man giving presentation in small room with two large digital displays

Connecting your laptop to a screen can be more anxiety-inducing than it should be. It can be very confusing with everything from traditional USB and HDMI to MiniDisplay and Thunderbolt 3 ports on laptops.

When this happens before an important meeting, it’s awkward. You have to spend time untangling cords, wasting precious minutes, before you can connect your laptop to the conference room big screen. Fortunately, the days of ports and HDMI cords are coming to an end, replaced by a much more efficient technique: screencasting.

Screencasting

When it comes to “screencasting,” there are two working definitions that can be confused. One is a recording of a screen, as often used by teachers to record lessons so students can watch them later; the second is the act (and necessary technology) of mirroring content from one device to another. We’ll be talking about the latter in this article because if you’re still using HDMI cables, projectors, or other outdated ways to display content, then it’s time your business adopted screencasting. With screencast technology, you can:

Share Presentations Everyone Can Appreciate

Presentations are an essential part of any workplace, but their quality can fall anywhere between terribly dull and frustrating to riveting and insightful. Though a presentation’s content is most important, the other details matter — the speaker’s cadence, the audience’s engagement, prep time, visuals, and more. Everything contributes to how well a presentation is received. 

If it’s your turn to present, you don’t want to worry about poor visibility or technical difficulties that make everyone uncomfortable. Instead, screencast your slide deck or video from your laptop or mobile device, so you don’t have to worry about connectivity. Whatever screencast software you use is also likely to enhance your presentation’s visuals beyond what a poor HDMI connection could do, which means fewer people have to crane their necks to see.

Enable Everyone to Project Their Work

Not only does screencasting enable everyone in an audience to view a presentation, but it also allows everyone to take turns presenting seamlessly. In our previous example, let’s say you were only one of several people who had to speak that day. If you relied on HDMI cables to connect to the conference room big screen TV, then everyone would also have to take turns plugging their devices in, which may or may not work depending on what models they use. Screencasting makes it easy for everyone in the room to project content from their respective devices and move between speakers without hassle.

Screencast

Optimize Company Brainstorming Sessions

Brainstorming sessions require data. How has your company performed over the past quarter? What does its audience engagement look like? Subscriber counts? The more you know about the track you’re currently on, the better you’re able to adjust your course and steer in the right direction. 

Screencasting can facilitate brainstorming sessions because it simplifies information sharing. It makes more sense for you and your colleagues to gather around a big screen than a laptop, so choose a screencast software and begin mirroring graphs, reports, websites, videos, and other content your team needs to get your creative juices flowing

Streamline Your Learning and Onboarding Process

There are multiple learning styles, but the number depends on who you ask. Nevertheless, visual learners are always included — people who absorb information best by looking at or watching illustrations, videos, graphics, etc. Even people who prefer other learning styles (such as kinesthetic and auditory) can glean something from visuals, so take advantage of screencasting to educate new hires during the onboarding process. Being able to see what’s expected of them or how to perform certain tasks sets them up for success.

Improve Your Office’s Visual Accessibility

Accessibility is essential for every office. Outdated methods of displaying presentations and videos can be difficult for people with visual impairments to see, especially if they are forced to sit far away, or the quality is low. Using a big-screen television to display content makes said content more visible for people who need corrective lenses or have other vision difficulties. 

While you’re at it, don’t forget to implement other visual accessibility accommodations in your workplace, too. Make sure your employees have access to braille displays, video magnifiers, text-to-speech software so they can rely on their ears instead of their eyes, an easily navigable office layout with bright colors, and more.

Screencasting is Cost-Effective 

Displaying visuals on a screen wirelessly is more cost-effective than using equipment that requires regular updates or printing handouts to distribute amongst meeting attendees. Instead, all you need is high-quality screencast software that connects your personal devices to a TV, and you never have to worry about cables that get lost or frayed. 

Don’t worry if you don’t know how to screencast yet. Screencast software is easy to use, and once your business adopts it, you and your colleagues will be glad you did.