3 Tips For Engaging Video Meetings
With the rise of hybrid work, many people have found themselves attending or leading video meetings. And the reality is, video meetings aren’t going anywhere. Many companies are embracing virtual communications. So much so, that companies such as Prezi, have created amazing platforms to not only enhance your virtual presentations, but keep your audience engaged!
Our CEO and Founder, Jessica Chen, recently hosted a special LinkedIn Soulcast Media | LIVE event where she interviewed the CEO of Prezi, Jim Szafranski.
They shared key tips on how to create engaging video meetings. This Soulcast Media| LIVE event is brought to you by our amazing sponsors at Prezi.
Prezi Video brings unmatched engagement to your hybrid work for better meetings, deeper collaboration, and enhanced productivity.
Our users lead the way to the future of business communication
Engaging video meetings require you to focus on your content and delivery, having an element of surprise, and preparing a simple message. Below are 3 tips for engaging video meetings.
1. Content + Delivery
Giving a presentation virtually is more than just showcasing facts and figures. There is a true art to creating an engaging meeting. This is even more true when it comes to virtual meetings. As the presenter, you have to grab your audience’s attention and keep it.
During the Soulcast Media | LIVE, Jessica shared how content and delivery are important elements to engage your audience.
- Content – What you are talking about.
- Delivery – How you are communicating your message.
The content of your message is the topic. During the Soulcast Media | LIVE, Jim shared how sometimes meetings are truly about getting work done. And that’s okay! That’s what meetings should be for. So, your content would be straight and to the point.
How you deliver your message is where you can really shine on video. As you prepare for your meeting be sure to include exciting visuals. You will also want to pay attention to your energy, tone of voice, and body language. All of these will help keep your audience engaged.
- Exciting Visuals – Prezi’s platform gives you the ability to showcase exciting visuals, zoom in and out of graphics, and even create a screen within your screen. To see how this works, be sure to watch our full LIVE where Jim shows how this works!
- Energy – When you present, what is your energy like? If you aren’t excited to be giving your presentation, your audience most definitely won’t be interested in listening. So ramp up your energy!
- Tone of Voice – When you present, you will want to vary your tone of voice to keep your audience engaged. Monotone presentations are boring. Mix it up!
- Body Language – Be sure your body language shows your excitement. This means sitting straight up in your seat, using hand gestures when necessary, and looking directly at the camera.
2. Element of Surprise
During the Soulcast Media | LIVE, Jim shared how there has been an uptick of what people are calling “Zoom Fatigue”. This means many people are often on zoom calls for most of their day and get very burned out.
That means if you are moderating a meeting, you’ll want to make it a priority to grab people’s attention. One way to do that is by adding an element of surprise. Think about it, you’ve probably attended hundreds of zoom calls – do any of them stand out to you? The ones that stand out probably included something unexpected. There are a few ways you can add an element of surprise to your video meetings.
- Presentation Tools Like Prezi – Prezi gives you the ability to add the element of surprise or wonder to your presentations. You can start on a little detail and then zoom out. They will put down their phone and even enlarge the screen!
- Think Like A Director – Thinking like a director can help you visualize your presentation from the audience’s point of view. You are producing an hour with your team, in this hour you can create a new world. During the Soulcast Media | LIVE, Jessica talked about how thinking like a director for a movie can help make your presentations more exciting. You get to be with your team during this time which helps your increase your visibility with them. Being visible to your team is important for you as a leader.
- Videos + Graphics – Depending on the tone of your presentation, you can use a video or graphic to grab your audience’s attention. Perhaps it is a clip from a popular show, or an image that evokes a certain emotion. Surprise your team with a fun clip to capture their attention right away and set the tone for your meeting.
3. Keep It Simple
During the Soulcast Media | LIVE, Jessica shared her experience as a broadcast reporter. She said it is always important to keep things simple. The easier your message is to understand, the more effective it is. Simplifying a complex message is key for creating engaging video meetings.
If you want your audience to be engaged, you have to be able to communicate your message in a simple way. Jessica shared that “brain-dumping” on your audience will cause them to have information overload and possibly check out.
During the Soulcast Media | LIVE, Jim shared one way you can keep things simple is to share the goal of your meeting. For example:
- State the Goal – You can start the meeting by telling your team the goal of the meeting. This way everyone is on the same track and understands why they are there. This way you can stick to the points and keep the message simple.
- Tell your team your why – Explain to your team your why behind the meeting. This is also a great way to engage with a personal story. When you show your personality you give your team the opportunity to know you. When your team feels like they know you, trust is built. The more your team knows you and trusts you, the more engaged they will be in your meetings and in their jobs.
Keeping your ideas simple and easy to communicate will help your audience stay engaged.
As you prepare for your next video meeting, ask yourself How can I make sure what I am presenting is going to be engaging? By keeping your message simple and working on your content and delivery, your meetings will be engaging and memorable!
If you would like to see the full LIVE version of Jessica and Jim’s conversation, check out Jessica’s Youtube Channel.
__
Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways we can help you:
- Discover your communications style so you know where to start. Over 4,000 people have found theirs here.
- Attend our monthly communication workshop to build communications confidence (new topics: public speaking, advocating for yourself, building credibility, etc) here.
- Get your brand in front of 43k+ people by sponsoring our newsletter or Soulcast Media | LIVE LinkedIn events [contact: hello@soulcastmedia.com]
