Many individuals and organizations are now becoming comfortable with virtual meetings, but that does not necessarily mean everyone has the best practices in place for their video conferences, webinars and Zoom meetings. 

If you want to make sure that your target audience is engaged and the message is getting through concisely, check out these 20 quick tips for creating more interactive virtual meetings. 

1. Build a path to communication as soon as the meeting begins. This will set a tone of collaboration from the start and make sure that people are not just listening passively. 

2. Get each individual involved in the virtual meeting to introduce themselves and share an unbelievable note that will pique the interest of the other participants. 

3. Have the agenda prepared and sent out in advance. Allow people to also submit questions and comments, either via the meeting software chat box or email before the meeting begins. 

4. Have some early polls running to send the message that this will be a participatory meeting. 

5. If the type of content being shared is not privileged information, encourage people to post about the meeting on social media. 

6. Inject the occasional funny comment or off-topic poll to figure out who is actively engaging. 

7. With any survey or poll taken, show the responses in real-time. 

8. Make known with the agenda, the specific roles and assignments people have during the virtual meeting. 

9. Depending on the tone of your meeting or company culture, you can occasionally spotlight someone on screen. This keeps everyone alert and makes sure no one is dozing off on the job. 

10. While discussing topics, call on specific individuals to share their thoughts. 

11. Pick your meeting software carefully based on what specifications you want. It could be good to pick something highly interactive, that allows people to use emojis to express their emotions about a particular conversation point. 

12. While topics are being discussed, make a video collage of all the attendees. 

13. If applicable, have managers go over team talking points with their subordinates. Hearing a perspective from one part of the team could create a beneficial exchange of ideas. 

14. Make the virtual meeting a game if possible. Something like a leaderboard of shared ideas can foster a competitive spirit and participation amongst colleagues. 

15. Keep the personal chat enabled. Some individuals running a virtual meeting might typically avoid this, but allowing your staff to connect with each other can actually keep them engaged, especially when many have been working from home. 

16. Do not use a "report-out" style. Instead, foster discussion through some type of mediator and present open-ended questions. 

17. Just like with providing the agenda ahead of time, also present expectations for the type of virtual meeting environment you want. For example, stipulate that every proposed issue needs to be counteracted by a potential solution. 

18. Lead by example. Be as focused and engaged in the meeting as you would expect anyone else to be. 

19. While the mute button may be needed when a particular person is sharing an idea, encourage people to still provide real-time reactions via the comments box. Then, once that individual is done speaking, address those thoughts right away so they do not get lost at the end of the meeting. 

20. Not only can you hand out specific roles in the agenda prior to the meeting, but also assign tasks while it is going on. Reminding someone to bring something up when you come to a certain topic or to jog your memory of a thought at the appropriate time will keep them attuned to the proceedings. 

In addition to keeping you up-to-date on the latest practices, Speaker Booking Agency is here to help you book the world's top virtual meeting speakers. Our talented team of booking agents has over 20 years of experience and we have set up thousands of successful events.

A virtual meeting keynote speaker can add an extra jolt of life to your video conferences, webinars, or Zoom meetings that your group needs. We can provide someone who is an expert in your industry, a motivational sports legend, a popular thought leader, or any of a number of other expert speakers. 

Call us today at 1-888-752-5831 or fill out our online Booking Request Form. Let us help get you on the road to booking a great speaker and putting on a successful virtual meeting!