Google+ Hangouts is another nifty tool from Google that can help you get things done more effectively and efficiently. Should your company be using it? That depends on your marketing goals and requirements, but in general, Google+ Hangouts can help you build your brand, make communicating with your team easier and encourage customer engagement with your business.
With Hangouts, there is no software to download and no recording equipment needed. Forget about traveling to meet with customers—whether you're leading a tutorial, conducting a product demo or simply hosting a client meeting, Google+ Hangouts lets you communicate with customers and prospects around the world from your office or conference room.
Here are some ways to take advantage of Hangouts to get more done with less time, effort and hassle:
Meetings
Nobody likes having to take time out of the day for meetings. Google+ Hangouts makes it less stressful (and less time-consuming) by creating a virtual meeting room where everyone can meet up from their respective locations. Eliminating travel time gives your staff members more time to get work done and allows flexibility with regard to their respective schedules.
Don’t need to gather everyone together for a formal meeting? Hangouts is also an ideal venue for informal status updates and brainstorming sessions. Maybe you just need to have a last-minute chat with a colleague or pick your co-worker’s brain for ideas about an upcoming product launch. Collaboration through Hangouts streamlines the process for more effective internal communication.
Classes and Tutorials
Whether it’s training your staff or providing product tutorials for customers, Google+ Hangouts allows you to hold virtual classes that an unlimited number of people can attend. No hassle, no overhead ... just a simple, cost-effective way to educate and inform.
Customer Interactions
Hangouts gives businesses the option to interact with clients and customers via video chat. any companies even use it as their primary form of communication—especially handy for teachers and students or for any type of coaching or consulting.
Scheduling regular Q & A sessions for your customers via live chat gives you another opportunity to field questions and for your customers to connect with you in a more personal way. You can tackle different topics each week in much the same way you might already be doing through your weekly blog or through the tweets, link sharing and blog comments that make up your social media campaign.
Webinars and Live Video Chats
Have you been thinking about trying visual content marketing on Google+? Hangouts is a no-cost way to create video and webinar content that can be distributed and even saved for later viewing. It's a great way to share your expertise and connect with your target audience through effective content marketing.
So, should your business use Google+ Hangouts? If you’d like to explore video marketing, streaming live broadcasts and face-to-face meetings without leaving your desk, then Hangouts just might be a simple, low-cost option for you.