Ways to Boost Engagement in Large Web Conferences

Getting every participant engaged throughout the duration of your web conference can seem like a tall task, especially when you’re dealing with a large group of people. Studies have shown that the larger the group, the more likely it is that your participants will try and multi-task throughout your meeting. Just think back to your school days; the larger the class, the more likely it was that students would write notes or talk, while smaller, more intimate classes would drive all students to participate more often and provide the satisfaction of feeling like you actually made a contribution. While the ages of the participants might be different when it comes to conducting a web conference, there are many similarities.

A method frequently used by veteran meeting hosts is to begin by asking participants a question or conducting a poll in order to transfer their focus attention away from other activities and devices, such as smartphones. It’s not uncommon for conference participants to multi-task, i.e. chatting with other employees via Instant Messaging, answering emails, etc. (and to be brutally honest, I’ve don’t it myself), so your best bet is to get them engaged early and often. Remember that it’s important to keep your questions and polls relevant to the material you’re presenting because they will eventually become part of the discussion when you reveal the results later on in the meeting.

If you haven’t already chosen a web conferencing provider, we highly suggest one such as InterCall – the largest conferencing provider in the world – that offers real-time Q&A sessions and polling.

So, now that your web conference got off to a great start and you’ve seen that the polls you’ve conducted and questions that you’ve asked kept everyone engaged, you’ve gone through your materials – now what? Finish strong! Consider an exit Q&A, poll, or survey at the conclusion of your meeting to collect feedback instantly. While follow up emails are a great idea to cover the major points you discussed throughout the meeting, most questions or surveys included in them often go unanswered. Furthermore, by announcing that you will be conducting a poll, Q&A or survey at the end of the meeting, you’re giving participants one more reason to stay engaged.

Additional Information

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