In this day and age, online collaboration platforms have changed the way we communicate. The same applies to businesses and organizations, which need to keep in constant touch with others on a regular basis. Microsoft Teams, in particular, offers a fast and convenient way to hold webinars and meetings in a seamless fashion. Employers, customers, and partners can surely benefit from utilizing one of the most reliable online collaboration platforms available today.
If you are not familiar with Microsoft Teams, then this guide is for you. It focuses on how to conduct meetings and webinars online. Just follow all of the steps mentioned below, and you will be fine the rest of the way. Treat this guide as an introduction to the Webinars and Meetings features of Microsoft Teams as well!
Webinars
1. Navigate your calendar in Microsoft Teams and select New meeting.
2. Add all the necessary information like the title of the seminar, the presenters, and event description, to Details. You may update the time to include a 15-minute grace period so that the participants can join early and do last-minute audio/video testing.
3. Select Require Registration: For everyone to allow the participants to register and join.
4. Select Customize registration form to open the document in a separate window.
5. Add the exact time of the webinar, a brief description of it, and the speaker’s biographies to the Event details. The form has the required fields like First Name, Last Name, and Email. You may also add additional fields to include City and ZIP/Postcode, as well as two (2) Custom questions.
6. Select Save and View in the browser to get a preview from the attendee’s perspective.
7. Select Copy link to get the registration link, which you can send as an official invitation.
8. Send the meeting invite to webinar presenters. Keep in mind to allow the presenters to share content. You can do this by returning to the calendar invite and changing the Meeting options. This allows attendees to skip the lobby and ensures the meeting chat and reactions are enabled to encourage Q&A participation.
9. Download the registration report from the invite in your Microsoft Teams calendar. From here, you can create a mailing list to send additional information to your participants.
Meetings
1. Schedule a New meeting from your Microsoft Teams calendar. Select Weekly before sending invites.
2. Inform everyone about the meeting by posting a message in the meeting Chat.
3. Use the Whiteboard function to map out all the ideas. These will be exported into the Meeting notes tab.
4. Upload a PowerPoint presentation to the meeting Files tab.
5. Send the agenda outline in the meeting Chat and @mention the other leads to update their slides.
6. During the meeting, you are encouraged to do the following:
a. Select Start recording and transcription for people who cannot join the meeting, so they can catch up and review the notes.
b. Use the Meeting notes to capture additional ideas, discussion points, and follow-up items.
c. Turn on closed captions to ensure the meeting is inclusive. The participants may use the raise hand feature if they would like to speak and be recognized.
7. Switch presenter mode to side-by-side, so everyone can view the content and navigate through their content.
8. Participants may send GIFs and Reactions to boost team morale.
In Conclusion
Nothing can replace in-person meetings and seminars. However, it is nice to have an option, especially for those who work remotely. Microsoft Teams can do all that in one platform. Just download the application and encourage your members to create a Microsoft account. It will make a big difference on how you communicate and do business.
