Introducing LiveCast in Zoho Show: Present and interact with your audience face-to-face

There are many tools available for supporting real-time communication and collaboration in remote and hybrid work environments. However, one crucial element often missing in remote work is the personal interaction between speakers and their audience in meetings and presentations. This interaction is essential, especially for virtual presentations when it's necessary to address questions or explain complex information that requires the audience's full attention.

Face-to-face interaction fosters personal connections, keeps audiences engaged, and builds credibility. That’s why, at Zoho Show, we provide the LiveCast feature, enabling presenters to interact with their audience in real time.

What is LiveCast in Zoho Show? 

LiveCast is a live streaming feature that allows presenters engage with their audience face-to-face. These are slide-specific and can be used by inserting icons on the slides that require interaction. When the presenter starts the slideshow, the slides with the icons will automatically start the live stream.

Additionally, presenters can customize their stream's appearance by choosing a background and camera shape to ensure a professional and personalized experience.

This feature is available to users with access to Zoho One, Zoho WorkDrive, and ZohoWorkPlace. Learn how to add a LiveCast to your slide.
 

 How is it different from video recording? 

Video recording enables presenters to pre-record their video and add it to their slide, facilitating asynchronous communication and allowing the audience to view it at their own convenience.

However, LiveCast requires the presenter and the audience be present in real time, because the purpose is to foster live interaction and dynamic engagement with the audience.

 When should you use LiveCast? 

This feature can be used to create engaging presentations that involve personal interaction. With the LiveCast feature, the presenter can guide participants on a personal level, providing visual cues and expressions that aid understanding. Here are some scenarios of how you can use this feature:

Online training and webinars: One of the key aspects of a successful training session or a webinar is the ability to interact and connect with your audience on a personal level. With the LiveCast feature, presenters can establish rapport with a large virtual audience.

Virtual classrooms: Non-verbal communication plays an important role in virtual classrooms as facial cues, gestures, and expressions enhance student engagement. Educators can use LiveCast to create an immersive learning experiences for their students.

Sales pitches: When you are pitching your product or service to a remote prospect, it is important to maintain a personal connection. This feature enables the sales teams to build trust and credibility by appearing LIVE within the slide and demonstrating the benefits.

Interactive product demos: Product demos often require narration and guidance to help audiences understand the features and benefits. LiveCast allows presenters to walk through demos in real time, answer questions, and resolve queries instantly.

Onboarding sessions: Human Resources teams can personalize interactions with new employees during onboarding and training sessions. Top-level management and senior executives can also address employees directly, creating a stronger connection with teams.

 Benefits of using LiveCast in presentations 

• Remote-friendly solution: This feature bridges the gap between in-person and virtual presentations, offering a hybrid experience.

• Enhanced engagement: Audiences are more likely to engage and pay attention to the presenter when presented face-to-face.

• Builds trust and credibility: Live interactions add authenticity and build credibility, especially in virtual environments.

• Improved communication: Visual cues and facial expressions humanize the presentation, reinforce the message, and enhance understanding.

• Increased interactivity: Viewers feel a stronger connection and are more likely to participate in Q&A or discussions.

• Makes content memorable: Presentations with a live human element make it dynamic and more memorable than static slides.
   

 What are the best practices to use this feature? 

1. Test your setup: The first and most important step is to test the setup. Ensure your camera, microphone, and internet connection work perfectly. Test the placement of the LiveCast icon on slides to ensure it doesn't obstruct important content.

2. Optimize lighting and camera angle: Use natural lighting or a ring light to brighten your face evenly. Avoid harsh shadows or back lighting and position the camera at eye level to maintain direct engagement with your audience.

3. Maintain video quality: Configure your camera settings for optimal clarity and resolution. Optimize your network bandwidth to avoid lag or video freezes.

4. Design slides with LiveCast in mind: Leave spaces on slides where the LiveCast icon will appear. Remeber to use animations sparingly to avoid cluttering the slide with movement while your face is visible.

5. Choose an appropriate background: Choose a suitable background image and a camera shape depending on the tone of your presentation and audience.
    

 Wrapping up! 

In today’s hybrid world, where teamwork requires a mix of virtual and in-person communication, tools like LiveCast empower presenters to deliver their slides with impact and authenticity. This feature bridges the gap between static slides and dynamic human interaction, making your presentations more engaging and interactive.

Whether you're training your employees, pitching an idea to clients, or addressing a virtual audience, LiveCast enables you to connect personally, enhance engagement, and build trust. By strategically integrating this feature into your presentations, you can transform ordinary slideshows into memorable and impactful experiences.

Sign up and try out the feature now!