Virtual events are changing the landscape of media and streaming. Panels, webinars, and virtual concerts abound.

While content is always king, there are some great Zoom features you may be missing out on if you are not looking closely at the many customizable layers to this software. Read on for a look at the top five Zoom features you never knew you needed to take your virtual event from just another RSVP to a lasting, impactful experience. Click the link in each header for an in-depth article on how to use the feature!

1. Live Interpretation for Multi-Language Viewing
With the world wide web connecting us more than ever, we need to accommodate the variety of people tuning in to live events. If you want to expand your demographics by allowing for more real-time and post-event viewers that can follow along with a live translation. Please note: live interpreters not included with the language interpretation feature.

2. Transcription
How many virtual event RSVP invitations do you get day-to-day? Nowadays, it’s hard to keep track of all the event invitations bombarding your inbox. You can differentiate your event from competitors by providing a transcription of the audio file for the event. This allows individuals that missed the live event to skim the “article” version of the video for the most useful points in a more timely manner. If you don’t decide to send out transcriptions to attendees, you can always save the file for internal reference and notation to improve future performance.

3. Streaming to a third party platforms on zoom ​and the best third party platform to use
Eyes on the prize, and the more eyeballs, the better! If you are hosting your event as a live broadcast, you’ll want to get the most exposure possible. Zoom unfortunately only lets you livestream to one location – Facebook, Youtube, or a third party platform. Restream allows you to select the third party option, then acts as a springboard for you to stream to multiple platforms. Our favorite picks are Facebook, Youtube, LinkedIn, and Periscope!

4. Q&A
You may be thinking, “I know how to use the Q&A feature!” But, have you stopped to consider whether you are using the Q&A feature to its fullest potential? Many times, attendees flood the chatbox with questions, comments, and random junk. Now that interactivity is a priority, it is crucial to differentiate between quality interactions and spam. The Q&A box allows you to do just that, with options to:

1. Answer the question directly, publicly for all attendees to view.
2. Answer the question privately to the individual that submitted the question.
3. Mark it as answered “live,” if you think the question should be acknowledged by your
panelists. This engages your audience and allows for real-time interaction, a feature of virtual events that trumps cable and streaming.

5. Share Screen and share audio
While both features are basics that most Zoom-savvy folks will recognize, they make the list as honorable mentions. Without a basic understanding of how to share your screen and computer audio, you will not be able to seamlessly integrate third-party, pre-recorded media into your event. And why work harder, when you can work smarter?