What is video conferencing?
Video conferencing is an online meeting where participants use video and audio software to meet in real time and from any location in a digital or virtual meeting room.
Popular with remote or distributed groups, video conferencing enables individuals and teams to meet face-to-face without needing to be based in the same physical location or even within the same time zone.
Smartphones, tablets, or desktop computers connected to the same video conferencing software make conducting these types of meetings more straightforward and accessible to anyone who needs to join.
Types of video conferencing
Video conferencing can be used for the same types of meetings arranged in person. They simply happen in a digital space rather than a physical room. The most common uses for video conferencing are:
- One-on-one conversations: Whether it’s a manager speaking with a single employee or a human resources (HR) representative contacting a prospective employee for an interview, one-on-one meetings are a typical situation to use conference calls, especially when both individuals are in two different locations.
- Internal team meetings: It’s important to keep everyone on a team informed and to meet regularly to share project updates or news. For businesses with remote employees, video conferencing as a group is likely the best solution to ensure everyone receives the information they need in real time.
- Vendor or customer calls: Most businesses will work with other companies or customers based in a different city or state. Video conferencing allows these groups to connect face-to-face and build deeper, more meaningful business relationships.
Basic elements of video conferencing
Some businesses use highly sophisticated video conferencing technology to collaborate across locations, but not every company needs this level of software. For successful video meetings, the basic components that a business should have in place are:
- A camera for each participant: Anyone involved in the meeting should have access to a webcam or another connectable camera so that all participants can see their faces.
- A microphone and audio output for each participant: Similarly, for other participants to hear individual speakers, each person should have a microphone connected to their device and speakers to follow the conversation.
- Adequate lighting: Once a camera is set up, those in the meeting should check their room lighting and how this is reflected on the camera. Sitting in front of a window can generate natural light that makes someone’s face easier to see. But sitting with their back to the window can cause the camera to focus only on the light and cast a shadow on their face, making it difficult to see them.
- Video conferencing software: Depending on the number of people involved in the video conference, specialized software may be needed to host a large number of participants, create breakout rooms, or record the meeting for sharing later.
Benefits of video conferencing
With the global video conferencing market predicted to double in value from now until 2027, it’s certainly an area of communication that many businesses are considering adopting. There are plenty of benefits to video conferencing, including:
- Saves money: Asking team members to come into the office, especially if they live far away, for a single meeting can cost the individual or company significant amounts of money per team member. Instead, video conferencing only costs as much as the platform being used and any equipment costs to set team members up with the ability to join meetings from their location.
- Increases team productivity: Being able to meet face-to-face can often improve a team’s collaborative output. With video conferencing, this is still as possible as if the team were together in-person. There’s also the added benefit of time not being wasted traveling to the meeting, leaving more time for productive work.
- More accessible: Individual team members may have personal requirements that make working in an office environment challenging, especially if they must travel between building floors or to different office headquarters. Video conferencing means they can still participate in team meetings but from a location and environment that works better for them.
Best practices for video conferencing
Particularly when there are more than a handful of people in a video meeting, it can become difficult to concentrate and participate effectively. Following several best practices, though, can keep video conferences on track and productive. These include:
- Minimizing noise in the room: Microphones are incredibly sensitive and will pick up any background noise when someone is speaking. It’s best to use a headset when taking video calls in a crowded place, turn off any background music or audio that might be playing, or ask others in the house to keep the noise down while on a call.
- Muting participants who aren’t speaking: With many participants, it can quickly become chaotic and difficult to hear if several people try to talk over each other simultaneously. Keeping everyone in the meeting on mute until they need to speak lowers the overall background noise and gives full focus to the one person speaking.
- Opting in to record meetings: Most video conferencing software provide the option to record meetings. While this isn’t always necessary, especially in one-on-one meetings, recording and sharing the video call may be useful if some individuals can’t attend.
- Remembering common meeting courtesy: Just as anyone would in an in-person meeting, it’s important to remember basic rules for meeting etiquette. Don’t interrupt people speaking, pay full attention to what is happening in the meeting, and always say goodbye to the other participants at the end.
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Holly Landis
Holly Landis is a freelance writer for G2. She also specializes in being a digital marketing consultant, focusing in on-page SEO, copy, and content writing. She works with SMEs and creative businesses that want to be more intentional with their digital strategies and grow organically on channels they own. As a Brit now living in the USA, you'll usually find her drinking copious amounts of tea in her cherished Anne Boleyn mug while watching endless reruns of Parks and Rec.
