1 Choose the right platform

Not all virtual meeting platforms are created equal. Some may require more bandwidth than others, or have different features and settings that can affect the performance. Before you choose a platform, do some research and compare the options based on your needs and preferences. For example, you may want to consider the number of participants, the duration of the meeting, the security and privacy of the data, the ease of use and accessibility, and the availability of customer support. You may also want to test the platform beforehand and check the system requirements and recommendations.

3 Plan and prepare ahead

To ensure a successful virtual meeting with low bandwidth, it’s important to plan and prepare ahead. Before the meeting, you should send out the agenda, objectives, and expectations to the participants and ask for any feedback or questions. Additionally, share any materials or documents that you want to present or refer to during the meeting and ask participants to download or open them beforehand. Checking your device, equipment, and connection before the meeting is also important. Having a backup plan in case something goes wrong is also recommended. Finally, logging in a few minutes early and welcoming the participants as they join can help create an organized and smooth meeting. You may also want to do a quick sound and video check, as well as remind everyone of the ground rules and etiquette of the meeting.

4 Engage and interact with the participants

When hosting virtual meetings with low bandwidth, one of the challenges is to keep the participants engaged and interested. To tackle this, you need to find ways to interact with them, make them feel valued, and encourage collaboration. A friendly and enthusiastic tone of voice, gestures and expressions, humor, stories, or anecdotes can help break the ice and build rapport. Asking open-ended questions, soliciting feedback, and acknowledging contributions can also stimulate their interest. Assigning tasks or roles that require them to communicate and cooperate with each other is a great way to encourage collaboration. Additionally, using polls, surveys, quizzes, or games can be useful. Summarizing the key points and outcomes of the meeting at the end is important as well as asking for any questions or comments from the participants. Following up with an email or message thanking them for their attendance and input and reminding them of next steps or deadlines is also recommended.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?