Sharing Information During a Desktop Video Conference

During your conference, you can share virtually anything that’s on your computer with the group.

Desktop Video ConferenceDesktop video conference software allows organizers to communicate with a group on a whole new level. The ability to look one another in the eye, hone in on body language and nonverbal cues, and hold face-to-face meetings despite distances are among the many benefits you can expect from video conferencing.

However, there’s an added dimension to desktop video conference: the ability to share digital information with attendees. Here are a few different ways that conference moderators can share files, videos, presentations, notes, links, and other information with attendees.

Desktop Video Conference Screen Sharing
It’s not always necessary to turn on your webcam. In fact, many moderators choose not to appear on camera, opting to hold the entire video conferences in screen sharing mode.

With screen sharing mode active, the audience sees your computer screen. Because participants are essentially looking over your shoulder during the conference, you’ll want to make sure to prepare in advance so you don’t inadvertently share confidential information or come across as unprepared.

We recommend:

• Turning off desktop notifications, email alerts, and text messaging
• Closing all applications except those you’ll be using to share information with your audience
• Having a designated folder for any content you intend to share
• Having an uncluttered, professional-looking or branded desktop background
• Cueing up all content that you plan on sharing (for example, if sharing a YouTube video, make sure it’s ready to go in your web browser or app)

If you’re co-hosting the video conference, your co-host should also do the same. Practice passing the presenter controls back and forth so that each of you is comfortable with this feature.

During your conference, you can share virtually anything that’s on your computer with the group. Screen sharing is commonly used for:

• Software walkthroughs and trainings
• PowerPoint presentations
• Pitching ideas, designs, sketches, and diagrams

Collaborative Notes
Unless you’re using a whiteboard-type app within your desktop video conference, screen sharing is usually a one-to-many tool. That is, one person shares the screen for many to view. Collaborative notes, on the other hand, allow all participants to contribute their thoughts to a single, shared note.

For example, you might start the conference with a simple outline. As the video conference gets underway, various participants might add to the shared note, resulting in a more robust final document at the end of the meeting.

This is a good spot to post links to files on Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or some other service.

Chat Boxes
Another option for sharing links is within the text-based chat. This would depend on the size of your audience and how active the chat is. For a large group with heavy chatting, your links could get buried quickly.

YouTube Videos

Want to share YouTube videos during your video conference? Our YouTube streaming feature allows you to stream YouTube videos without having to leave the video conference interface. It’s one less task to manage during a busy video meeting.

Follow-up Messages

Finally, you may want to share information after the fact via follow-up messages. For example, you could send any files you referenced during the video conference or your collaborative notes to attendees after the conference ends via email. Attendance reports let you know who attended — and who didn’t. For those who missed out, a follow-up email with a recording of the video conference could be especially beneficial.

There’s no right or wrong mix of information-sharing methods. You may hold one video conference completely in screen sharing mode one day followed by another where you’re on camera the entire time. One conference might have active chats going on while another might not have chats at all. Some conferences are better suited to collaborative note-taking than others. No matter which direction you choose, our desktop video conference tool makes it easy to share!

Learn more about desktop video conferencing here