Webinar systems too pricy? Google Hangouts Could Be the Answer!

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5 Reasons Your Business Should Start Using Google Hangouts

Google is fast becoming somewhat notorious for releasing new programs and then casting them aside as soon as the mood changes. Witness Google Wave, Google Buzz and now Google Reader. (I’m still ticked about this one!) Despite many prophecies of a similar fate for Google , Google Hangouts, their latest wonder-app, might just save the collective Google bacon.

Google Hangouts – So what is it exactly?

The short version is that Google Hangouts are a great way to connect with other people via a live video chat, one that can be recorded and utilized in various platforms and in many different ways. Joined at the hip to your Google account, a hangout is extremely simple to launch, and has a goldmine of interesting features for marketers. You can host a hangout with up to ten other people, and many others can watch live at your YouTube channel, Google page, or a web page. Google records the whole affair, and delivers a YouTube URL to you after you’re done, that you can then easy use in your marketing in several ways.

Marketing with Google Hangouts

There are oodles of ways to integrate Google Hangouts into your marketing. Listed below are 10 ways people are finding effective.

  • Webinars – A free alternative to expensive webinar systems such as GoToWebinar.
  • Conferences – Setup shop at any conference you are attending and share the event!
  • Meetings – Hold virtual meetings in an informal, yet immediate venue.
  • Product Launches – An innovative way to create positive buzz on launch day. (Or before!)
  • Interviews – Capture interviews with people on the fly with Google Hangouts!
  • Product Demos – Show people what you’ve got, live and in person!
  • Virtual Press Conferences – Make your press releases go viral!
  • Live Streaming Events – Want your own weekly live TV show? Many marketers now use Google Hangouts for precisely this purpose.
  • Q & A with Customers – Find out what your customers want and need easily. Great trust builder!
  • Podcast from your Hangout – Making a Podcast to share through iTunes is another way to share your content.

If you’re not using Google Hangouts as an element in your marketing mix, you’re totally losing out on a great opportunity to engage with your audience in a more intimate, immediate way.