization or someone affiliated with it can inform and inspire (and raise your public profile, too). 

With the latest web conferencing tools, you can:
 

Afterward, with the recording and transcript complete, you can use clips of the event on your website, intranet and social media, or in electronic press kits and other marketing materials.