8 Preparation Tips for Running a Successful Google+ Hangout

It never hurts to learn from others especially when it comes to using things likes software and plugins. This rings very true for Google+ Hangouts. We have put together some useful tips from our own experience that will help you run a successful chat session your first time out.

Tip 1: Take your appearance into consideration. Make sure that your hair is neat and that if possible you have a lighter wall behind you. This will make you look more alive and bright during your Hangout. You don't have to wear dark colours!

Tip 2: Your lighting is important so try and be in a brightly lit room. You may find it helpful to turn on lights, especially if you don't have any natural lighting in your room.

Tip 3: Use the same type of light bulbs in all of your lighting fixtures. A good practice is to have one light on each side of you. Or you can sit by a window if you have one.

Tip 4: Background is another key factor, aim to look bright. You don't want to have an image that is distracting in your background. Remove any large items that can be seen through your webcam.

Tip 5: Position your webcam so you have to look up into it to talk. This gives you a more flattering appearance. Try to place your webcam at eye level or slightly higher as this also provides less distortion.

Tip 6:  A good camera will make a huge difference to the quality of your videos. If you are serious about creating Hangouts you may want to consider buying a professional camera for this purpose.

Tip 7: Audio is another big concern. You can use a clip on microphone, this work really well and of course cannot be seen. Just remember some are extremely sensitive and will be pick up the slightest noise. Other choices include a standalone microphone or a headset.

Tip 8: Adjust your colors and settings from within your Hangout settings. They even have different background images that you can use.

The above tips will help you get set up for your Google+ Hangouts. Above all you want to really focus on your microphone, your appearance and your background. If you are recording Hangouts from the same location test for brightness at various times during the day. This way you can time your recordings to take advantage of the best lighting settings. This will help your videos look bright and clear.