Best visual communication software

Five paragraphs, six sentences each. No personality. No breaks. No images. Email is and will continue to be one of the backbones of business communications. Email is perfect for quick updates or notes a few sentences long. Need to follow up on a request or check the status of a project? Need to give instructions or deliver a lot of information at once?

A couple of years ago, we did a pretty major research project called The Value of Visuals. We wanted to know if communicating with visuals and video actually was better than plain text, but we also wanted to discover if there was an economic benefit to visual communications.

We tested people performing real-world office tasks, such as updating a web page, filling out an expense report, and downloading and installing new software. In fact, our research estimates that when companies use more images and videos in workplace communications, each employee could gain nearly seven minutes of productivity per day.

That means if your company has employees, you could get back hours of productivity every month. Employees who are less engaged feel less connected to their work, their company, and their peers. They have motivation to do better work. You can write out exactly what you want to say and share the info without interruption or without conversations digressing or running wildly off course. If you have slides to show, use Snagit to record your screen while you narrate.

No slides? No problem. Snagit can record your webcam to give your video a more personal touch. And, if they need a refresher, they can always go back and watch again. Plus, if you do need feedback or if they have questions, they can come to you individually.

In our experience, meetings that normally might have been scheduled for an hour can be reduced to a minute or less video. Nearly all of us have had to proofread and edit a document that someone else has created. We print it out, grab our red pen, and note on the printed pages where to make the requested changes.

In this example, I used Snagit to grab screenshots of specific pages in an ebook and note where changes were needed. Just like with traditional document editing, the recipient can see exactly what I want and where I want it. Plus, it works for just about any kind of similar feedback. Need to make changes to a website? Just grab your screenshots, note the necessary changes, and send them along to your web team.

You can also do this by combining images and video. Line graphs and pie charts are effective visuals, but without context, they might not be able to stand alone in an email or message.

One of my favorite visual communication strategies is to record a video rather than simply communicating with graphics. By hitting record and narrating your graphs or slide presentations, you can help your audience better understand results, data, and the impact they may have on your business. This can be particularly helpful when reporting data to coworkers in different departments who may need a little more explanation or context in order to understand what the numbers mean.

Adding graphic elements to reports can also help achieve clarity and engagement, instead of text alone. Email is a necessary part of work and a crucial communication tool. Adding screenshots to your emails can help you create a more visual message.

They are more engaging to view than blocks of text, and you can draw your reader to your main point with marked-up screenshots. So, why the increase in visual communication? Most of us are figuring out that using communication information visually is a much more impactful way to get your point across.

Here are four important reasons why visual communication is crucial in order to effectively deliver a meaningful message. Stats have shown that visuals are processed 60, times faster in the brain than text.

Images and video convey a richer experience than text-heavy content alone. As a result, readers often prefer to scan content rather than read word-for-word. Keeping your material loaded with visuals is a surefire way to relay your message in less time. When you have an abundance of text in an email, your message can get lost. The recipient of your note might have a hard time understanding your point, resulting in time being wasted.

Instead, use visuals! Collaborating on projects with remote employees can be challenging. Short, simple videos or animated GIFs are a great way to quickly iterate on suggested edits among your team, and make certain that everyone involved is on the same page. GIFs are also a great way to lighten the mood. It was founded in CyberLink U Meeting has four pricing plans, priced according to the number of participants and hosts required.

Each also includes an increasing number of features as the pricing increases, up to the Enterprise edition which offers meeting analysis, premium customer support and end-to-end encryption. Users need to contact sales for a quote. U Meeting is entirely web-based. This might put some users off but it can be an advantage as you will not need to download any additional software to use U Meeting.

It also does not offer video recording or the ability to dial into meetings using VoIP systems. Read our full CyberLink U Meeting review. BigBlueButton is packed with features perfect for online learning webinars. During sessions, you can share audio, video, presentations , and your desktop while also collaborating with students using a whiteboard, shared notes, polls, and chat.

Where BigBlueButton goes further than traditional video conferencing software is in its features useful to a virtual classroom. For example, you have a multi-user whiteboard and can place students into group breakout rooms to work on problems together. BigBlueButton is arguably the best open-source video conferencing software solution for online learning. Read our full BigBlueButton review.

BlueJeans was founded in and has its headquarters in California. The company provides inter-operable cloud-based video conferencing platform. BlueJeans does not have a free tier but it does offer a day free trial. There are three pricing tiers, starting with up to 50 attendees who can connect from any computer, iOS or Android device and all meetings include dial-in numbers.

Additional plans include additional hours of recordings, a room system, and calendar support. BlueJeans provides free phone audio in over 40 countries and supports Dolby voice. This might suit users who are more concerned about video quality rather than the number of features included with the platform. BlueJeans seems to have fewer features than some of its nearest competitors however this is overlooked due to the quality of their system along with the fact users can utilize the day free trial to see if it suits their needs.

Read our full BlueJeans review. Lifesize provides high definition video conferencing endpoints, touchscreen conference room phones and a cloud-based video collaboration platform.

Lifesize has three pricing tiers. Lifesize Standard is designed for small teams and offers unlimited meetings, along with Single Sign On SSO support, personal meeting support, as well as lone chat and support.

Lifesize Plus is aimed at small and midsize companies, offering more features which includes Microsoft integrations, real-time meeting insights, phone and email support. A customized Enterprise version is available for more specific company needs. This is more than made up for with the inclusion of its own hardware into the mix. Users receive numerous devices in each plan, freeing them from not having to rely on their own integrated camera systems.

Lifesize also supports 4k video conferencing. Read our full Lifesize video conferencing review. Normal consumer offerings such as Apple's Facetime, WhatsApp Video and Zoom have made video conferencing apps a normalized part of the communications process, especially as the best alternatives to Skype. Getting an accessible and affordable tool is vital, so here is our round up of the best free video conferencing apps around today.

We've also featured the best bluetooth headsets. Skype is very much a household name, which will serve as a strong draw from many people.

While Microsoft's video chat tool is often thought of as being little more than a way of keeping in touch with friends and family, the cross-platform app also supports group video calling for up to 50 people. Skype can also be used in a browser, which is great for chatting with people without the app installed — you can simply invite them to join in using their email address.

As you would hope, there is a screen sharing option, and to make it easier to focus on who you are speaking to, there is the ability to automatically blur backgrounds. Other handy features include live subtitling of conversations, and the ability to record chats.

If you need to have video meetings that involve more people, Skype for Business is a paid-for upgrade. For a low monthly per-user fee, you gain support for chats with up to participants, Office integration, and stronger security options. Read our full Skype review. For a free software, 8x8 Meet has an impressive array of features. The one that most users will turn to immediately is calendar app integration. Within meetings, you can easily share your screen, chat with other participants, or raise your hand to signal that you have a question or want a chance to speak up.

You can also record any meeting or create a live stream, even without a paid subscription. Read our full 8x8 Video Meetings review. With a name like Cisco behind it, expectations for Webex are understandably high — and it doesn't disappoint. While there are various plans available for Webex, for most circumstances the free version should be just fine. This enables you to hold HD video meetings with up to participants, and to take advantage of options such as screen sharing and private chat rooms.

When you sign up for an account, you are assigned a personal URL that can be used to manage all of your meetings, schedule video conferences, and access the recording you have made.

When it comes to holding a video meeting, you have the choice between using the Webex app or just sticking with the website, though it could be argued that the desktop apps give a smoother experience.

There are also mobile apps available. Security is catered for by TLS 1. Read our full Cisco Webex Meetings review. FreeConference keeps things beautifully simple for users by not requiring any software to be installed.

There are mobile apps available, but it is possible to take part in a video conferencing session from just about any device with a web browser installed. You can participant in text or video chats, and use features such as screen and file sharing — but FreeConference is not without its limitations. The maximum number of conference participants is five, which rules this out as a tool for many small businesses who may regularly want to host meetings for more people. A number of international dial-in numbers are available for conference calls, and you have the option of recording calls if you like.

Configuring, managing and scheduling meetings is very simple with FreeConference — including from Outlook — and there are some nice touches such as being able to set up recurring meetings.

It's a shame that features such as advanced security, video recording and transcriptions are only part of premium packages, but the free version is still pretty powerful.

Read our full Freeconference. With a wealth of camera options on the market for video conferencing, identifying what suits your needs best and is not simply the latest or recently launched model can be challenging.