One of my favorite guys, Robert Metras, invited me to Google+ about a week and I’ve been having a ball trying to get up to speed about this new social networking platform. While clicking around, I saw a post by Bryan Person:
Intrigued, I decided to test out the hangout myself.
I created a public hangout (what’s known as a room in Google+), then invited others to join me. Robert and Andreas joined me at different times, so I was able to try out a bit of the functionality.
Here’s what I liked…
Public vs Private Hangout
If I want the whole world to join my hangout, I simply start it. But if I want to make it private, I can choose which circle I want my hangout to be visible to. So, in Bryan’s case, because he only wanted his co-workers to join, he created a circle in his company’s name, added his co-workers (who have to be a member in Google+), then used the drop down as you see in the image below to choose which circle to invite to his hangout.
YouTube Videos
I was surprised and pleased that if I wanted to show a YouTube video, I can. I simply press the YouTube icon which appears at the bottom of the hangout screen and then, I’m taken to a page where I can search for the video I’d like to play. I chose the video review that Amethyst Wyldfyre did of my book, as you can see in the image below, and played that into the hangout. While the video plays, all participants are automatically muted.
Interactive Chat Tool
In all the webinars I’ve ever hosted, participants crave the need to pass notes in the virtual classroom. The Google+ hangout offers a chat tool (red arrow in the image below) where participants can share information with each other. That’s me and Andreas Duess in the image below.
Mute/Unmute Participants
When Robert joined me, I took a screenshot of the icons that appear below his picture (see red circle in the image below). The green microphone means that Robert can speak into the hangout. If need be, I can mute him by clicking on the green microphone and turning it off.
As for what I’d like to see improved:
- The ability to host more than 10 people – the hangout has a maximum attendance of 10 people.
- The ability to upload other media, such as slides, images, photos and audio.
If you’d like to see the Google+ hangout in action, check out this 21-minute video featuring Bryan with Kami Huyse, Neville Hobson, Lionel Menchaca, and Shel Holtz.
Google+ Hangout from Bryan Person on Vimeo.
Do you like the possibilities of using Google+ Hangout as a virtual event platform? If you’ve used it, what other improvements would you like to see? What marketing possibilities do you envision using Google+ Hangout?
Update: Amy-Mae Elliott provided tips on how to record your Google+ Hangout conversations.
Paying Less Doesn't Remove the Aggravation
When I asked why, he said that his coach, a well-known internet marketer, told him that I’m very expensive. His coach referred him to one of her students who charges 4-times less than I do to set up telesummits.
At first, I was pissed. A well-known marketer was stealing business from me. How dare she?
So, I continued asking questions. My anger soon turned to sorrow…
Not everyone is attracted to telesummits, video summits or virtual events. Understanding the personality of the person who will attend a virtual event will help you understand how to target them in your marketing messages. In this video, I share the characteristics of who attends virtual events and what you should offer to them after it’s over.
Click here to read more about Kendall Summerhawk’s VIP Day Quick Profit Secrets (afflink) so you can add this as a post-monetization strategy after you host your telesummit, video summit or virtual event.
This is the question I ask myself anytime I set up a virtual event for a client. The only way to answer this question is to test our your virtual event solution before “going live.”
Because there’s one thing I’ve learned about software and Internet applications – if you don’t do a test run before you start accepting registrations, there’s a guarantee that the attendee will discover errors. Simple things such as spelling mistakes, or the wrong price being charged for the wrong level are all things that can be caught – and fixed – before you go live.
One thing I always test is whether or not people can get access to my recordings if they’re not supposed to do so. For example, if there’s a $97 level which gives access to the playback of the recording, the person who registered at this level should not be able to get access to the download link.
Every time I attend a virtual event (especially free ones), I do a quick test as an attendee to see if I can gain access to the downloadable recordings. Sadly, because the host isn’t using the right technology, I can gain access to the downloadable recordings every 9 out of 10 times.
It’s a simple test, so I’m sharing the steps I go through just so you can secure your recordings the right way (and yes, I alert the host and organizer and share with them how to fix this).
I signed up for the Purpose to Profits Telesummit to do some behind the scenes investigating. To be honest, I sign up for every telesummit that comes across my Google Alert for “research.”
One thing I like about what the hosts, Miki Strong & Martina Srblin, are doing is how they’re engaging attendees (I also like that they’ve secured sponsorship for their free telesummit). It can be frustrating to host many sessions and not get any feedback or comments from attendees, even if you provide them with the means to connect with each other.
Miki & Martina have solved this by running a contest. Attendees are encouraged to post their a-ha’s and breakthroughs on Facebook, Twitter or by posting a video on YouTube. The hosts will then choose 3 winners and gift them one of the passes to the telesummit. These passes will give the winners access to the downloadable recordings and the other features, such as transcripts, spotlight laser coaching and a homestudy program, depending on the level of the pass that’s won.
To see how you can model this for your own telesummit or virtual event, check out the Share & Win page by clicking here.
I’m so excited to bring you my first live virtual event using a platform other than GoToWebinar or a conference bridge line service. In this live virtual event, I’m going to share with you how to stop selling yourself short.
Before I share with you how to connect to this live virtual event, I’d like to share with you who this session is perfect for. But first, let me ask you a few questions:
- Have you hit a brick wall in your virtual support or meeting planning business?
- Are you highly skilled in a particular task, but you’re making little mistakes over and over?
- Do you crave to be a part of the next big thing so you can flex your innovative muscles?
If you’ve said yes to any of the questions above, I invite you to join me on Wednesday June 1, 2011 at 8pm Eastern for a live virtual event. You’ve invested in classes, certifications and training programs because you thought that would make you more attractive to your clients. Instead, you’re feeling irrelevant, bored and underutilized.
If you’re not feeling challenged in your business, it’s time for you to do something different. Join me on Wednesday June 1, 2011 at 8pm Eastern where I’ll share with you:
- The 3 reasons why you’re making mistakes in your business (and why it isn’t your fault)
- How to give yourself a quick promotion and have your clients recognize it too
- How to be part of a brand new and cutting edge community that brings you excitement and rebuilds your confidence
I’m also going to share my own journey, a story I have NEVER shared before. Once you hear what I have to say, you’ll know why I truly understand why mistakes happen in your business.
Want to register? Click on the link below for more…
One of the things I discovered recently while conducting interviews for my recent training program is that many are making mistakes in their businesses even when the stakes are high.
In the video below, I share the third reason why people are making costly mistakes in their businesses. If you consider yourself to be a trailblazer or innovator, you’ll appreciate this reason.
Later today, I get to sit in on the simulcast of Andrea J. Lee’s Wealthy Thought Leader 3-day summit from the comforts of my home office. I wrote about simulcasting as an income strategy in my book, Multiple Streams of Virtual Event Income, and I’m excited that I get to experience this for the first time.
In one of the preview calls leading up to the Wealthy Thought Leader, Andrea shared a wonderful strategy on how to make old income streams new again. I especially liked that she mentioned that you can take old recordings and rebroadcast them over and over.
So, Why Won't They Sign Up?
Click on the Image Below to Discover the 3 Reasons Why People Just Don't Sign Up for Teleseminars, Webinars, Telesummits, Video Summits and Other Virtual Events (and What You Should Do Instead)
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