Expand the reach of your presentations11 August 2005
Businesses of all sizes are starting to exploit the opportunities offered by high-speed web access. One such application made possible by broadband is webcasting.
Companies need to continually explore new ways to effectively communicate with internal and external customers. Webcasting offers a possible solution to this problem. Webcasting technology has proved popular as it can reach a wide audience, offer interesting and engaging content, include interactive question and answers and be digitally archived for playback. It can also help attract new custom.
What you need
All you need to deliver a webcast is a computer and input devices - a sound card and microphone, plus a video card or camera. You also need encoding software to convert your presentation to a streaming media format and a high-speed Internet connection. Those wishing to view the webcast will just need a streaming media player on their computer such as RealPlayer or Windows Media Player.
Webcasting uses
- Broadcast meetings, events and presentations - This saves money on travel, and as webcasting is often archived, provides a level of convenience that a live presentation can't match.
- Online training - With more and more of today's workforce working from disparate locations training can be difficult to organise. Webcasting can provide an effective way to offer stimulating training. Again an archived webcast also means it can be used for new staff and referred to again by those that need it.
- Product launches and reviews - Webcasting a presentation or review of a product gives you a new dimension to your marketing drive. It can also increase your reach when customers pick up on an innovative video clip and email it to friends and family.
A few webcasting tips
- Plan ahead - Before you record your first webcast, make sure you understand how the system works. Prepare well and make sure all the technology you need is set up and to hand.
- Record and save your webcast - Even if you don't plan to offer an archive of webcasts make sure you record them. This helps you improve the quality and enables you to build up a valuable resource to draw on in the future.
- Make it easy to digest - A long and unfocussed webcast will just bore users and be counterproductive. Cut webcasts in to small chunks so users can watch and review small items that they're particularly interested in.
- Offer connection options - Offer users different connection speeds and an option to select low or high quality video so that they can optimise playback. It's worth testing the clip to see how long it takes to download - people won't wait around for slow connections.
- Overcome barriers - Alert users to disable security features such as firewalls or popup blockers in order to experience the presentation. It's also worth offering information such as a still image of the video, its format, length and how much disk space it needs. People won't open a clip they're unsure about.
- Get the word out - Use your website and other marketing drives to increase knowledge about any webcasts you have produced and what you plan to offer in the future.
To find out what can be achieved with webcasts why not check out some examples produced by the National Grid and Ferl.
