One of the many potential uses of a Google+ Hangout is basic webinar app. However, the 10 person limit is a big hurdle. Here is how you can jump that hurdle. Google+ Hangout On Air is the solution. Using On Air, you can broadcast your event while recording it to your YouTube channel at the same time. Here are the details on how to make that happen.
Getting started with Google+ Hangout On Air
When you are all logged into your Google Account, you can head on over to the On Air page. You will need to start a Hangout by clicking on the red button labeled Start A Hangout.
When you do, you will see a pop-up window asking you for some basic information about your impending Hangout. Fill in the name of the Hangout (this will be the name of the YouTube video) and add anyone you want to invite. Make sure you click the “Enable Hangouts On Air” box. The first time you do this, you may need to verify your YouTube account. This verification requires a mobile phone number because they send an SMS with a verification code.
After your account is verified, you are allowed to upload videos longer than 15 minutes. Thats a good thing because most Hangouts are going to be longer than 15 minutes.
Once Google verifies you, it’s go time. You may be redirected to a new window, so you can re-enter the information or go back to the original Hangout window. Make sure there is only one window open though or you will get an error message. Once the Hangout is initiated, you can click on Embed to see a couple of ways for people to see your broadcast. The first is the YouTube embed code. You can drive the traffic to a page on your site and have them all watch there. The other is a link to the page on YouTube where the video is.
When the video begins, a notice will be shot out on your Google+ account and your YouTube channel letting people know the Hangout broadcast is going to start. From this point, the Hangout is like a normal Hangout. Share your screen, have everyone interact like normal.
After the event concludes, you will have a recording of everything that happened already in your YouTube channel. If you want to go back, you can add annotations and choose to allow ads. This recording is no different than other videos you would upload.
Final thought
Having the option to record a Google+ Hangout is a potentially useful marketing tool for businesses and a lot of fun for groups of people who want to record and share what they do when they chat online. What creative ways can you come up with to use a broadcasted and recorded Google+ Hangout? Hangouts On Air
