10 Steps to Rock Google Hangouts on Air

In chapter eight of Guy Kawasaki's book, The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users, he explains how to efficiently run a Google+ Hangouts on Air. A HOA is unique to Google+ and other social media platforms such as Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn don't have this feature. A Google+ user can create a HOA which broadcasts video through your account and also automatically archives to your YouTube account. I had no idea Google+ had a feature like this. What I found the most interesting is how your broadcast automatically archives to your YouTube for viewers to watch later. 

Below I listed the steps Guy Kawasaki gives in his book and added some of my thoughts as well; the most important steps in my opinion are steps one through three and eight through ten. Steps one, two, nine, and ten are important because they ensure your HOA looks professional and planned. Steps three and eight are important because they are important to increasing your audience and marketing your event. All the steps are important, but the steps I picked out are in my opinion the most necessary to have a successful HOA. 

1. Equipment 

• Something to stream and record your video: Guy Kawasaki recommends using a webcam (Logitech C920-C webcam) because it is better than the camera on your laptop. You could also use a camera; I have a Sony DSC-H300 20.1-Megapixel Digital Camera. 
• Microphone and earphones: This I don't think is completely necessary as long as your voice is being picked up clearly and loudly enough by your laptop or camera. Guy Kawasaki recommends using a headset because it is better than the microphone on your laptop.
• Lighting: In my opinion having proper lighting will make your broadcast or video look more professional and put together; it can be difficult to get the proper lighting in whatever space you are using without additional equipment. Guy recommends using the Westcott uLite 2-Light. 
• Background: You shouldn't have a cluttered background during a broadcast or video; unless you have a designated area that is organized and simple, I would purchase the Fotodiox collapsible background that Guy Kawasaki recommends.

2. Have a Game Plan

• Unless you are extremely popular and your viewers watch because they love your spontaneity, you should have a plan for your video. Structuring your HOA will maximize the value of your time during the broadcast. Before you begin streaming you should practice what you are covering during the broadcast.

3. Create an Event Page

• Creating a page explaining the broadcast, providing information about the speaker, and including a RSVP reminder will most likely increase the amount of viewers. The page will enable people to create an event in their Google calendar. Having a page or post somewhere about the HOA is beneficial because the more information people know about the broadcast, the more likely they are to watch. 

4. Create Your Own Custom Header

• A custom header will attract more attention to your event site and make the page more interesting. 

5.Create a Trailer

• a trailer is a great way to promote your Hangouts on Air; you, your speakers, and your followers can share this to get more viewers. I would recommend keeping the trailer at one minute or shorter because your followers or others that will see the trailer will be more inclined to watch if it won't consume too much of their time. 

6.Create a Lower-Third Custom Overlay

• A lower-third custom overlay is a label with information about who is speaking at that moment in the video. This will make the video look more professional. Guy Kawasaki lists two places to create the overlay: Hangout Toolbox or HangoutMagix website. 

7.Invite Speakers

• When starting your Hangouts on Air, you can invite speakers through +mentions or through email. Guy recommends doing both so your speaker easily finds the link for your HOA. You don't need to have any speakers, but including them can make your HOA more interesting and the followers of those speakers can create a bigger audience and following for you.

8. Change Your Settings So Everyone Can Watch

• Your HOA can be watched by more than just Google+ users. If you embed code or the YouTube URL in your blog or website, others can watch the live broadcast or the recording at a later time. There is also an option that allows Facebook users to watch as well; the service 22Social allows users on Facebook to watch your HOA. (this can help to increase your audience and following) 

9. What To Wear 

• Stick to solid colors or very simple patterns so your camera doesn't create an effect called "moiré", which creates a waviness in the video. You also don't want your audience distracted by what you're wearing and be more focused on that than what you are discussing.

10. Send a Checklist to Your Speaker and Rehearse!

• Sending a checklist to a speaker ensures that everything will run smoothly and there is no confusion. Some of the items on the checklist (the ones I thought were most important) are: do you have a Google+ account, do you have adequate lighting, a microphone or headset, does your computer have a built in webcam, did you install the HOA app, is your location free of interruptions, have you promoted the HOA, and did you give the host your cell-phone number and asked for theirs?
• There is no such thing as too much practice. You should conduct a full rehearsal with your speaker (if you have one) before you start the HOA to eliminate any issues, such as them not knowing how to work their microphone. The more you practice, the more professional and put-together your HOA will seem.