Pros and Cons of Video Chatting for Groups
Video chat in group communications is a terrific tool. But it does come with its own pros and cons. Read on to know what these are. That way, you’ll know if it’s the right video technology solution for your team or if you need to keep looking for a better one:
Pro: Share Content
Notable video conferencing systems allow for a variety of content to be sent and shared to the rest of the group. Need to consult on a few plans with an offsite coworker? No worries. You won’t have to swing by an out-of-the-way office branch just for a face to face discussion with the person. You can do that through a video call instead. With video, you and your coworkers can consult on a number of projects without leaving the comfort of your desk, whether you’re at work or getting things done from your home office.
Cons: Lag Times
It can take a while for data to be sent over video chats. However, this issue is easy enough to fix. Make sure you have a strong and reliable internet connection. This will kill lag times and provide you with faster data transmissions during your video chats. Another way to keep your communication free of any problems is to send over any of that material before the meeting. That way, everyone’s done downloading it and you won’t have to waste time waiting for everybody to read through the file. You could also send it after the meeting, as supporting documents along with the meeting’s summary.
Pro: Visual Contact
The best advantage of video over email and chat is that it makes visual interaction between or among users possible. In the past, you had to meet in real life if you wanted to look someone eye to eye. These days, video calls have made that possible. With visual contact, you have a much better handle on what the team on the other end of the camera is really saying, Small Business says. Their expressions, body language and other non-verbal cues help you read the situation accurately, preventing you from making a mistake and allowing you to assess the situation, make last-minute adjustments and step in to save the day.
Con: Blurry Videos
Blurry video is one of the most common problems for video conferencing. If you’re sure your Internet connection is solid, then that’s not the problem. It could be your video conferencing tool, though. Go for a system like BlueJeans for video group chat. With a trusted reputation in the industry and an HD camera, the company’s product offerings can easily provide you with whatever you need to turn things around. This might cost you more than many of the cheap services out there but it’s going to be well-worth it. A run-through of the features in the company’s video conferencing system will already be enough to convince you that you’re going to get value for your money. The next time you come across a blurry video in your online meetings, give the other party a piece of advice: toss over their video conferencing unit for a better one.
Pro: Lower Costs
Group chats are an incredibly low-cost way to make meetings among your onsite and offsite groups possible, says Kissmetrics. Have several branches, for instance? The cost of having to fly over your management team from all branches to HQ for a meeting is going to cost your company a lot. Need to train all new hires from every branch? Imagine having to send your training manager from one field office to another. You’ll end up with a pile of high travel costs and associated expenses like food allowance, accommodations, venue charges and more. You can do away with all those, though, when you use video. Whether you need to train a massive group of new hires or meet with the 100 plus people that make up your company’s management team from all your branches, video group chats make it easy for everyone to meet, face to face, without wasting hours on travel time and money on travel costs.
Con: Low Engagement
One of the main challenges to group video chats is the sheer number of participants in a single call or event. With that many people in a call, it can be hard to see everyone on video or to check on what everyone’s doing. The point of video calls, after all, is to provide users with visual access to both parties. However, even in RL, it can be tough to stay on top of what everyone’s doing when meeting with a large team. The downside, to this, though, is that it could mean losing touch with many of your participants. However, if you come in prepared, you can do your presentation, operate the video conferencing system and have enough presence of mind to ensure you reach out to as many of your audience as possible to keep engagement levels high.