Using Google+ Hangouts to Build Relationships

Google+ Hangouts is the new video conferencing platform launched by Google and it is integrated into its social networking site – Google+. Google+ Hangouts enable one to do video conferencing with many others live over the Internet, if they just have a web-cam and headphone/ mic.

The big difference with Google+ Hangouts when compared to other video conferencing services is the fact that it is completely free. So, one can expect more people to use this service. Since many people are hanging out on Google+, it makes a lot of sense for marketers to promote their business using Google+ Hangouts.

Starting a Hangout – Its easy!

You will notice, “Start a Hangout” in the right sidebar when you login to Google+. Just click it, and you are ready to start a hangout!

Before you click ‘Hangout’, make sure to select only those people or circles with whom you want to do a video conference. Then click on ‘Hangout’ after wearing your head-phone/ mic and connecting your web-cam.

Since this medium is new and interesting, marketers can use it to send their message across to a group of people more effectively. Let us look at some interesting and creative ways in which you can leverage Google+ Hangouts to market your messages while still engaging the audience.

Having a live discussion on your Youtube videos

Once you have uploaded your videos on Youtube, you can just share them with all the participants in Google+. All of you can watch the video and discuss with each other / give feedback immediately over Google+ Hangouts. So, you can use Google+ Hangouts as a live discussion medium to convey your messages through Youtube.

Give a Live learning experience

You can use Google+ Hangouts to host a class or conduct a workshop if you are an expert on a particular topic. When compared to a recorded session, participants can be engaged better over a live hangout experience. Participants can also ask some questions while they are involved in such a session. You might expect to draw a sufficient number of students if you make the course free of cost.

Question & Answer Show

Instead of hosting a one-way presentation session on a topic, it could be useful if you advertise yours as an interactive session where you could give a small introduction and participants can ask you any questions. This might make more people to participate as they have a chance to interact with you and hence engage with your service/product directly. Normally, such events are conducted using expensive video conferencing systems, but now it can be done for free using Google+ Hangouts.

Interviewing a popular personality

If you plan to interview a popular guest as a part of your marketing efforts to reach to a wider audience, instead of doing a pod-cast / publishing a written interview in your blog (or in addition to it), why not interview them over a live Google+ Hangout session? All the fans would love to attend such a meeting because they now have a chance to see and interact with a popular personality.

Video Press Release

If you are planning to launch a new product, usually you might want to circulate a press release with popular bloggers/ related publications. For this press release to be more interesting, why not consider giving a video press release which might create quite a buzz in your community? You can invite some prominent bloggers/ journalists and speak about the press release to them, before it is released else where. They would love it because they are getting the message first and they can ask for any clarification/ additional information immediately.

Record the conversation and perhaps sell it as a separate product

If you are sharing vital information on a particular topic over your Google+ hangout, you could look at recording the whole session (video, voice and text) including the interaction with the participants, using any screen capture software. This can be recorded to a CD/ DVD and the whole session can be sold to anyone as an interactive training module. The people who attended the session live can also use these recordings for their reference, in future.

Instead of using the same old marketing methods, why not use this new platform to promote your services in a creative way? Since Google+ Hangouts is free to join and use, participants will be more than eager to use it!