Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9 pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with @HangoutHelper. Ronnie Bincer, known as The Hangout Helper, is a coach and master trainer. Following his lead, thousands of people worldwide are mastering the use and power of social media, video, broadcast communications, and discoverability online. For more information, visit TheHangoutHelper.com
SmallBizLady: What is so special about this Google hangout thing, why not just use Skype?
Ronnie Bincer: Hangouts are a video call that can be private or public and they are created and promoted by Google. They use Google’s and YouTube’s Internet capacity worldwide.
Since Google makes Hangouts and they are also tied to YouTube, there is a lot of power/infrastructure behind Hangouts that Skype just can’t match. Plus the fact is that Hangouts of all types are totally free to use.
If you make use of the Hangouts on Air broadcast version, you’ll be creating a live streaming broadcast that shows up live all over the Internet and can be easily found via Google.com search or YouTube search… the 2 largest search engines in the world.
Then there is the human element which is really the big deal actually. Hangouts take place inside a massive Social Media platform where you can connect with loads of new people that share your interests which is just not possible via Skype or other video conferencing tools.
Hangouts are the best way possible to communicate your message in a very compelling manner.
SmallBizLady: Can you tell us more about what hangouts are and how they work?
Ronnie Bincer: Think of Hangouts as having 2 main types: Text and Video.
The video type is the most popular type. One flavor of the video call is named “Hangout Video Calls” which are used for Private Video meetings for up to 10 people in “the room” – like a virtual meeting room.
The next video type is the kind called “Hangouts on Air” or HOA – This type is a video call that is Broadcast Live like a TV show on the Internet. That broadcast can be visible to the world (Public HOA) or only to those you want to see it (Private HOA). With Private HOAs you have your own Private TV network – for Free!
All HOAs Public or Private automatically turn into a recorded YouTube video when they are finished.
The second type is the Text Hangout. We call it the Hangout Message Box. It can contain up to 100 people and starts with group text conversations but can easily be turned into a Hangout Video Call with up to 10 of the participants at any time and then return back to text to continue the conversation. The Hangout Message Box continues to stay around after the video call happens for further text conversations or successive video calls.
SmallBizLady: Why is building & maintaining relationships via hangouts different?
Ronnie Bincer: As a reminder, Hangouts are part of a Social Network. This means when I find someone interesting via that social network because of the way they interact or what they share or show interest in, I can reach out to them and potentially meet them in a Hangout Video Call quite easily. Later we can do a HOA interview show if we like.
I’ve found that the extra feedback I get via non-verbal communication cues in a Hangout is incredibly powerful. I can tell if I am really connecting via facial or body posture of the others in the Hangout Video Call. That helps me change my pace or delivery, or even my message.
I “connect” with people more easily when I can see them, hear them and watch their mannerisms. This means if I meet you in a Hangout for just 10 minutes, I will know you better than if we had 2 weeks of email conversations.
And from then on, your email or text messages carry a different weight to me since I feel like I “know you better” after a Hangout with you.
The ability to clear up misunderstandings or explain nuanced concepts becomes much easier in a Hangout Video Call compared to emails or phone calls.
SmallBizLady: Can you give some examples of how small businesses are using hangouts and hangouts on air?
Ronnie Bincer: Meet with your customers/clients. Meet with co-workers across town or the globe. Brainstorm with others. Do quick efficient meetings. Build and maintain relationships with co-workers or suppliers. Connect outside the ‘office door’ with others from around the corner or the world. Hold preliminary meetings online to narrow down prospecting for the eventual face to face meetings you might want to have.
Create Hangout on Air broadcasts that help your clients & customers see the personal side of your business. Do product demonstrations. Have FAQ shows with your clients or customer service team. Offer special access to busy executives via Q&A shows. Create your own private broadcasting network with those you choose. Create video content easily from live broadcast HOAs.
Bring in guest speakers from around to world to impress and add value to your client/customer base. Offer that value to employees and clients without having to pay for that expert’s travel expenses. Offer virtual conferences. Offer employee training and Q&A sessions. Explain “that email” more effectively than with a follow-up phone call. Get things done faster with more efficient meeting times. Gather together thought leaders from around the globe to work on ideas/issues that would otherwise be cost prohibitive because of travel/time costs.
SmallBizLady: What path do you suggest business owners take to get started with hangouts?
Ronnie Bincer: It is possible to benefit from watching Hangouts without even being in them. You can learn a lot and it is a great place to network with others that are interested in the same topic. Usually you can add insightful comments to the Event Page that holds the HOA and that can get you started building relationships that can lead to much more.
But for those that want to dive in, there are some basics I always suggest: 1) Start out in a Video Hangout alone and get used to the tools/environment, 2) Invite your friends/co-workers into a Hangout Video Call, 3) Join into someone else’s Hangout on Air (HOA) as a guest, and lastly 4) Startup and Host your own HOA Broadcast.
Many people try just starting at step 4… hosting their own HOA, and it is usually not very pretty! Then you may have a bit of reputation management to do afterwards.
Hangout technology changes a lot and seems like it will continue to do so for a while. I suggest following my constant updates via my newsletter or on Google Plus. If you see that Hangouts should be part of your future to help communicate your message, join my Hangout Mastery membership group… if not with me, get trained somehow and keep up.
SmallBizLady: How do hangouts save time and money for business owners?
Ronnie Bincer: Zero travel expenses are involved for meetings across town or the globe. If you meet with an expert, there is no additional cost to get them to you nor any extra time wasted on transportation, hotels, parking, etc. You can hop from meeting to meeting with a click of a button.
Hangouts are free so the cost to maintain a video conferencing system is gone. The ability to clear up misunderstandings cannot be understated. Getting visual cues via hangout video calls can help you understand the nuances that are not easily communicated via email or phone calls. When everyone is “on the same page” faster, there is less time wasted coming to a common understanding of the task(s) at hand.
Brainstorming, Networking, and Collaboration is easier and therefore happens more efficiently and more often.
Creating videos from conversations can help those that couldn’t make the meeting catch up as if they were there. The fact that Hangouts are free and can be used with existing equipment (or minimum investment in webcams and headsets) is a game changer.
SmallBizLady: What are some common issues business owners run into when starting out?
Ronnie Bincer: Too many profiles… Many people have too many Google accounts that use their same name and shared profile picture. Best to narrow it down to one version of you.
The mindset that needs to change is difficult for Business owners when it comes to a Brand Page vs. Personal Profile. You really need both, but that is a conversation for another time.
And then with all these extra accounts, many people find that their preferred YouTube account is not connected to the proper profile or page. I help business owners every day deal with this type of account connection issue… It can be quite tricky to manage.
And last, but certainly not least, is the Social Media issue of ‘broadcasting’ your message instead of working on engagement (listening first). This type of ‘broadcasting’ mistake has nothing to do with HOA broadcasts!
If you come to Google Plus to simply post and leave, it will not work for you! It just won’t. Engagement matters on Google Plus and the fact that Google Plus has its own personality is great but takes more time and can be a challenge for many busy business owners.
SmallBizLady: What are the most common mistakes you see people make with video hangouts?
Ronnie Bincer: Getting lost in the technology makes for a bad hangout experience… learn the hangout toolset so that “the technology disappears”.
Improper use of equipment, or bad equipment. Not using proper equipment can cause poor video quality and bad audio… nothing will ruin a hangout experience faster than bad audio (or a jerky video feed).
Not looking at the camera enough. It is a skill to develop, but when you are in a Hangout you tend to look at the other members of the hangout down in the filmstrip. That is only natural but it is not where you should be looking because to others it appears that you are looking down when you talk to them. Try to look at the camera when you speak as then you will be making eye contact during the Hangout. Look at the camera, not the filmstrip when you are talking.
Starting out by hosting your own HOA show is generally a bad idea. Best to start out as a guest, and work your way up to hosting your own. Or at least get some major coaching before you launch your own HOA.
SmallBizLady: If you do a Hangout on air (HOA) broadcast, how do you make it awesome?
Ronnie Bincer: What seems to make Live Broadcasts super valuable is the interactive element. Imagine the ability to “yell at the TV” and the TV can answer back… in real time!
Interaction inside and outside the HOA filmstrip can turn a lively video discussion into a highly recommended show for the viewers. Use various tools like the free “Comment Tracker” Hangout app to display the outside viewers’ comments right on screen as part of the broadcast & recorded video. This way you are able to involve far more people “in the live show” than can ‘fit in the filmstrip’.
That level of interaction can cause fans of your show to become raving fans and then they’ll tell others to watch and your reach expands exponentially.
SmallBizLady: I hear Hangouts On Air (HOA) is a great content creation tool, what do you suggest happen after a HOA becomes a video?
Ronnie Bincer: After you are finished with your Hangout on Air (HOA) you end up with a YouTube Video. You should do all the things you normally know you should do with video such as Video SEO.
You can also take a 40-minute HOA video and slice & dice it into multiple shorter focused videos. This way you have a video content generating machine!
During your HOA show there may be a moment of extreme value… what I like to call a Golden Nugget. The Host of the show should learn to ask for a recap of that moment while live and frame it properly. Then you’ve got a valuable “golden nugget” that may take only 3 minutes to ‘repeat’ but might have taken 20 minutes to get there. That golden nugget can be used as a very valuable teaser video. The short teaser video can point to the full HOA show or some of the other slices made from the HOA show.
SmallBizLady: Will this replace existing webinar platforms?
Ronnie Bincer: In a word, Yes! The extras that are involved with webinar platforms such as registration, email gathering, polling, Calls To Action, etc. are being offered by 3rd party Hangout Wrapper programs.
More and more of the 3rd party tools are coming out so you are bound to find one that meets your needs… they are all using Hangouts on Air as the video engine.
An important fact to remember is that there is no limit to the number of people you can have watching the HOA/Webinar and no cost involved with the broadcast at all. Some 3rd party tools may add a surcharge per viewer but the HOA tool itself has no such charges built in. Some 3rd party tools offer annual fees but no up charge per viewer.
If using the HOA Event tool is not quite good enough for you to replace your other webinar product, I bet soon, you’ll find a HOA wrapper program that does.
SmallBizLady: How many success stories are there where people have been able to grow their business or at least their brand visibility using hangouts?
Ronnie Bincer: Wow, way too many to list here. But I can tell you anyone that comes to me and gets help 1 on 1 has opportunity to follow the plan and make an impact. There are more and more Hangout Series popping up every week on almost any topic you can imagine.
People are finding their voice and exploring what seems to work for their business and the clients and prospects interested in what they have to say.
A very common way to start up is to Interview an expert in your field. The expert likes the additional exposure and you get the kudos for asking them the great questions. Since getting exposure around a topic or subject is becoming more and more important, you’ll become known as a trusted source for valuable information by surfacing what people want to know.
That in turn builds an audience and you get the platform from which to guide the information presented. It is a new opportunity to communicate your message in an easy to digest fashion and honestly, if you are not taking advantage of it, your competition will be. Honestly, with Hangouts, Google has given us our own TV broadcasting network… for free!
If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9 pm ET; follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter. Here’s how to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/1hZeIlz
For more tips on how start or grow your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com.
Melinda F. Emerson, known to many as SmallBizLady is America’s #1 small business expert. As CEO of Quintessence Multimedia, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. She writes a weekly column on social media for The New York Times. Forbes Magazine named her #1 woman for entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She hosts #SmallBizChat Wednesdays on Twitter 8-9pm ET for emerging entrepreneurs. She also publishes a resource blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com Melinda is also the bestselling author of Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works and the ebook: How To Become A Social Media Ninja; 101 Ways to Dominate Your Competition Online.