July 7, 2011 49 Comments

Video for Business

Testing Google+ Hangout

I just tried out the “Hangout” feature for Google+. It’s a live video chat feature that permits up to 10 people at a time to talk to each other via web video. It’s a LOT less stuttery and latent than Skype, and it’s amazing how easily it allowed 10 people to chat without any fuss or trouble. I captured just a little bit of it for you to see. (When I exported it, I accidentally saved it as widescreen when it wasn’t, so I apologize for the “stretched out” nature, but it still shows what I want to show you.)

If you can’t see the video, click here.

Video for Business

There are a few ways you can do video conversations in business. There’s GoToMeeting HD Faces (which I intend to start using and testing shortly), there’s Skype, there’s ooVoo (which I talked about back in 2008), and probably a few others. You can also do G-Chat inside of the Google Apps suite, as a 1-1 video connection, if both parties have the tools enabled.

For business, I think Google+ ‘s Hangout feature is pretty useful. I realize that only 10 video feeds might not be enough for some companies, but I think that there are ways to make that work out. For the most part, for small team meetings (especially teams that workshift), I think this would be killer.

Beyond that, I think there are other ways businesses can be using video.

Some Uses for Video In Business

What I like about video is that it tells a story differently than text. You can do a lot of things with it. Business people often get really hung up on WHAT to do with video. Here’s a quick list:

  • Shoot “behind the scenes” of what goes into making your product or service.
  • Interview your best customers and ask them about THEIR success (not yours).
  • Interview your employees who are the most passionate about your projects.
  • Record screencasts if you have an online product, so that people know what they’re getting into.
  • Create educational content that helps people better use your product/service, or that helps them with some not-related-to-you aspect of the job.

Those are just five potential things one can do with video inside business, six if you count the live chat feature I was talking about above. I’m very bullish on video in the coming years for business, and I think that if you’ve not yet done some investigating into how it can help your company reach people in different, more engaging ways, then now’s the time to get thinking about it.

What about you? Any success with video?

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  • http://twitter.com/tomewer Tom Ewer

    You had me at “a LOT less stuttery and latent than Skype” ;-)

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    very interesting post! thanks a lot

  • http://homeprotecthomewarranty.org/ Home Protect Home Warranty

    Nice video !! indeed, many external video sites are blocked by corporate firewalls, hence alternate flexible solutions are necessary

  • http://homeprotecthomewarranty.org/ Home Protect Home Warranty

    Nice video !! indeed, many external video sites are blocked by corporate firewalls, hence alternate flexible solutions are necessary

  • http://rickmanelius.com Rick Manelius

    Since I work from home, video chat is key to keeping the communication lines open with my co-workers and clients.

    For me, the killer feature is screen sharing with multiple callers. Skype currently doesn’t allow for this, and things like gotomeeting are not as convenient. 

    Up to 10 callers? Less stuttering than skype? If screen sharing is included, I’m sold!

    • http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

      No screen sharing yet. But soon-ish. 

      • http://www.du4webtech.com Pre Priyadarshane

        I agree, I’m pretty sure this will be feature that will be released soon. Along with existing collaboration support for Google docs – video conferencing ability and a screen sharing feature will make Google+ a viable business-ready solution as well. Chris, what do you feel about business professional networks and the impact of Google+ on LinkedIn?

    • http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

      No screen sharing yet. But soon-ish. 

    • http://www.jonalford.com Jon

      I’m with you, Rick. If/when screen sharing comes out I’d be interested in giving it a try.

      We should take a page from Chris’ book and be bullish on video as well. This space is only going to become more crowded (noisy, not necessarily way more competitive).

      • http://rickmanelius.com Rick Manelius

        Absolutely. I get more interested in video with every passing day. Video tutorials and screen shares have been invaluable tools for me… so I want to start producing more of these myself as a way to share and attract others of similar interest.

        I think I’ll always prefer text over video. But there are times when you gotta use the right tool for the job, whether it’s the favorite tool or not!

  • http://www.facebook.com/stevegarfield Steve Garfield

    Nice screen shot.That Google+ chat hangout was fun. I like the immediate and unplanned nature of it.If visitors are looking for more information on my book, Get Seen: Online Video Secrets to Building Your Business, they can go here.

    http://offonatangent.blogspot.com/2010/01/where-to-buy-get-seen.html

    See you online!

  • Anonymous

    Chris,

    This is good to know about because I conduct a lot of interviews and Skype often drops out. Thanks!

  • Sean Earley

    Yeah, i found it to be really smooth.  It would be nice though to have group sharing of documents or group whiteboard in addition to just youtube.

  • http://twitter.com/monk51295 monika hardy

    ah. i love this feature.

  • http://twitter.com/niksargent Nik Sargent

    you haven’t really covered anything to do with collaboration in business – your list could be much longer, how about:

    *) faster decision making with video conferencing and collaboration (and obviously avoiding travel). Most of the execs I interview say that audio conference calls are a bind and that when they do the same thing by video, it talks half the time: they get people’s proper attention!
    *) faster response: e.g. incident management with real time video – bring the incident to you in your control room, rather than having to go to it.
    *) dynamic collaboration across distance – see and share rooms space, diagrams, conversations across multiple locations, without having to actually assemble in the same place. Huge cost and time savings.
    *) step up the relationship – a video call has more impact than a phone call. need to put your supplier through the mill a little? need to make an overall bigger impression?
    *) engage with remote/home-workers – help address isolation and foster team working..

    just a few of the immediate ones.. :-)

  • http://twitter.com/launchpadsix Launchpad 6 Pty Ltd

    Chris

    In our organisation we use online video extensively. Aside from the usual demo videos and video chat, we actually use it to explain projects to outside contractors.

    Just the other day i recorded a screencast of me going over my PSD designs for a new website we are creating and sent it off to an outside developer. He got back too me the next day saying he had shown his whole organisation the brief, and that it was the most comprehensive yet easy to understand brief he had ever seen. It took me 5 minutes to do, and it absolutely nailed it.

  • Eric T. Brandt

    Thanks Chris! Excited to try these tools. The list of 5 things is also useful as a reminder of some basic video applications for business.

  • http://twitter.com/StephenTiano Stephen Tiano

    Much as I have reservations about both Google and Facebook becoming big and owning everything–remember when people worried Microsoft was an antitrust colossus in the making that would destroy Apple?–perhaps this will finally signal the mainstreaming of videoconferencing.

    As a freelance book designer on the Macintosh platform, I’ve had iChat and for years have been willing to use it with clients and potential clients. Seems to me that when negotiating prices there’s nothing like observing the face of someone you’ve never met but thru email. But aside from a single author-self-publisher client in Australia (I’m in New York), I’ve only ever videoconference with my granddaughters on the opposite coast.

    I’m very hopeful this will make many more publishers and self-publishers comfortable with using freelancers like myself who are not local to them.

  • Alistair Vince

    Hi Chris, We definitely agree with the whole concept of video for business. 3 weeks ago we launched watchmethink – a service designed to capture videos of consumers using products or services – for product development, insight, idea generation. We’re pretty bullish about video for business too – so love reading anything that supports that. Thanks

  • http://twitter.com/tropigal Pamela Rappaport

    I can’t wait for G+ to open up so all my team can have access. As a small business money is tight so we use Skype. Having an alternative to it is a dream come true.

  • http://twitter.com/tropigal Pamela Rappaport

    I can’t wait for G+ to open up so all my team can have access. As a small business money is tight so we use Skype. Having an alternative to it is a dream come true.

  • http://DempseyMarketing.com/journal/ Robert Dempsey

    I’m a Mac guy and found that most video applications fail horribly. Skype is alright, and GoToMeeting (or any Citrix video chat application) works the best. I’m looking forward to trying Google+ hangouts more though as the 10 person video chat feature is wicked.

    Video has been good to me. I interviewed you for my freelancer site, and interviews with folks like Tony Hsieh and many business people are always big wins in the popularity department. In-person meetings are always the best to form relationships. Video is second. Video is a great way to show people more about you and your company, and start building trust 24×7.

    Are you seeing video be more accepted inside of companies Chris, or do many still think that if you’re watching a video you must be playing around?

    • Claudene

      I saw that video interview you did with him for your freelancer site. It was good, and I appreciated the substance of your questions and his responses. Valuable stuff.  

      • http://DempseyMarketing.com/journal/ Robert Dempsey

        Thanks Claudene I appreciate that. Takes two to tango though and it was awesome of Chris to do it, in his car no less!

      • http://DempseyMarketing.com/journal/ Robert Dempsey

        Thanks Claudene I appreciate that. Takes two to tango though and it was awesome of Chris to do it, in his car no less!

      • http://DempseyMarketing.com/journal/ Robert Dempsey

        Thanks Claudene I appreciate that. Takes two to tango though and it was awesome of Chris to do it, in his car no less!

        • Claudene

          You both played off each other well. I agree with you, about the car. I remember thinking, “damn, these guys are way ahead of me — especially that one skyping the interview from his *car*, no less!  Are you and Chris going to ‘tango’ again anytime soon?  

          • http://DempseyMarketing.com/journal/ Robert Dempsey

            I’ll have to find a good reason (which I’m sure I can) to ask him. Finding 30 seconds of his time though can be a challenge :)

  • Steve Holt

    Those last 5 bullet points are fantastic. I believe video can set you apart and give you an edge, so I recommend it to all my clients.

  • Steve Holt

    Those last 5 bullet points are fantastic. I believe video can set you apart and give you an edge, so I recommend it to all my clients.

  • Al Pittampalli

    If this works well, I think it’s a game changer. The conference call is dead. People are disengaged, there’s rarely any human connection. The lack of visual really contributes to this. I think this multi video chat will have some real legs IF it works well. 

  • Claudene

    Very cool.  You’re right, now is the time to get thinking about it (if haven’t already). Thanks for another terrific guide and a dose of inspiration to go with it.  

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    I like it.

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  • Lace Llanora

     I could not agree more with your 5 suggestions Chris! :)

    I like the idea of focusing on customer’s success rather than your own.
    It is a fresh perspective whilst we’ve been exposed to much “online vanity”.

    To add, webinars are also something worth looking into.
    I like how it has a live element but can still be saved/recorded as an informative video resource.

  • http://www.thegoodnessgrows.com Mimi Meredith

    Okay. This is cool. I keep thinking Google+ may be the one thing I decide not to add to my plate. But alas, that just might be me being wrong.

    I love the list of suggested ways to use video in business. My only addition would be to always say less than you think you need to say. The average attention span is the length of a commercial. A 15-second commercial, actually!

  • http://twitter.com/MikeSmarr MikeSmarr

    seriously impressed

  • http://twitter.com/RyanCritchett Ryan Critchett

    Man, Chris, I dream about video for business, (nuts huh)? I think it’s a great way to really build trust points with your target market. I’ll add that crisis management and solving problems on film would be pretty darn cool to film, and put it up on your blog. Haven’t used G+ video yet, but am excited as heck to start. 

    So yes, people I’ve had meetings with recently (locally here in P.A.) have said things like “when we met, I felt totally comfortable, I was like oh, that’s Ryan!” That’s a huge deal. 

  • http://integrityfinishes.net James

    I’m a small business owner and Skype is a great way to cut down costs but I’m willing to try something better.

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    This video conferencing ability and a screen sharing feature will make Google+ a viable business-ready solution as well. 

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    Awesome helpful Great
    feature of Google Plus!Thanks for sharing updates on Google Plus. m new user to Google Plus so all information related to this new Social networking site helps me a lot.

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  • http://www.megameeting.com/ Greg Johnson

    That is very impressive! I am excited to see how it will develop in the future and what things they will add to improve it (like more than 10 people). But this will work great for my fantasy football meeting coming up which will allow people to stay home and connect online.

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  • http://newhorizons123.com Julie Weishaar

    Thanks for posting this Chris. I agree with Mimi that less is best. Video is definitely the wave of the future and businesses need to ride the wave :)

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