However on Google+, Hangout is a video-conference that allows you to connect with people in different locations. This is a feature that has the potential to change the way businesses communicate.
With the onset of social media, interpersonal communication has declined greatly. The flipside with the Google Hangouts though enables up to 10 people to have a face-to-face virtual meeting free of charge. This may be able the antidote to reversing that trend.
With the ability to see and engage with dozens of people, Google Hangouts on air also allows one to broadcast their Hangouts to people around the world.
Once the Hangout is completed, Google uploads a full-length recording to your YouTube account, which can then be shared with everyone.
This also therefore means that, rather than driving across town or walking across the office just to pass on information or make a presentation, the Google Hangout can enable one to have a conversation with someone from the comfort of one's desk.
According to Google, "Where an email isn't enough, a phone call can be a quick solution. However, a call can interrupt your workflow, and a missed call may go unnoticed. With Google hangout, you can start the conversation, while continuing to working."
Two heads are better than one, but sometimes even that's not enough, one can add as many people as you want mid-conversation, and see them all face-to-face, be able host an all-company meeting from across the country and be assured that everyone is there and involved.
President Barack Obama recently held a Hangout session on the White House Google Plus page, more than 225,000 people submitted questions and anyone could tune in to hear his responses Live.
Recently during a Digital Dialogue conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, Aki Anastasiou, a South African Technology journalist said that the Hangout had helped them relay a press conference by Julius Malema, the former President of the African National Congress (ANC) Youth League to their audience. They also held another hangout with Jacob Zuma, the President of South Africa.
Bernard Alve the General Manager of Citi FM, Accra, Ghana adds, "The Google hangouts have opened a refreshing chapter in the CITI Breakfast Show in terms of scope and audience experience."
The radio station carries out live interactive video sessions that allow listeners not only to see what happens live in the studio, but also engage with the host and guests in real time on air. "It's amazing how much the listener experience can change with the help of a little bandwidth and the ingenuity of an interactive platform," he adds.
An expert in media says that Promotions and giveaways can be a great way to get potential customers involved.
He says, "Do a live giveaway among your customers or clients. Rather than having someone "like" your page to earn entry into a drawing, get them to show up to a hangout. Nothing says customer service like face-to-face communication."
East African Business Week