Google Hangouts provides an ideal platform to discuss achievements or goals of your nonprofit

Today I wanted to look at a tool that is a natural fit for your nonprofit organization and allow you to broadcast deep and rich information which I see being increasingly used to great success elsewhere: Google Hangouts.

As we continue our rotating look at getting the best results from using social media to market and engage with your nonprofit audience,  I plan to escalate our attention toward the many Google tools that both independently and also in conjunction with Google+ can both build and positively impact your audience.

The current incarnation of Google Hangouts was launched back in May of 2013 and I’ve observed rapidly growing adoption of the tool during the last four to six months. Not only do I feel it’s a great option to further build your message with your audience but I’m seeing fantastic engagement derive from it, and after all engagement should be at the core of how you measure your social media success.

Google Hangouts is a free online tool that allows you to host, broadcast live, record and later share the event. It therefore provides three excellent opportunities to create interest in your organization by promoting the discussion that will take place in advance ‘future live broadcast’, the actual live broadcast/hangout and finally the chance to then host and playback the recorded session on YouTube. Just think how much excitement this could add to a fundraising event, the chance to share news of fundraising results or a the opening of a new facility.

The possibilities and applications are endless, you can host a hangout that features a discussion with those who work at your nonprofit, some of your notable supporters or those who benefit from the work that your charity does. Imagine if you could blend all three voices? It provides a great forum for interesting conversation about your goals and results while adding the key element of personality that can be harder to achieve via a written format. In our age where video marketing and can I say attention spans are so geared towards video it allows you to develop a new avenue for fresh engagement.

I’ve watched a number of live and recorded hangouts and even though the production might not always be state of the art the chance to see live conversation from experts in the field is a genuine treat for an interested audience member.

Google Hangout allows up to ten people to take part in the discussion although I’d recommend capping that number at five or six as it gets a little hectic beyond that. Also because you’re recording the live event for rebroadcast at a later time you’re not really going to have the luxury of a fully professionally edited presentation although on the plus side nor do you have the cost. Above all else though tool is interesting and fun providing insight to the topic at hand that is difficult to achieve elsewhere. I’m friends with a blogger that has a huge audience and while his live ‘Hangouts’ may receive 5k viewers the YouTube uploads go on to receieve ten or twenty times as many views.

Naturally as the format is video the embedding options on YouTube allow you to provide pertinent links back to your website in the written description for the video (and yes, do mention them at the close of the hangout) along with the chance to embed the finished article on your blog or website along with all of the social media channels it opens up to you.

Give it a try, at least once, have a list of topics prepared that will be discussed and share that information in your ‘early warning’ notice about the Hangout. Even a 20 minute discussion can bring the platform to share so much information about the good work your organization is doing and best of all discuss the difference your organization has been able to make with the people directly involved in the services your nonprofit provides. It’s worth noting that both you and everyone in your hangout has to have a Google+ account. Naturally you also need a webcam plus headphones and a microphone.

I hope you take some time to learn more about Google Hangouts and give it a test drive, you can find far more information here at the Google link for the tool or just type visit this link to see some live Hangouts that are taking place or you can find many rebroadcasts that have been added to YouTube. There are also some great tutorial videos on YouTube such as this one by Sue Soucy. If you do create one please share it with us via the comments.

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Miratel Solutions is a Toronto call centre, eBusiness, and letter shop mail house specializing in professional fundraising services including telephone fundraising, online fundraising, lottery services, donation caging, donation processing and other donor management services. We are committed to our CSR business values in all contact centre services