Online meetings vs. webinars

Today in the world there are many tasks that need to be solved remotely. The issues of training, business meetings, marketing campaigns, etc. are among the most relevant. So, what types of online meetings do we meet most often and how to distinguish between them?

What are online meetings and webinars?

Online meetings and webinars are video conferences that people hold to share information. They are similar in the following aspects:

• groups of people can join;
• participants can interact with each other;
• commonly used in education and business matters;
• popular due to the trend towards remote work triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

But while these types of videoconferencing have something in common, they are very different.

The difference between meetings and web presentations

These video conferences differ in the number of possible participants, the purpose of use, etc. To be more precise, they differ in:

• Number of Participants - Online meetings are more suitable for small or medium teams, while webinars are more suitable for a huge audience.
• Purpose of use - online conferences are designed for weekly or monthly meetings, brainstorming sessions and other business meetings where participation and communication of all comers is necessary. Webinars are often large-scale announced events with serious preparation for the presentation of a new product, innovative technology or lecture.
• Opportunities for interaction - participants in an online meeting have approximately the same opportunities to use the functionality of the program. Webinar attendees can only interact when requested by the conference organizer.
• Software used – It is more convenient to use dedicated webinar platforms for web presentations that allow for branding, certain interaction features, etc. Video conferencing apps like Zoom that we are used to do not provide a proper experience and thus will be less efficient.

Keep these key points in mind before deciding which shape to choose for your particular case.

When to Use Online Meetings

Online meetings are better suited for communication sessions where everyone needs to participate equally. They are suitable for seminars, language lessons, brainstorming, team building, regular meetings, etc. As a reminder, video meeting services offer features that allow you to split the entire group into pairs or smaller groups for competitive games or other interactive elements. And, of course, don't forget about the possibility of one-on-one meetings.

When to Use Webinars

Webinars are best suited for marketing: complex campaigns must have a good product or service presentation. It's also a good solution for starter presentations. This type of conference call is also well suited for all types of lectures, especially if they are large and independent one-time lectures.

What software to use

For best results, it's best to differentiate between webinar software and meeting apps. Below you see lists of software suitable for each type of conferencing.

Choose carefully, because the applications have some features that you need to consider for the convenience of communication.

To summarize, there is a big difference between meetings and webinars. Find out more about the event itself and the apps you want to use to choose the one that best suits your needs.