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Virtual Meetings Tips, Benefits, And The Best Platforms To Use

Jul 5, 2024 • 13 min read

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In the era of remote work, virtual meetings have become an essential part of daily life. But simply having a virtual meeting isn’t enough; they need to be effective, engaging and fun. So how do you make your virtual meets successful? This article will answer that question, giving you tips and tricks for making your online meetings run smoothly and revealing the best meeting apps to use.

You’ll learn:

  • What Are Virtual Meetings?
  • Benefits of Virtual Meetings
  • Tips for Running an Effective Virtual Meeting
  • The 5 Best Virtual Meeting Apps You Should Check Out
  • Bringing the Fun to Virtual Meets

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What Are Virtual Meetings?

Virtual meetings are a great way to collaborate and stay connected in today’s increasingly global workplace. They provide the opportunity to have face-to-face conversations without being physically present. There are many different types of remote meetings, including video conferences, audio calls, webinars, and online chats. Each type has its own unique set of benefits and challenges.

Video conferencing is one of the most popular forms of virtual conferences as it allows for real time communication with visuals. Audio conferencing requires less bandwidth but still provides the ability to talk in real time with multiple participants at once. Webinars are ideal if you’re delivering a presentation or training session to a larger meeting, as they allow you to easily broadcast your message to all participants simultaneously. Finally, online chats are best for quick conversations amongst smaller groups or teams as they don’t require any specialized technology or software.

No matter which type of virtual meeting you use, there are a few common tips that will help make sure your team meeting runs smoothly: ensure everyone knows how the technology works before getting started; create an agenda ahead of time; and avoid multitasking during the call so that everyone can stay focused on the task at hand.

Benefits of Virtual Meetings

Virtual meetings have become an essential part of the modern workplace, providing employees with the ability to collaborate and stay connected without having to be physically present. There are numerous benefits to using virtual meetings, ranging from improved engagement and connection between employees to increased flexibility in the workday and maximized productivity.

Employees with illnesses stay out of the office

Employees with illnesses can stay productive without putting their coworkers at risk by participating in virtual meetings. This allows them to keep up with projects and continue to contribute to their team without having to come into the office. Virtual meetings provide a safe way for those recovering from illness to stay connected and engaged in their work while still getting the rest they need. It also ensures that their coworkers don’t have to worry about coming into contact with germs or potential contagions, as there is no physical contact involved in virtual meetings.

Additionally, virtual meetings allow employees who are sick to take part by phone or video conferencing, eliminating any need for them to leave home. By taking advantage of this technology, businesses can ensure that employees who are ill are able to remain productive without risking the health of others.

Companies minimize travel costs and downtime

Virtual meetings are a great way for companies to minimize travel costs and downtime associated with in-person meetings. With virtual meetings, all key stakeholders can join the meeting from anywhere in the world without having to worry about expensive airfare or long trips. This eliminates the need for costly travel arrangements and allows employees to focus on their work instead of worrying about transportation. Additionally, virtual meetings save time since they don’t require any setup in a physical location like traditional meetings do. They can start almost immediately and end just as quickly, giving companies more time to get down to business.

Virtual meetings also provide an easy way for participants from multiple locations to stay in touch without having to coordinate complicated travel plans. All these benefits make it clear why more companies are turning to virtual meeting solutions for their business needs.

Employees feel connected and included

Virtual meetings are a great way for employees to feel connected and included in their work team. Virtual meetings provide an opportunity for team members to collaborate on projects, share ideas, and stay up-to date with the latest news. Furthermore, virtual meetings make it easier for managers to connect with their remote employees through one-on-one meetings, allowing them to keep track of progress and ensure that everyone is on the same page.

With virtual meetings, managers can also quickly address any questions or concerns that may come up during the meeting and provide feedback in real time. This gives employees a sense of security knowing that their manager is always available when they need them. Ultimately, virtual meetings create a sense of inclusion among all members of the team no matter where they are located or what time zone they are in.

Technology becomes familiar

Virtual meetings are a great way to bring teams together and collaborate, no matter where they’re located. By utilizing virtual meeting software, all participants can quickly get up to speed on the technology being used and become comfortable with it. This is because they are likely already familiar with the equipment they are using from their own workstations or computers. As a result, employees don’t have to worry about having to learn how to use new tools or platforms, as the technology becomes more familiar for everyone on your team.

This helps minimize any downtime due to technical issues and allows teams to stay productive by focusing on the task at hand rather than troubleshooting technology. With virtual meetings, teams can easily stay connected and make sure everyone is on the same page regardless of location.

Tips for Running an Effective Virtual Meeting

Whether your team is working remotely or in the office, virtual meetings are an essential part of keeping everyone on the same page. To ensure that your virtual meetings are effective, there are a few key tips to keep in mind. By following these tips, you can ensure your virtual meetings run smoothly and efficiently. With planning and preparation, you can organize productive meetings and use virtual meetings as an effective tool for collaboration among remote teams.

1. Use a Cross-Timezone Scheduling System

When scheduling virtual meetings, one of the most important things to consider is making sure that everyone is in the same time zone. To make this easier, it’s a good idea to use a cross timezone scheduling system. This type of system can adjust for multiple time zones so that everyone knows when the meeting starts. Whether you use a scheduling tool like Google Calendar or simply list multiple time zones in your email invites, using this extra step will help avoid any potential mishaps.

Additionally, taking into account daylight savings and other factors can help ensure everyone is on the same page and ready to participate in the meeting without confusion. By utilizing a cross-timezone scheduling system, you can ensure that all participants are aware of when the meeting begins and save valuable time by avoiding any unnecessary confusion due to different time zones.

2. Encourage Attendee Participation

An important part of having successful virtual meetings is encouraging attendee participation. This can be done in a variety of ways. First, it’s best to set the expectation that meeting participants will be on camera whenever possible. Being able to see each other during the meeting helps create a sense of connection and encourages people to stay engaged throughout. Additionally, using tools like polls or online whiteboards can help make participants feel heard and give them an opportunity to contribute actively during the discussion.

Finally, keep your meetings interactive by asking questions, allowing time for brainstorming, and giving everyone a chance to share their opinions. By taking these measures, you will ensure that all attendees are actively involved in the conversation and making meaningful contributions that result in productive outcomes for the entire group.

3. Mirror In-Person Meetings

When it comes to having successful meetings, it is important to mirror the same structure and expectations as you would have for an in-person meeting. Start by setting the meeting agenda ahead of time and sharing it with meeting attendees before the program begins. This will ensure that everyone is prepared and on the same page from the start. Additionally, you should designate a facilitator who will be responsible for keeping participants on track and ensuring that everyone has a chance to speak.

Furthermore, when possible, try to break out into smaller groups or use breakout rooms so people can collaborate more easily and get more done during the meeting. By following these tips, you can create an environment that mimics in-person events while allowing your team to remain productive in a virtual environment.

4. Use Collaboration Tools

Using collaboration tools during virtual meetings can be a great way to keep everyone on the same page and ensure that all ideas are heard. Collaboration tools such as online whiteboards, project management software and messaging platforms can help teams stay connected even when they can’t be in the same physical space. When using these tools, it is important to make sure that everyone is familiar with how they work ahead of time so there are no surprises during the meeting.

Additionally, you should assign someone to monitor the collaboration tools and make sure that everyone has access to them. By incorporating collaboration tools into your virtual meetings, you can improve productivity and keep everyone engaged even when they are not in the same room.

Ready to build your remote team?

Use the DigiWorks platform to hire, manage, and pay remote talent from all over the world.

The 5 Best Virtual Meeting Apps You Should Check Out

Virtual metings have become an essential part of the modern workplace. With the right virtual platform, you can stay connected with colleagues and clients even when you can’t be in the same room. To help you find the best virtual meeting tools, here are five of our top picks:

Zoom

Zoom is a popular video conferencing software that enables businesses to stay connected with colleagues and clients even when they can’t be in the same room. It allows up to 1000 participants to securely join meetings, making it an ideal choice for companies of any size. Key features include screen sharing, audio and video calls, virtual backgrounds, chat feature, polls, file sharing and three editable whiteboards. On its free plan, users get 40 minutes of virtual meeting time and 25MB of cloud storage on its Pro plan.

Zoom also offers additional features such as local recording and breakout rooms for further customization. Despite some security issues in 2020, Zoom remains a reliable virtual meeting platform for companies looking for an efficient way to host meetings remotely.

Teams

Teams is a powerful virtual conferencing platform from Microsoft, perfect for remote teams looking to stay connected. It offers robust features such as video calls, audio conferencing, and even virtual events. Teams’ impressive “together mode” uses AI to fit participants into a shared space, like a conference room or café. Additionally, Teams provides up to 60 minutes of virtual meeting time and 5GB of cloud storage on its free plan.

The platform also boasts secure encryption for all meetings and chats, ensuring complete privacy and data security for every user. With its advanced capabilities and generous pricing, Teams is an excellent choice for organizations seeking reliable virtual meeting solutions.

Google Meet

Google Meet is a great online meeting platform for businesses of all sizes. Its free plan offers impressive features such as 15 GB of cloud storage, up to 24 hours of group meetings with 100 participants, and live captions during sessions. Its premium version adds even more capabilities such as intelligent noise cancellation, hand raising, breakout rooms and live streaming to YouTube.

Google Meet also provides secure encryption with anti-abuse features, ensuring complete privacy and data security for every user. With its generous free plan and advanced capabilities, Google Meet is an excellent choice for any organization looking for a reliable virtual meeting solution.

Around

Around is a cutting-edge solution that offers truly immersive virtual meeting features for its users. Its innovative features allow participants to remain connected while carrying on with their daily tasks without being obstructed by the video call. The app’s noise cancellation tool makes it possible for participants to collaborate in the same workspace without echoes, and its floating circles provide an easy way to stay focused on the conversation instead of being distracted by the video call itself.

Around also provides secure encryption with anti-abuse features, ensuring complete privacy and data security for every user. With its unique approach to virtual meetings, Around is quickly becoming one of the most popular solutions in this industry.

Gather

Gather is a powerful tool that takes engagement to a whole new level. It allows teams to collaborate in an interactive 2D space, creating the closest thing to an in-person meeting experience. This virtual workspace is populated with objects and structures like desks, chairs, and whiteboards that can be used for brainstorming, presentations and more.

Gather also offers features such as chat tools, video calls, polls and surveys to help teams stay connected and engaged. Plus, its noise cancellation tool ensures that conversations are never interrupted by echoes or background noise. With Gather’s engagement features, remote teams can stay productive while still feeling connected to each other – creating consistent experience for users during virtual meetings.

Conclusion – Bringing the Fun to Virtual Meets

With virtual meetings on the rise, it’s important to keep your virtual team engaged and energized. One way to do this is by incorporating fun activities into your virtual meets. Games like charades or trivia can help break the ice and get conversations going. You can also use online whiteboard tools to draw pictures together or play virtual word games like Pictionary or Hangman. Additionally, try hosting remote happy hours with themed dress-up or have a movie night where everyone watches a movie of their choice at home and then comes together virtually for a discussion afterward. Ultimately, getting creative with things that are fun will make your virtual meeting experien

Ready to build your remote team?

Use the DigiWorks platform to hire, manage, and pay remote talent from all over the world.

About DigiWorks

DigiWorks is an easy-to-use platform that helps small businesses and startups manage remote talent from around the world. DigiWorks offers a way for you to onboard, train, and pay people from all countries. Looking for an all-in one platform where you can hire, manage, and build your remote team? Speak with us today and we’ll help you achieve your business goals!

If you’re looking for a more affordable and sustainable option you might consider making use of a hiring platform like DigiWorks. Virtual assistant companies or platforms like DigiWorks are amazing as they not only match you with pre vetted and assessed remote workers that can take care of all your business needs but they will also handle all onboarding and payroll needs as

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