Up Your Zoom Game: Hosting

In a previous post we talked about some of our Zoom best practices to help you better understand and use Zoom like a pro. Most of us have probably been invited to at least one Zoom meeting throughout this pandemic, but what do you do if you are a meeting host?

Page 2’s Zoom best practices apply to both meeting participants and hosts, but there are a few extra responsibilities you have as a host to ensure the meeting runs smoothly. Here are some of our best tips to make sure your Zoom meetings go off without a hitch.

• Make introductions. If not everyone is acquainted, introduce each participant at the beginning of a meeting. This will create a welcoming environment and spark participant engagement. *Also be sure to confirm that everyone can hear you and each other.
• Provide tech support. As a host, you sometimes also end up being tech support, so make sure you are familiar with Zoom’s controls so you can talk participants through any problems. Be able to provide detailed instructions — and show patience!
• Manage the settings. Hosts have a lot of extra controls available to them. You have the ability to record sessions, control participants’ audio (we recommend muting all other participants if you are the sole presenter), share your screen and set meeting passwords. Take some time to go through all your meeting’s settings before the meeting itself.
• Moderate the meeting. Running a meeting can be tough no matter the venue, but on Zoom it is essential for the host to focus on the agenda and keep the meeting on track by steering the conversation.
• Limit attendees. Only invite participants who need to be in the meeting. Limiting attendees will keep the meeting streamlined. You can send a recording to others later if the meeting contains content they should hear.
• Stick around. It’s weird to leave your own party before everyone else does right? Always be the last one in the meeting room so you can answer questions.

Hosting a Zoom meeting doesn’t have to be intimidating or complex. Remember to be genuine and fully present, and please, wear pants! Follow our above tips, and you will be well on your way to becoming a Zoom super host.