If there is one business activity that has skyrocketed over the last 18 months, it is video conferencing. Although small businesses quickly initiated tools to enable offsite meetings and communication, the available tools have now become more versatile. Let’s face it, the world has changed. Even though most people can now travel and get together for meetings and classes, companies have realized they often don’t need to. It is easier and more cost-effective to conduct necessary meetings virtually, and many employees and employers prefer the new way of doing things. If you have been utilizing Microsoft Teams, it is the perfect tool to begin webinar hosting for your employees and clients.
If you haven’t yet utilized Microsoft Teams for webinars, this article will outline some of the useful features – as well as talk about the benefits of using a platform seamlessly integrated into Office 365.
Practically Speaking – Webinar Hosting
- In the Events section of Teams, click on New.
- Enter the time and date of the Event, and indicate if it will be recurring.
- Select the webinar streaming option under the “Do you want to stream this event” toggle.
- MS Teams webinars have the ability to host up to 10,000 people without engagement features. If you would like to include engagement, the event can be streamed to up to 1,000 individuals.
Other Settings of Importance
- Lobbies: Lobbies are essential if hosting an open or public event. The feature allows moderators to screen scammers or other individuals who should not be in attendance.
- Joining Announcements: This feature announces when specific individuals join or leave the meeting. It is best to disable in larger groups as it can become distracting.
- Mute/Unmute: When hosting large groups, attendees should probably be muted, but the feature allows for unmuting as well.
- Meeting Chat: Allowing chat is usually applicable when individuals are muted.
4 Tips for a Successful Webinar
- Presenters should approach webinar hosting the same way as a large in-person meeting. Preparing for the event is the best way to ensure that you have a great webinar.
- Webinar hosting allows the presenter to share their screen, slides, and graphics. They can also add engagement tools such as polls or interactive media to keep the audience involved and interested.
- Attendees should be provided preliminary documents before the webinar begins. In this way, they can be better prepared, have the right expectations and prepare any questions or concerns. Sending documents also may answer some questions before the webinar even begins.
- Having guest presenters and experts is an easy way to gain credibility and provide extra value to your attendees. You might bring in vendors, a company executive, or even some form of entertainment – like a short comedy sketch.
Is Microsoft Teams Webinar Hosting for You?
The ability to host webinars is only one of the exciting features of MS Teams. The platform makes it effortless for your team to connect in a remote work environment, as well as permitting large groups to come together at a time when it is not possible by other methods. If you are interested in hearing more about the features and benefits of MS Teams in order to introduce it to your organization, call the professionals at Alliance IT. We can help you to assess your needs and determine if Microsoft Teams is the right platform for you.
