When producing a virtual meeting, there will be other technology you will need besides a virtual platform. These extra tools can help with planning, attendee engagement, branding, and more. There are many third-party tech tools out there that are similar that can help you, so it is important to research and decide which is best for your virtual meeting.
Here are a few different tech tools that can assist your next virtual meeting in the areas of communication, design, project management, file storage, surveys, and polling.
Communication Tech
Attendees at any virtual meeting want that networking opportunity that an in-person meeting provides. Virtual meetings can offer that same experience with the right tools. Here are a few options to help provide communication during your next virtual meeting.
Slack – Slack is a messaging platform that provides chat rooms by topic, private groups, and one on one messaging. Anyone can try Slack for free, but there are also other payment options depending on what your business needs for your next virtual meeting.
Yammer – Yammer is a social networking tool that is provided by Microsoft 365. This tool can be used for any updates, announcements, or questions throughout the virtual meeting. There is a free version of Yammer and different pricing platforms including a stand-alone version and a version included in Microsoft 365 plans.
Design Tech
A virtual meeting, like an in-person meeting, should have consistent branding throughout the event. Not everyone is a professional graphic designer and that’s okay. Here are a few easy to use design tools to help create the branding you need for your virtual meeting.
Canva – Canva is a user-friendly graphic design tool used for social media, presentations, documents, and more. The core use of Canva can help with branding and is 100% free. There is a pro version that requires a payment that unlocks unlimited storage and exclusive access to 400,000 free photos, illustrations, and templates.
Adobe Photoshop – Adobe Photoshop is more advanced than Canva, but also another great graphic design tool for your virtual meeting. There is a free trial for Adobe Photoshop, but in the end, there is a payment plan required. Adobe Photoshop is great for advanced editing and retouching, combining images with multiple layers and effects, 3D design, digital drawing and painting, website design, etc.
Project Management Tech
The organization is key to a successful virtual meeting. It is important to prioritize and know deadlines for tasks that need to be completed. Here are some project management tools that can help you prepare for your virtual meeting.
Asana – Asana is a web and mobile project management tool that can help you keep organize and on track as you plan your virtual meeting. This tool is free to use for up to 15 people then there is also a premium version for additional needs.
Monday – Monday is another popular online project management tool that can help you manage tasks, projects, and teams. Unfortunately, there is no free version of Monday, but there is a free trial. Otherwise, there are 4 different pricing plans which include Basic, Standard, Pro, and Enterprise.
File Storage and Sharing Tech
It is important to have a recording of your virtual meeting, but sometimes the file is too big to share. Having file storage and sharing tech tools can help with all your different pdfs and recordings.
Dropbox – Dropbox is a perfect place for your team to place and share content for your virtual meeting. You will be able to keep everything organized, have the ability to sync it to your computer and keep the content secure. Dropbox Basic is free to use, but there are also premium versions depending on what you need for your virtual meeting.
Google Drive – Google Drive is another cloud-based file storage solution that will allow you to access the files anywhere. You can keep your files secure and private until you want to share them with other team members or attendees. Google Drive is free and would be a good option if you are already using Google for other business items such as Gmail, Photos, YouTube, etc.
Surveys and Polling Tech
An attendee engagement strategy for virtual meetings is surveys and polling. Some virtual platforms have this feature, but also many do not. This is where a third-party tech tool can come in and create a better experience for your attendees.
SurveyMonkey – SurveyMonkey is an online survey platform that will help you design professional-looking surveys that you can send to attendees. There is a free version of SurveyMonkey, but for best results look into one of the three premium plans within the business plan or personal plan options.
Google Forms – Google Forms is another online survey platform that can collect feedback from your attendees and put them into a spreadsheet for you. This is a free online tool that can connect with your other google features. You can customize your survey with brand colors and the types of questions you would like to ask your attendees.
Mentimeter – Mentimeter is a live polling tool to help engage with your audience during your virtual meeting. There are fun options such as multiple-choice, word clouds, quizzes, Q&A, and more. There a couple of different plans including Free, Basic, Pro, and Enterprise.
This is just a shortlist of options of tech tools that can assist your next virtual meetings. There is no one way to produce a virtual meeting. Things can be changed and tweaked to fit your goals and needs. We can help you determine what is best for you. Schedule your free initial consult with The LaClare Group below.
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