A small nod, a quick smile, a furrowed brow—these subtle cues convey a lot. But remote work requires us to develop new ways to interpret nonverbal communication.
When you can’t meet in person, video conferencing tools help you impart or be aware of these vital nonverbals. It’s easy to hop on a video call to avoid miscommunication and collaborate almost as if everyone was gathered together.
If you’re new to video conferencing or seeking an alternative way to engage your team, discover how video communication platforms can improve remote collaboration, how to shop for new video conferencing software, and how five popular video conferencing tools compare.
What are the benefits of using video conferencing?
Video conferencing is the team communication tool of choice thanks to these benefits:
Improved communication: Video calls let team members see each others’ facial expressions and body language, clearing up miscommunications that often happen with emails and chat.
Increased flexibility: Teammates can meet from pretty much anywhere with video conferencing tools. This means remote workers, those on a business trip, and even digital nomads can all hop on a call.
Better productivity: Video calls don’t require commute times for collaboration and brainstorming. Meeting participants can also easily share and view documents in real time, eliminating a lot of back-and-forths.
Stronger connections: One challenging aspect of remote work is fostering connection. Buffer’s 2023 State of Remote Work report found that 23% of remote workers struggle with loneliness. Video meetings can help overcome a sense of loneliness and keep remote teammates engaged.
Many video conferencing apps also include additional collaboration features like chat, a calendar, and email to further enhance team communication.
Video conferencing vs. traditional communication methods
Have you ever felt your anxiety spike thanks to an email? Or maybe felt pressured to overexplain a Slack message due to a misunderstanding?
Video collaboration software solves many of the challenges that emails and chat pose by capturing nonverbal cues and tone of voice to clarify emotion and intent. It also lets teams share and collaborate on documents and files in real time.
Additionally, hybrid and remote teams don’t always have the luxury of face-to-face conversations—and they may prefer the flexibility of video chats. A 2023 survey found that 65% of U.S. workers listed flexible work hours and location as the most important non-salary benefit.
When to use asynchronous video vs. video conferencing
Video conference calls still require teams to meet at a certain time and date, making them a synchronous instead of asynchronous communication strategy. This makes it difficult to schedule around work hours, especially if you’re part of a global team.
But asynchronous Zoom alternatives like Loom recordings can be shared at any time, making them best for:
Letting teammates read your message on their own schedule
Providing visual context without the drain of real-time meetings
Explaining a complex idea or topic
Documenting information so teammates can revisit it later
Asynchronous messages can also be revisited later, making them an excellent way to document team training.
3 types of video conferencing solutions
These three types of video conferencing tools support video messaging for work:
Telepresence video conferencing systems: Telepresence systems try to create an immersive meeting experience that mimics in-person chats. But because they rely on dedicated audio and video tools, they’re often expensive.
Web-based video conferencing software: Also called cloud-based video conferencing software, this option relies on attendees’ internet connections and devices. While flexible, this option could become costly depending on your team’s size.
Video conferencing hardware: An in-between solution is installing cameras, microphones, and displays in a meeting room. This provides some of the best audio and video quality, but it requires professional installation, which bumps up the price.
Most remote teams rely on web-based tools, while hybrid teams mix things up with a combination of solutions.
What to look for in a video conferencing tool
Choosing a video conferencing tool? Look for these remote-friendly features:
High-quality audio and video: Look for a video conferencing system that offers at least HD video quality (1080p) and is known for clear audio.
Screen sharing: Make collaboration easier with screen-sharing tools that let hosts share apps and files.
In-meeting chat: Give more introverted team members a place to speak up. This feature also lets teams share links and ask questions—all without interrupting the speaker.
Calendar integrations: Choose a tool that works with your team’s favorite calendar app to make it easier for everyone to schedule and join video calls.
Moderation controls: Keep meetings running smoothly with controls like meeting join requests and waiting rooms, breakout room assignments, and participant mute.
No constraints: Allow everyone to join the virtual conference room by choosing a tool with enough capacity and meeting time. Some free plans limit the number of people who can join a call, and many free virtual meeting apps also limit how long each meeting can last, leaving your team scrambling to set up another invite on the fly.
Ease of use: Pick a tool that makes it easy to set up and join meetings. Additionally, check whether the tool offers apps for Android and iOS mobile devices—or at least a way for teammates to join from their web browsers.
Security: Choose software that includes at least end-to-end encryption to protect your company’s valuable assets. If you work in health care, banking, or a similar field, check that your video conferencing tool meets all industry security standards.
Other features that are often helpful for remote workers include the ability to blur your background and reduce background noise. These remove distractions, helping teammates focus on your message and video instead.
Top 5 video conferencing services compared, free and paid
Find out how some of the most popular video conferencing software tools compare, then check out the in-depth guide to the best video conferencing platforms for remote teams to see more recommendations.
1. Zoom Workplace
Zoom Workplace offers a host of communication and productivity tools, including meetings, email, a calendar, and file sharing.
Features:
Automated captions
Built-in calendar and email tools
Includes Workvivo, an employee engagement and internal communications platform
Pricing: Zoom offers a free plan that limits meetings to 40 minutes maximum and up to 100 participants. Paid plans start at $13.32 per user per month when billed annually.
To Loom or to Zoom? Find out which video tool is best for your team in our Loom vs. Zoom comparison.
2. Microsoft Teams
If you already work with Microsoft tools, then Teams is easy to add to your workflows. It offers video meetings, chat, and the ability to collaborate on Microsoft 365 apps seamlessly.
Features:
Rewrite messages with Copilot AI
Includes bookable desks for shared coworking
Customizable avatars
Pricing: Teams lets individuals sign up for a free plan that limits meetings to 60 minutes maximum and up to 100 participants. Paid business plans start at $4 per user per month when billed annually.
3. Google Meet
An easy-to-implement video conferencing tool for Google Workspace users, Meet doesn’t require you to download software to use it, making it a highly flexible option.
Features:
Works in your web browser
Pin up to six video tiles so they’re always viewable
Present from Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides
Pricing: Google Meet’s free plan has a meeting time limit of 24 hours for one-on-one calls and one hour for calls with three or more participants, and a capacity limit of 100 participants. Paid plans start at $6 per user per month when billed annually.
4. Skype
Similar to Google Meet, Skype doesn’t require you to download software. While it lacks features like a virtual whiteboard, breakout rooms, and transcripts, it’s appealing to teams looking for a simple solution.
Features:
Host and join videos for free
Offers the option to purchase Skype Credits for local and long-distance calls
Allows you to create a Skype Number so others can call you
Pricing: Skype is free to use for meetings of up to 24 hours and 100 participants.
5. Zoho Meeting
Zoho Meeting offers an affordable way for small businesses to collaborate using other Zoho tools—as long as you don’t need high-quality video.
Features:
Automatically transcribes meetings with AI
Supports dial-in attendees
Works with Zoho Meeting Calendar
Pricing: Zoho Meeting offers a free plan that limits meetings to 60 minutes maximum and up to 100 participants. Paid plans start at $1 per host per month when billed annually.
How to implement the right video conferencing tool into your existing workflows
Make the transition to video conferencing easier for your team with these tips.
1. Use asynchronous videos for international collaboration
Do you work with teammates in different locations? Stop stressing about meeting schedules that work for everyone and record a Loom instead.
Kate Erwin found that Loom video messages improved her efficiency when sharing product walkthroughs and showing colleagues different processes.
2. Use collaboration features
Make use of any included collaboration features like virtual whiteboards and screen sharing. Some ideas for video collaboration include:
Screen sharing a presentation or sales deck
Brainstorming and refining ideas
Illustrating complex concepts
Sharing a meeting agenda on the host’s screen
You should also pair your video call software with any other internal communication tools your team uses like Slack, email, and calendar or scheduling apps, as well as project management and productivity software. This makes it easier to collaborate on tasks like reviewing project statuses, sending meeting invites, and notifying teammates that a call is about to start.
3. Don’t use video conferencing tools to keep tabs on employees
Since the pandemic, remote employees have shared horror stories of bosses requiring workers to join all-day video calls. Perhaps not surprisingly, this overt form of surveillance does more harm than good.
A 2021 study found that employees who were monitored at work ended up bucking the rules more often by taking more breaks, working slower, and even stealing office equipment.
That’s not to say your team would do the same—but surveillance reduces employees’ sense of agency. This leads to bad behavior as a way for workers to gain back a sense of control.
4. Set clear guidelines and train your team
Share best practices for video meetings and let your team know when to use video calls versus other communication methods.
Additionally, offer training to all team members on how best to use your new video conferencing tool. It’s also helpful to record step-by-step guides using tools like Loom so teams can revisit training.
5. Add buffer time
Reduce teamwide Zoom fatigue by automatically building in buffer time before and after each meeting.
Most calendar and scheduling apps let you automatically add time before and after your meetings—or you can manually schedule meetings so they don’t occur back-to-back.
6. Conduct a meeting audit
Do you know how much your meetings cost? If not, it’s time to do a meeting audit and run the numbers with a meeting cost calculator. Once you’ve calculated costs, it’s time to decide whether meetings are worth keeping on the calendar.
Shopify ran this experiment in 2023 and found that the average cost of a 30-minute meeting with three of its employees ranged from $700 to $1,600.
7. Check your settings before each call
Back in 2021, a Texas attorney almost broke the internet when the clip of him pledging to the judge, “I’m here live, I’m not a cat” went viral. The attorney’s Zoom app was set to swap his face for an adorable kitten filter, causing mayhem during the virtual hearing.
Giggles aside, this meme is a reminder to always check your video conferencing settings before you join a call. This limits meeting distractions and avoids wasting time on troubleshooting.
Transform the way you connect and collaborate with Loom
While it’s not a traditional video conferencing tool, Loom offers many of the same benefits—without the need to schedule a video call across multiple time zones. Its easy-to-use screen recording tool captures both your webcam and your screen, adding nonverbal context to your messages.
Features like comments and emoji reactions allow teammates to ask questions or share feedback, while embedded CTA links direct viewers to related resources. This fosters efficient collaboration that works whether you’re recording a team process, project update, code review, or product demo.
Find out how Loom’s asynchronous video communication improves remote team productivity.