Difference between Online Meetings and Webinar | How and When to use

If you are a newbie in the business industry with the new normal setup, or maybe one of many entrepreneurs who start to turn to go digital and want to learn how to communicate with potential clients, loyal customers, partners, and teams. Perhaps you are asking what’s the differences between the numerous types of online communication: online meetings, webinars, video conferencing, online events web conferences… and so on.  

Honesty, those types of online communication is quite confusing if you don’t have yet ideas about them. But worry no more! We are here to differentiate those online communications.

What are Online Meetings?

An online meeting is an online event that was held using a web conferencing application or software that was downloaded on a computer/ laptop or even on a smartphone device.  The online meeting allows the user to use its audio and video tools, users can also share their screen whenever they need for better discussions. 

This online meeting is usually organized by a host. The host can invite qualified attendees at the said event. Everyone in the meeting is free to share their opinion, ideas, and knowledge with the other participants; everyone has the privilege to participate in the meeting and make discussions with each other. 

If you are asking yourself, what benefits can you gain from these online meetings? Well, let me answer that. Online meetings have many helpful benefits and those are it can give you more ability to stay connected with people even if they are across the world. 

It provides easy access for every user. Your meetings are just one click away. It can also help you save your time traveling from one place to another just to attend a meeting or any event.

It is also cost-effective that it can cuts back the money in spending for the venue of the events or place of the meetings. The purpose of this online meeting is for easier and effective communication and discussion among the employees, presenters, or even simple individuals.

When should I use online meetings?

Indeed, online meetings are one of the great tools to make our communication and discussions more effective and easier. You can use an online meeting if you want to discuss some business-related topics and issues with your employees, other stakeholders, or your clients. 

You can also use this if you want to plan new strategies and techniques for your companies or businesses with your teams. If you want to stay in touch and have communications with your friends, if you want to organize a reunion with your colleagues and if you want to witness some important events like weddings, graduations, proposals, birthdays, and so on. 

Online meetings are also ideal for these kinds of situations. An online meeting has various types namely:  Web conference, Video conference, and Teleconferencing.

Types of Online Meetings

Webconference

A web conference is one type of online meeting. This web meeting/ conference provides live meetings, presentations, and even conferences that can be done through the use of the internet. 

Users can utilize a web conference by using a computer, laptop, or smartphone gadget. Web conferencing has a useful feature wherein users are allowed to interact online, share documents, and can also share their screen. 

Users are also allowed to use slides, videos, and other helpful visual materials for more interactive conferences. This concludes that no matter where the participants are around the world, they can still collaborate, participate, and communicate with the other participants. 

Although, web conferencing is sometimes seen as a webinar. The reality is, a webinar is just a type of web conference wherefore its main goal is to educate, it commonly does not involve two-way communication and includes a registration process to participate. 

While web conferencing involves two-way communication and its tools are meant to provide a high interaction and collaboration, which are their main goals.    

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Video conference

Video conferencing is a visual communication forum between two or more individuals no matter their location. This service uses not only audio or video content but both audio and video features. 

This video conferencing software allows the users to talk and see each other, they can make video calls and group video calls as well.  They can also share their screens, use slideshows, recordings, messaging, and more interactive features for better communications. 

Video conferencing offers different modes: Point-to-point video calls, wherein the two users are allowed to see and hear each other at the same time. The second mode is what they called Multipoint Video Conference, this session allows more than two users to see and hear each other at the same time, this mode provides the users equal rights to talk, listen and engage equally in the conference. 

The next one is the Video Lecture. In this mode, there is only one speaker, and this speaker is allowed to see and hear all the participants while the participants can also see and hear the speaker. With this, the learning process is the main focus, while the speaker is monitoring all the participants. 

And last but not least is the All Hands Meeting, these sessions are featuring the participants and presenters. The presenters are allowed to present content with video and audio tools while the participants can only use the chatbox, reactions, or push-to-talk to participate in the meeting. 

This type of model is ideal for product demos and meetings with a large number of audience. Using your laptop, computers, or smartphones you can attend these video conferencing sessions. 

Teleconferencing

The teleconference is a type of meeting via telecommunication method. This teleconferencing has different types, let’s talk about each one of them. 

The first one is Video Teleconferencing; this method is the combination of video and audio features to produce video communications. It presents anything captured by the TV camera, this camera is used for presenting video images. 

In having this kind of video teleconferencing you need to have a special room and high-bandwidth cabling for its equipment. The second one is the Audio Teleconferencing; this method of the conference was conducted through an audio conference. 

Meaning it is an audio-only meeting that can link people between two or more separated locations. This audio brings tie all together using an assigned passcode to enter and join the call or meeting. 

The next one is the Audiographics Teleconferencing; this approach uses the transferring of visual information as graphics, documents, alpha-numerics, or even video pictures for voice communication. And the last one is what they called Web Teleconferencing;  it uses telephone lines for linking two or more computers and modems.

Any programs, plans, or projects done on that computer are sent by lines and can be an electronic mail as an example of an asynchronous session. This web conferencing also considers one of the helpful tools in distance learning. 

The goal of this teleconference is to bring the participants together even if they are miles apart from each other.  

What are Webinars? 

A webinar is the combination of words web-based seminar. The webinar is known for its ability to hold a meeting, conference, seminars, presentations, and lectures that were held online and exclusively attended by virtual audiences. 

Computers/laptops, smart devices, and the internet are what you need to attend this online webinar. In the webinar, you can use Polls, Call-to-Action, Chat, Surveys, Test as interactive, effective, and powerful tools to make your webinar livelier and engaging. 

Using webinars, you are also allowed to share documents, files, audio, slides for better discussions. There are a lot of webinar hosting platforms around the air. 

But the main idea is what is best for your event and your audience. Your webinar platform should cater to all your events’ needs and help you achieve your main goal. Your webinar platform should also be user friendly and fit to cater to all your audience needs and wants for smooth engagement. 

When should I use webinars? 

If you are asking when should you use webinars? Well, a webinar is a great and effective tool to help you introduce your new product to your customers and potential clients in the industry. 

Webinars also give you the chance to share your knowledge on a topic to a large audience or even conduct training for who’s interested. Webinars are known for their powerful and effective strategies to drive a business or company to new levels and eventually be an expert in their field. 

If you want to build brand authority, be an expert, connect with potential clients, or to raise brand awareness then a webinar is the answer.

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Types of webinars

Live

Live webinars are when you are delivering your presentations in real-time to your live audience.  And because it is live there is a strong connection between you and your participants. During your live webinars, you can do shoutouts, communicate with your attendees, and also you can answer their questions right away.

On-Demand

On-demand or pre-recorded is when you record your webinar and set a date and time when to release it. This type of webinar is ideal for those who are experiencing stage fright. And because it is pre-recorded, you have given a chance to edit your presentations, you can also add some filters, animations, and some amazing slides for better engagement.

Simulive

Simulive means simulated live webinars. It is a pre-recorded webinar with a twist, it has an interactive tool of a live webinar. Yeah, you read it right! Pre-recorded webinar with live interactions. How? Just record your presentation and play it at your preferred time and date just like a live stream.

Sponsored

In a sponsored webinar, it involves paying. You are paying the third party to promote or advertise your webinar to their audience. If you want to reach more and more audiences this one is ideal for you. 

Using Jetwebinar for Online Meeting and Webinar

JetCast

Do you want to host a Simulive webinar? You can do it with the help of JetCast. JetCast is one of the features offered by JetWebinar that enables the users to make a powerful, effective on-demand webinar with the use of an interactive live webinar at the same time. 

JetCast allows you to use both types of webinar anywhere and anytime you want.  It is formed to hand your audience an amazing and lively experience just like a live virtual event. JetCast is also meant to build for hosting simulive events up to 100,00 attendees and up.

JetCall

Looking for a feature that can host ultra-fast virtual meetings? Go find JetCall. JetCalls offers ultra-fast online meetings that will really amaze you. 

In JetCalls you can create meeting rooms, and allow you to share your screen and make a video call with your colleagues, friends, family, or even with your teams. This gives you the chance to create and go breakouts rooms before, during, or even after your online webinar. 

While your audience will be given an interactive tool to start right away engaging and collaborating with others by the use of video, chat, and screen sharing tools. Jetcall creates easy access to meetings and conferences and fast co-working solutions.

JetStream

Planning to host a large attendance but still have the ultra-fast webinars? Well, JetStream is here to help you. JetStream allows you to host any large scale of event but still have the power of ultra-fast webinars. 

JetStream is known for its ultra-fast broadcasting solution for any type of virtual event. It is built to handle any scale of attendees, there are no limits to how many attendees can attend your webinar without worrying about its 4k quality.

JumboJet

Preparing to host unlimited attendance webinars? Why not choose JumboJet. JumboJet is the only technology that has the power to host ultra-large events locally and globally. It has the capability to host unlimited attendance, many presenters, and co-hosts in one webinar event. JumboJet is meant for gigantic events, webinars, and conferences, and even virtual summits.

Conclusion

Businesses, companies, or even individual entrepreneurs indeed really benefit from online meetings and webinars. But remember both webinars and online meetings have their own pros and cons, they are also built to achieve their own different purposes to help people. 

Hence it is important that you know clearly what your goal is, for you to choose specific virtual events online communication service that also helps you to achieve your desire objectives. 

Ready to host your own webinar? Click here.