Office life can get hectic. Intense schedules and back-to-back meetings have turned into the norm. Getting everyone in the same place can be difficult, especially as home-offices become more common. Conference calls are usually a solution, but there is the downside of not being able to see the people with who you are interacting. That is why, if you have a meeting with 10 or less people, Google Hangouts may be a good alternative.

“When it was introduced, back in 2011, we praised it as one of the most seamless, easy to use video chat services we’d ever seen,” summarized Alan Henry, of Lifehacker, a popular blog for online tips, when talking about the video platform.

Hangouts is Google’s free video chat, screen sharing, remote desktop, voice and text chat service. If you already have a Gmail account, you have probably its text messenger version on the bottom left corner. Setup for the video platform is extremely easy and the app runs on the internet browser. When starting a live conversation, you will get a link to your virtual conference room that can be shared with your guests whenever you need it.

Apart from being able to talk and see each other, users have at their disposal on-platform apps that allow them to draw and to compose music together, for example. People can also join the chat from their phones, via mobile app or calling in from a landline.

What is perhaps the most interesting tool of Hangouts, however, is the connectivity with YouTube. Together, they allow the host to stream a session live, embed it to another website, upload the content straight to YouTube after the conference is done or submit it to a specific channel later, after editing.

And how can we put those functionalities to use within healthcare organizations? Below is a list courtesy of Social Media Examiner, “8 Ways to Use Google+ Hangouts for Your Business.”

  1. Upgrade conference calls. Being able to see people usually has a positive influence on engagement and makes for better brainstorming and efficiency.
  2. Present a webinar. With your webcam, your microphone and sharing selected parts of your screen, you can give a talk or even conduct a product demo.
  3. Host a Q&A session. You can have one expert or a panel of experts to answer questions submitted before the event or live through the text chat.
  4. Interview industry leaders. Videos tend to get good engagement. Use the tool to record interviews and upload them after editing.
  5. Enhance job recruitment. “Don’t just post a job listing. Hold a hangout for potential applicants letting them know more about your opportunity, how to apply, tips for applying and insights into the job they would be doing.”
    You can also use Hangouts to conduct the interview itself and to bring together people from different places in the same virtual conference.
  6. Launch a product. Use Hangouts to host a live product launch party.
  7. Hold user-group meetings. “Want to virtually bring together users of a specific technology or tool? Hold a weekly or monthly user-group meeting.”
  8. Sponsor a Hangout. “Similar to podcast sponsoring, find people who regularly host Google+ Hangouts in your industry and see if they’re interested in sponsorship opportunities.”

Do you use Google Hangouts regularly? If so, what do you mainly use it for? Let us know by leaving a comment!

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