Credit: Bruce Mars on Unsplash
With so many events canceled and physical distancing going from strong recommendation to survival requirement, business networking is changing in real time. Gone for the foreseeable future are in-person business networking events, whether they be casual business card exchanges or networking luncheons or dinners with presenters or panelists.
So, what are we to do for the time being, given the lack of networking events happening at venues? Many people are turning to technology to create virtual networking events. While Go to Meeting and Cisco WebEx have been around for a long time as excellent ways to conduct conference calls and webinars, other apps are available to keep business folks connected and networking.
Remember the brouhaha around Skype when that app launched? It was a game changer in video calling. Today, Skype for Business, available across devices, enables teams (or associations or networking groups) to enjoy video conferencing and screen sharing (for those pertinent business presentations).
Google Hangouts, another legacy platform, is not as robust as other services but Google Meet (a beefed-up Hangouts) functions more like Zoom. Speaking of which . . .
Am I wrong or is Zoom the current darling of virtual networking? A basic account allows for up to 100 users at a time, but with a 40-minute time restriction; the subscription-based versions offer many features for businesses and users of various sizes and needs. Set up meetings, town halls, virtual conference rooms, and more (including religious services for houses of worship that are closed for now). Slack has added video conferencing for fans of that team messaging platform.
Live streaming is another way to share your virtual presentation but other than trying to respond to comments, these are not for interactive networking. Facebook Live is big in that space and upon conclusion, the videos can be uploaded to your business page. Instagram Live Stories are for the here-and-now crowd (the videos go away when they end). There are Periscope and Livestream, Vimeo has a live streaming feature and ON24 is available for webcasts. For small gatherings (20 people max) Flock is very inexpensive. Other products include Broadcast Me, Join.me, Zoho, UberConference, and High Five.
I always enjoy getting out to meet new advertising, marketing and public relations agency owners and professionals, businesspeople and creatives. I like to learn about what others do for a living and glean a helpful tidbit from a speaker at a program. It’s always great to make a connection that leads to new business opportunities . . . or opportunities to refer business or other professionals whose expertise is needed for a project.
If your company, trade association, chamber of commerce, or networking group is hosting an online networking event or know of one, please let me know at caryn@starrgates.com.