Why Your Business Should Be Using Google Hangouts

Part video conference, part webinar, Google Hangouts have been growing in popularity and proving to be a useful tool for both digital marketers and webpreneurs around the world.

All that is technically needed to hold or be a participant in a Google Hangout is a free Google Account. Hook up your webcam and you can live stream video broadcasts from your Google+ profile, YouTube channel, or best yet, your own website. When the event is over you can save your recorded Google Hangout and share it on any of your web properties.

So how can Google Hangouts help your new media efforts?

1. Product/Services Overview

A Google Hangout is a great way to showcase a new product or service. Aside from being a free announcement that is available to the world, Hangouts can be incredibly interactive if you choose. That means you can open the event up to participants to ask questions via video or text chat. This is a great way to give a 360-view of what you are marketing.

2. Roll Out Webinars

To succeed online, it is imperative to establish yourself as an authority in your field. A great way to help you accomplish that is to demonstrate your knowledge and share information through Google Hangouts. Prove you are a subject matter expert by holding webinars that pertain to your field. You can end up increasing your online presence and growing your network, all while recruiting new potential customers.

3. Hold Meetings

With so much work being conducted remotely, Google Hangout gives businesses a free method to hold private meetings with staffers, no matter where each worker is located. Video meetings are useful because you are able to read visual cues such as facial expressions and body language. Video also tends to keep meeting participants more engaged and alert than the teleconference alternative. It’s also a lot cheaper than flying your staff around the globe to meet!

4. Teaching

The Internet has knocked down classroom walls, allowing lessons on every topic to be taught virtually. Consider adding a new revenue stream into the mix by offering paid courses. Sometimes it makes sense to give away what you know; other times it could be part of an over-arching business model.

Google Hangouts are growing in popularity and are a great free tool. Even Best Buy jumped into the fray this holiday season by offering shoppers last-minute gifting advice via Hangout. Familiarize yourself with these webcasts today, as you will only begin to see their popularity grow throughout 2014.