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Is it time for you to give webcam conferencing a try? If you have meetings not quite important enough to justify flying, but still needing that personal touch, try webcam conferencing.

Webcam technology has really improved the last few years. You can get a very acceptable webcam for family use priced less than $40. If you’re replacing business meetings you might want to pay more attention to brands and reviews (I like Logitech models), but can easily buy a decent webcam for $40-$60.

Whatever you decide on, it should be a USB webcam. You’ll plug it into your PC, run a quick installation, and you’re ready to go! (See link in this article’s resource box for webcam brands/prices.)

Using for Family:

Now that you have your webcam, how do you start with webcam conferencing? Easy. Try it out with your instant messaging software. AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, and Windows Live Messenger all work with webcams. Ask one of your friends to chat with you so you can sit down and practice.

Professional Useage:

Using your webcam for business? Chances are you don’t plan to go down the “video-enabled instant message” route. You’re more likely to integrat with your web conference software’s video streaming features.

Using video in web conferencing isn’t hard, but does require a little practice. You’ll want to understand the software features before you host your first ‘real’ webcam conference. Hold a practice meeting or two with a friend.

Tips:

You’ll want to speak a tinch more slowly than normal. This is actually a recommendation for all presenters, but is even more relevent in webcam conferencing.

Check out your webcam’s features. Many of them offer real-time enhancement (think: wrinkle-smoothing), lighting adjustments, and other features to improve the image. Use that web conference free trial to practice a bit.

That’s it! You’re ready to join the webcam conferencing world.