If you're suddenly finding yourself needing to video chat more or just want a few pointers to improve your experience, here are 10 tips to help you look like a Video Conferencing Pro.
My Video Conferencing Setup (Video Tour of my setup at the bottom of this page)
You don’t have to go as crazy as me with a 4k video camera and a monitor below so I can make good eye contact, but there are a few simple things you can do to improve the experience for yourself and the others on your meeting.
10 Video Conferencing Tips
1. Download the app or visit the website in advance
When you get an invite to a video meeting, if it’s one you’re not familiar with, go to the website or download the app. Go through the process of setting up a test meeting to make sure the video and microphone permissions are granted and that it works with your setup. This will ensure you’re ready to start on time.
2. Don’t hold your phone or camera during the meeting
Shaking cameras are really distracting. People will end up turning your video feed off if your camera is moving around or wobbling from a shaky table. Find a secure place to set your camera, phone, tablet, or laptop on and leave it.
3. Pay attention to your camera angle and what’s in frame
I set my phone on the table in front of me and this is what my audience saw
Don’t have the camera point up at you giving everyone a shot of your nostrils, nor have it set off to the side so your face is in profile as you look at your screen. Find a box or other means to raise the camera up and try to put it as close to directly in front of you as you can.
4. Adjust your camera orientation for your audience
If most people in your meeting are viewing you from a computer, make sure you camera is oriented horizontal instead of vertical. This will allow the video software to fill their screen with your image instead of adding black bars on it.
5. Buy a nicer webcam
A good webcam for large meetings: C920 HD Pro
Webcam quality inherently stinks. The technology its built on wasn’t made to support HD or 4k. See this video from Linus Tech Tips for more information: Why your webcam still sucks! But a dedicated camera, as opposed to one built into your laptop or all in 1 will generally look better. I’d recommend this one from Logitech for large meetings. I regularly placed this at the front of a meeting and the remote employees could hear everyone pretty well.
6. Reduce distracting noises
While video conferencing systems do a fairly good job filtering out sounds that aren’t voices, it’s still a good idea to do a quick listen before logging on for any distracting sounds. Humming fans, rumbling TVs, or squeaky chairs are all things that can be picked up by your microphone and make listening to you harder than it needs to be. Try to turn off or isolate yourself away from these noises.
7. Mute your microphone when you’re not talking
If this list were in order of importance, this would be #1. Obviously don’t mute your mic if you’re having a back and forth conversation, but if you’re just listening in for most of the meeting, mute your microphone. Hearing people type, click, breathe, talk to someone else, drive, be around crowds are all really distracting for the presenter and the others trying to listen to them. Also, a microphone can sometimes pick up what is coming out of your speakers and echo it back to the group leading to an echo effect. If you don’t pay attention to this yourself, you may find that when you try to talk and no one is listening that someone has already muted it for you.
8. Avoid calling in
Allowing people to telephone into a video meeting sounds like a good idea on paper, but in practice it usually doesn’t work very well. Telephones are sampled at 8kb/s where as most video chats are at 44kb/s meaning the quality is much poorer. It is really hard to listen to a person in a group call who is talking on a phone. It just doesn’t come across very well. In addition, often the call doesn’t get established correctly and one of the parties can’t hear the other at all and they have to interrupt the meeting to call back. Unless calling is your only choice, use the app or website.
9. Use dedicated headphones
First, it isolates the sound coming out of the speakers from your microphone which helps eliminate echoing and reverb.
Second, if you’re around others, it keeps your meeting private. Not only should most business meetings generally be only heard by those people invited to the meeting, most people don't want to listen to your video chat anyway. Speakers are for when you’re alone, use headphones the rest of the time.
Third, it will help you focus on the meeting and avoid being distracted.
10. Use a dedicated microphone
My cheap USB headset
Anytime you can bring the microphone closer to your mouth, you’re likely going to be picked up better. A dedicated mic will also help eliminate picking up ambient background noises. You can buy a cheap USB headset for around $25 that will sound much better than the one on your laptop. In a pinch, grab the headphones that came with your cell phone. They usually have a built in mic that sits close to your mouth (or throat) that will pick up your voice well.