Key Pointers for Running a Google+ Hangout

While running a Google+ Hangout is a great marketing tool you still need to take some basic tips into consideration. This article will highlight some points that you may want to consider applying to your next Hangout.

Check Your Equipment

Always check your equipment for running a Hangout. In fact you should do a test Hangout first and pay special attention to the quality of your Hangout and to the sound. If you plan on running lots of Hangouts then it would be advisable to invest in a good quality microphone. There are lots of different ones on the market including headsets, lapel microphones and stand alone ones.

If your sound quality is poor you are not likely going to attract many repeat subscribers to your Hangouts or to your video channels.

Preparation is Key

While there is nothing wrong in holding an impromptu Hangout, if you are promoting your business it is vital that you prepare in advance.

You may want to run a slideshow presentation during a broadcast. This is actually a great way to add content to your video, and hide your face if the thought of talking to a camera the whole time intimidates you!

Prepare your presentation in advance, check that your images are clear and that you have no spelling mistakes. Practice a Hangout so that you are comfortable with showing the slides at the correct time.

Your Content

Knowing what you are going to talk about during your Hangout is important. One of the worst things you can do is to lose track or forget what you were going to talk about. Of course, you may be one of those people that are never lost for words!

For most people though, having a list of points or subtopics printed out on your desk can be a huge help. As you go through your topics you can cross each one off. If you forget where you were, use the list as a reference point.

Editing Your Hangout

A Hangout is set up so that it is directly loaded to YouTube once your broadcast is finished. This doesn't mean that you can't edit it though. If your video is extremely long you may wish to edit it into two parts. Two shorter videos are more manageable for viewers than putting aside 1 hour to watch a longer one.

As well editing your video allows you to remove any portions that aren't as important. Or if you had a technical issue or gap you can now simply remove it from the final version.

With a little forethought and planning you can easily create enjoyable Google+ Hangouts that are as much fun for your guests, as it was for you in hosting them.

Best Practices for Running a Google+ Hangout

There are two main ways to run a Hangout, you can choose to run a text or a video based one. You can run a Chat Hangout via text with up to 100 people. For a Video Chat you can invite nine other people to participate with you. By running your chat "On Air" you can broadcast the link live so hundreds, or more, people can watch. They just cannot actively been seen on the video though.

Use the following best practices to ensure that your Hangout is run professionally and that everything goes according to plan.

1.   Take the time to create a good Google+ page for your business before running your Hangouts. First impressions count and you don't want to risk losing potential customers or clients because you weren't set up correctly.

2.   Choose a good representative from your business to host your Google+ Hangouts. They should come across as friendly and knowledgeable.

3.   Try to answer as many questions as possible during the Hangout.

4.   Always answer questions with a personal tone.

5.   Promote your Hangout by sending out invitations and placing your Hangout on appropriate Calendars, posting on other social sites and emailing your current customer list.

6.   Prepare in advance and have any slides ready to go.

7.   Doing a practice run in advance is a great idea, especially for your first Hangout.

8.   If you are running a live broadcast remember things will happen and to just keep going. Your audience will understand.

9.   Don't have gaps of dead air during your Hangout. It helps to print off a topic list so you can keep talking all the time. Even if something does go wrong, talk to your guests and tell them you are trying to find a file or fix an issue.

1    Have someone send out Tweets during your Hangout.

11.     Create shorter Hangouts as opposed to one longer one. This will encourage more people to watch the replay. It is much more tempting to watch 2 ten minute videos instead of one longer 40 minute one.

12.   Demonstrate your products or work during the Hangout. People enjoy seeing a hands on type of presentation. If you are offering tools show your guests how to use them.

Last of all don't forget to thank and reward your guests for joining you on your Hangout. Offer discount coupons or some type of incentive as a 'thank you gift'. This way your guests will feel appreciated and will be happy to participate in your next Google+ Hangout.

Do You Market with Videos?

If you market your business with videos, are you using Google+ Hangouts as well? If not, this is something that you should really consider adding to your marketing strategies.

Google+ Hangout is an easy way to hold an online meeting or product demonstration with up to 9 attendees. You can still invite others to watch your live event, so you can technically have an unlimited audience.

As you are already aware, video marketing is huge and a great way to get tons of traffic to your sites. Google now owns YouTube which is why using Google+ Hangouts is a no brainer. Plus the benefit of a Hangout is that once your video is finished it is automatically uploaded to your YouTube account.

The only requirements to use a Google+ Hangout is that you need to have a Google account and email. If you do any type of online marketing you will have these in place already.

When it comes to using Hangouts you need to know that you don't have to present an "On Air" broadcast. While this is a very popular option, it may not suit your business needs or marketing plan.

It is also possible to set up one on one sessions as well. These would be good for coaching type calls, interviews and for talking with clients privately. This private option can be used for many types of calls and discussions that you don't necessarily want to broadcast to the world. Once your video is uploaded to YouTube you can make it private or unlisted. This way only people with the link can view the video.

Using Google+ Hangouts is a great way to make a variety of business videos including: marketing ones, product reviews, tutorials and how to type videos. The automatic uploading to YouTube can save you time and allows you to easily create a channel with lots of videos.

Remember that videos rank well on all the major search engines, especially Google. So why not keep in their good books and incorporate Google+ Hangouts into your video marketing methods?

Running a business and incorporating online strategies makes good business sense. As a marketer it is always important to stay abreast and use all the current marketing trends as much as possible.

Don't get left behind, position your business as a forerunner when it comes to marketing using Google+ Hangouts.