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BlueJeans FAQ
The most common questions we get about video conferencing, virtual meetings, webinars, and how to use BlueJeans for greater productivity. The FAQs page is updated on a regular basis to help users learn how BlueJeans works. For BlueJeans product specific information, please refer to the BlueJeans support area. • Virtual Meetings • Events / Webinars Virtual Meetings / Online Meetings / Video Conferencing What is a virtual meeting? A virtual meeting is a group video call that connects multiple people into the same digital space and gives everyone access to the video camera and microphone connected to their devices. There are also a number of essential elements to consider, which are highlighted in this blog: What a Virtual Meeting is and How to Run One How to conduct effective virtual meetings? Set an agenda and make it part of your invite. Ensure you schedule to accommodate appropriate time zones. Always mute yourself when not speaking. Turn your camera on and ensure your room or virtual background is solid. For best quality, use the blur feature – if available - to put emphasis on what is important and avoid the odd virtual background ‘head wave’. Virtual Meetings Best Practices: Guide to Running Effective Virtual Meetings How to record a video call? The Moderator has the capability of recording a video call. Usually, it's as simple as finding and clicking the Start Record button, but we provide tips for when to start a recording and, just as importantly, things to consider when it’s time to stop recording. Video Call Recording: The Complete Guide to Recording Video Calls Why is my video call echoing? First, you need to pinpoint the source. This can be external speakers or microphones, typing on an unmuted mic, and/or over modulated microphones. If you hear your own audio back as echo, the problem is likely originating from another person. If the situation is reversed, then the echo is likely coming from your side. How to Eliminate Echo from a Video Call How to improve video conference reliability There are several ways to improve or monitor virtual conference reliability in limited or changing bandwidth conditions. Sometimes it depends on the platform and the connection speed of the attendees. Many platforms have bandwidth monitors that adjust to the condition, and others have more advanced features like direct connect and WiFi switching, which automatically gets you on the most reliable source. Tips for Improving Video Conference Reliability Is video conferencing secure? There are several factors to consider beyond the conferencing platform itself. Don’t share meeting IDs with everyone, always use passcodes, and keep watch on meeting joiners. Ask participants to join early, and know your meeting platform's vulnerability and security SLAs. Also, practice security hygiene consistently, and master the platform's controls. See Eight Best Practices for Safe Video Conferencing How to run a successful online meeting? A few rules of thumb are to make sure the attendees are set on a specific amount of time the meeting will last, and make sure it does not overrun. Whether it’s just 15 minutes or a full hour, be strict with time. Have a clear agenda, send it in advance then work methodically through those points, making sure everyone has their say. Be sure to capture specific action items for follow-up. The Complete Guide to Successful Remote Meetings How to best use breakout rooms in virtual meetings? A video conferencing breakout session happens when large groups of people split into smaller groups to discuss different topics or brainstorm ideas. When successful, breakout sessions are engaging and align attendees around the right outcomes, helping them develop ideas and a way forward. Introducing BlueJeans Breakout Sessions How to boost interaction in virtual meetings? Some essentials: have a camera-on policy, be thoughtful about who you invite, conduct smaller meetings when possible, and utilize breakout rooms for smaller collaborative topics. Finally, always moderate your video conference as that will ensure consistency and help remediate any challenges that surface. See more: Tips for Boosting Team Engagement in Virtual Meetings How do you make virtual learning more engaging for children? A few ideas for teachers and parents: reduce distractions, encourage socialization, encourage virtual escape rooms, digital show-and-tell and the less explored but highly effective, gamification. Read more on each see: Virtual Learning Tips for Ensuring Your Child is an Active Participant How to make virtual meetings more impactful? First, set an agenda and know your goals and objectives. Start the meeting on time. If appropriate, break the meeting into various sections, allowing multiple people to lead and present. Breakout Sessions is a great feature to divide the meeting into smaller groups if multiple topics and stakeholders are present. Use charts, videos, pictures, and graphics to create an engaging experience for your participants. Screen Annotation and Whiteboard are tools that can help. Circle back as a group at the end, and cover outcomes and next steps. 10 Online Meeting Tips for Impactful Conversations How to effectively use virtual backgrounds for online meetings? A professional office space and background can make a huge difference in making a good first impression. Some general suggestions are to choose a clutter-free and neutral background - especially when presenting content to a large and varied group of participants. Check your lighting as that quality is often overlooked. Virtual backgrounds can be quite effective and professional when used properly. If virtual images are not your thing or they don’t look professional with your environment, the blur background is a great way to focus people on you and not on the office behind you. Lastly, before joining a meeting, check how things look before clicking into the meeting or event. Virtual Background Tips What Is Web Conferencing Software? Web conferencing software uses video and audio technology in order to allow interactive communication between multiple people at different locations. This software allows individual users to log onto the platform directly from the internet, which means they will not have to download an app or install software on their computer in order to participate in the conference. Choosing the Best Web Conferencing Software What are some practical uses for online video meetings? The most effective online video meetings are similar to effective in-person meetings. You want to be able to share information and documents easily with one another and incorporate nonverbal communication, such as facial expressions and body language. Always moderate your shared discussion to keep attendees engaged. Periodically share how much time is left, keep attendees focused, and redirect off-topic conversations as necessary. And finally, be sure that your meeting is private and secure. Web Meeting: A Guide to Online Video Meetings What equipment do I need for a successful teleconference? First, think about what types of meetings you tend to have, and ensure the microphone and camera are best suited for those applications. The correct microphone and webcam can be just as important as a decent internet connection. Pick a good quality speaker system – one that is well-suited for the room size and configuration. For a teleconference system in the workspace, be sure to select one that is adaptable to several configurations. The right display or TV for your room size and application is also essential. Finally, teleconference software is key. You will want high-quality software that serves as your central platform. Teleconference Equipment: What You Need for a Successful Teleconference Events / Webinars What is a webinar? Simply put, a webinar is an online meeting, presentation, or conversation, broadcast live to attendees anywhere in the world. Hosted by one or more persons, it is a two-way communication form in which attendees and presenters share and respond to information in real time. Webinars are powerful communications tools. Presenters can share documents and downloadable materials to screens and videos, while engaging in chats, Q&As and more. The Essential Guide to Webinars That Work How do I run successful virtual networking events? Virtual networking is a powerful way to continue building your personal and professional network, while helping you feel less isolated during the global pandemic. But how does networking take place when you can’t meet with people face-to-face? Although virtual networking may seem awkward, it’s actually more comfortable and less intimidating than you might think. You might also consider integrating breakout sessions, team building sessions, and/or organizing keynotes or panel discussions. The 2021 Guide to Virtual Networking Events What are some tips for successful virtual events? A virtual event or webinar is any organized meet-up that takes place online rather than in a physical location. No matter the size or style of your happening, there are some simple tips and tricks to ensure success. Ask yourself, what kind of experience do I want to offer? Live, on-demand, or a combination of both? Do I want to allow access once the event is over? Where will the content be seen? Do people need to pre-register via signup or offered without? What KPIs and data do I want to track? When is the best time to host a virtual event? Other things to consider are: How do I promote my virtual event? Is my technology stable and solid? How do I create an audience and keep them engaged? Virtual Events That Deliver Results How do you create effective webinars? Be sure to consider time zones when scheduling. Promote at least 2 weeks in advance and send reminders with an agenda included in all communications. Rehearse. Do a dry run. Practice. Whatever you want to call it, always remember to prep with presenters and iron out your show flow before the live broadcast. This means putting together a storyboard that explains all webinar segments: introductions, agenda, speaking sections, and audience Q&A. Be sure to engage the audience, and don't forget to follow-up with the on-demand webinar and the next call to action. 5 Tips to Create Effective Webinars How do I avoid webinar failures? Events can tailspin if presenters don’t know their way around the interface. That is considered a planning failure, but it can be avoided. Keep these ideas in mind when setting up and hosting your live event: Community chat can be disabled. Questions can be auto-approved or must require moderators to approve. Make sure to stop the broadcast when the presentation has concluded to remove risk for ‘backstage’ audio and video from reaching the audience. You do want to interact and engage the audience, but do it at the appropriate time. Webinar Recap: Avoid Epic Webinar Fails How to use webinars to increase demand generation and revenue? Huge technology improvements have made high-quality demand generation webinars easier than ever. You don’t necessarily need an agency to setup and run them. Specific vendors have advanced security features and ‘smart meeting’ capabilities – like moderator controls, whiteboarding, analytics and Dolby noise cancellation. Webinars and virtual events are effective throughout the buying cycle and can be critical during the end-of-funnel sales journey. See more: How to Use Webinars to Boost Demand Generation How to plan virtual events? When planning a virtual event, there are a number of things to consider including: understanding your audience, selecting the right event format, deciding the best day and time, knowing how to draw an audience, and identifying which features and reporting you want from the platform. Virtual Event Planning in 2021 How do I use webinars to convert prospects into customers? An average webinar attendee sticks around for 61 minutes. That’s a huge opportunity to connect with decision-makers and communicate the value of your product or service. Webinars are great for lead capture and conversions as well, so they can be appropriate for any stage of the buying cycle. Deciphering which topics to cover requires you to know your audience. A thorough analysis of the attendee list and/or polling questions up front can be beneficial. The most valuable content addresses specific pain points and offers tangible solutions, i.e., your product or solution. 5 Ways to Generate More Demand with Webinars What are best practices for hosting a webinar? There are a few essential things to keep in mind when hosting a webinar or virtual event. Make it easy to join and hard to leave, retain an element of surprise, make it visually appealing, and involve the audience. You want to leave them wanting more, so differentiation is important. Be sure to study the registrant list, so you know the audience in advance. And nothing is more important than selecting an engaging speaker. You also need to be prepared for technical challenges and be ready to remediate. The Ultimate Guide to Hosting Virtual Events How to host a successful webinar? A few things to think about when considering a webinar. Purpose and picking the right topic, what are your goals, what is the best format to meet the goals, and how do you measure success. Then, move to how to setup properly, make time for speaker practice/dry runs, and have a solid marketing plan to bring in registrants/attendees. How to Host the Best Webinars: A Step-By-Step Guide What are the types of virtual events? Whether you’re in HR, marketing or sales, there are several ways you can leverage virtual events within your organization to drive business success. A few examples: Utilize webinars for product launches, thought leadership, and customer advocacy. Virtual conferences & trade shows are generally intended to capture the interest of customers and prospects, so these can be simple or complex depending on your time frame, budget, and resources. All-hands and town hall types of meetings provide executives an engaging way to stay connected to teams worldwide. Virtual learning and online education has become a staple of academic institutions across the world as students are given the option to take classes virtually. Virtual events have also grown in popularity with business enterprises that need to train large groups of knowledge workers. 5 Major Types of Virtual Events