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.

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.