How to Use Zoom for Video Conferencing

Virtual meetings have now become the order of the day, due to the recent pandemic. Most meetings are now held online as

against the initial practice. Government bodies, Professionals, schools, and educational institutions have opted for video meetings to stay connected. So it’s time to review how to use Zoom for video conferencing to make the most of this great tool.

Zoom can also be used for webinars. It has some add-on features that can be purchased together with the Zoom video conference features.

There are apps and web browsers to connect with people virtually. Zoom is one of the most used solutions for video meetings. It has a distinct feature known as cross-platform support which is largely responsible for its popularity.

Zoom also offers the ability to connect to a meeting via a web browser and connect other participants. These are the major features that make the Zoom software a force to reckon with. Zoom can be used on web browsers, mobiles, and desktops.

The privacy concerns recently seemed to halt the operation of Zoom. But the Zoom development team has claimed to be working on it already. This could in turn boost the credibility of Zoom.

Scheduling Meetings on Zoom

Zoom has an amazing feature that helps to schedule upcoming conference meetings. With this feature, you don’t need to worry about the possibility of forgetting about an appointment. To schedule a meeting, you need the following: Meeting ID, meeting date and time, passwords (if required).

This post will guide you through the process of scheduling meetings.

For the Desktop Users

Open the Zoom app on your desktop and click on the “schedule” button. Enter the scheduled meeting details on the popped-up window. The details required are time and date, privacy, calendar and access settings. Adjust it according to your preference and click on the “schedule” button to conclude the process.

For the Mobile Users

Launch the app on your Mobile device and navigate to “meet & chat”. Click on “schedule” and enter information such as the name, date & time of the meeting and click on “Done”. You will be redirected to a page where you will add the event to your calendar.

Add the names of the participant, set the notifications, and tap “Done” to finish the setup. And that’s all it takes to plan a Zoom session.

You can add a password to protect the meeting from Zoom bombing. It’s a situation where random persons join and interrupt the meeting.

How to Record on Zoom

We’ve already established earlier that Zoom supports users to record the meeting sessions. A recorded video session can be used for future reference. It can also be of benefit to persons who for any reason missed the meeting. They can go through the recorded videos and get all the information from the meeting.

Recorded videos are usually saved in two places: On your device (for mobile users only) or Zoom cloud. Your team member can access videos that were saved on the Zoom Cloud at will work across different platforms.

We’ll take a look at how to record on both the desktop and mobile.

• Desktop Users

Launch the software and click on the “Record” icon. The desktop version permits users to choose their preferred storage location. So select appropriately. You can pause/stop the recording when necessary, or simply end the meeting to stop the recording.

Zoom converts your recorded video to an MP4 format and saves it in your chosen location.

• Mobile Users

Zoom meetings on the Mobile phone can only save to Zoom Cloud. Open the Zoom app, tap the displayed “More” options and tap “Record to Cloud” to start the recording. Click on the “More” button If you need to pause or stop the recording for any reason.

The recorded videos can be located in “My Recordings” and can only be accessed by logging into your Zoom account. For now, you can only log in through the web browser.

Do these before and during a Zoom Meeting

1. Check for Any Possible Glitch before a Meeting Starts

Technical glitches are common reasons why some video conferences are delayed. To prevent this from happening, test the app a few minutes before every meeting to check if it’s working properly. If you experience any technical snag, quickly inform your meeting host. And if you’re the host, notify other participants.

2. Mute Your Microphone

Background noise is a common factor that impedes smooth Zoom meetings. So you can keep the microphone muted when you’re silent to reduce background noise.

Another option is to mute all the participants’ microphones at the start of every meeting.

3. Seek Participants’ Consent to Record

You need to seek participants’ consent before recording any audio or video meetings. Make sure your participants permit you to record, otherwise, don’t record the meeting.

But why, you may ask? This is common courtesy.

Presentation On Zoom

Never forget that you are on show when you are at a Zoom conference.

Tips for setting up your screen:

1. Consider the height of your computer screen (place a crate or books to put the computer directly in front of your face, no one likes a nostril view, it’s ugly and distracting)
2. What is in your background (go for an uncluttered simple setting, i.e. curtains, blank wall with a bookshelf.)
3. Lighting is a must (place a lamp or natural light so it falls on your face, not behind you, too many shadows are distracting)
4. Volume setting (can you hear the conference easily and are you not too loud)
5. Wear earphones or earplugs to stop the echo effect and background noise (if you can’t hear people it can be annoying)
6. Consider what you are wearing and makeup (put your best foot forward and dress to impress. No pajamas! LOL)

Minimize distractions (shut doors to exclude pets, children, and partners and outside noise.)

Zoom Pricing

• Basic plan: This is a free plan and has no financial commitment. It can host a maximum of 100 participants. The plan also supports unlimited one-on-one meetings, scheduling via Chrome extensions, and screen sharing/recording.
• Pro plan: It cost $14.99/month. The plan supports all “Basic” features, 1 GB cloud storage, and usage report.
• Business Plan: This package costs $19.99/month. It includes all “Pro” features, 1 GB cloud storage, and a usage report.
• Enterprise Plan: It cost $19.99/month. It accommodates a maximum of 500 participants for a session. Also, it has unlimited cloud storage.

Conclusion

Zoom is one of the leading virtual meeting networks. It has a free package that has 40-minute limits for all group meetings. Premium packages allow 24hrs for group meetings and host a bigger audience than the 100 members’ limit of the free plan.

Zoom has some innovative features that make it a good option for video conferences, online teaching, etc. The cross-platform support, screen recording, and screen sharing are largely responsible for its popularity.

The amazing thing about Zoom is, you can use the software for free long enough to determine if it’s what you want.

Are you planning to start an online coaching business? You need a video conferencing tool like Zoom. It’s one of the most effective tools for video conferencing or webinars.

I hope this has helped, please leave a comment, like, and share. Thank you. 

LILY