What's a Google+ Hangout?
I recently read an article on Time’s Techland about how President Obama will be holding a “Hangout” on Google+ on Monday, January 30th to address public questions following this week’s State of the Union Address. When I stumbled across the article, my original thought was “What is a Google+ Hangout?” After mentioning it to a few of my colleagues who also hadn’t heard about it,, I decided to look into it.
A Google+ Hangout is a free video chat feature, where up to 10 people can participate in a live session – similar to Skype conferencing but for free and with the attachment of a social network. Google also offers a webcast version of their Hangout service called “Hangouts On-Air,” which is still under development, but essentially invites celebrities, public figures or users with large followings to broadcast live via their platform. The feature records the webcast for future playback and also allows a small number of people to interact live with the celeb or public figure and engage in the conversation. According to a December post on the Official Google Blog, the Black Eyed Peas and Dalai Lama have both participated.
Google+ may actually be on to something that could potentially evolve social media. With Google+ quickly developing as the new social network for businesses, I think that “Hangouts” and “Hangouts On-Air” can offer great new ways for businesses to interact with an audience, specifically the media. It provides a new outlet for virtual press tours or simply a platform for breaking news or even conducting interviews. Although participation is currently limited to 10 users, there seems to be no limit (or at least a high number) for users who can simply listen in. The recording aspect is also appealing, specifically for the media who may be interested in revisiting the discussion.
- Kate N.