With remote working well under way, here we take a look at two free apps that, if not already, could become essential to your internal technology stack.
What is Loom?
Loom is free screencasting software available via a Chrome extension or a desktop app. You can use Loom on Mac, Windows, and Chromebooks and it allows you to record your camera and screen with audio. You can then download your video, embed it on your blog or share it via social media or email etc.
Loom is trusted by over 2 million users across more than 50,000 k companies who record over 15 million minutes of video every month. Business professionals, engineers, salespeople, marketers, designers, and anyone that wants to communicate with clients or co-workers more effectively. From onboarding new employees or clients, troubleshooting customer issues, Loom makes it easy to get your message across quickly and clearly using the power of video. With Loom, you can record your screen, voice, and face to create an instantly shareable video in less time than it would take to type an email.
Why is it great for accountants?
Troubleshooting – Loom makes explaining or asking queries so much easier than email. As Loom records your screen, you can be more detailed in your answers or in your queries to clients meaning issues get resolved much more quickly in comparison to sending emails. Onboarding new clients – Loom allows you to talk through proposals so allowing you to explain pricing and key elements in more detail. This then provides an additional opportunity to promote your services and therefore creates a greater chance of winning the business. It is also worth remembering that Practice Ignition has an inbuilt Loom integration to assist with this process. Reporting – Rather than just sending a report or set of accounts to a client on email, why not record a Loom video and discuss these results and provide some key commentary points. This allows you to record some key insight and create value for your clients as you can provide the detail in a format that the client can easily absorb as well as making it a truly personal experience.
Loom is free so download straight away and give it a go.
What is Zoom?
With the COVID-19 wreaking havoc across the world, Zoom has become an essential tool for businesses who want to keep in touch and continue their daily workflows with minimal disruption.
Zoom is a cloud-based video conferencing service you can use to virtually meet with others – either by video or audio-only or both, all while conducting live chats. Zoom also allows you to record those sessions to view later.
Why is it great for accountants?
1. One-on-one meetings: You don’t have to be a Zoom subscriber to log in to a Zoom meeting. Some clients may not have used Zoom so all you need to do is send them a link and they will be able to attend your virtual meeting. When you share the meeting request the software will automatically include the link in the calendar invite.
2. Group video conferences: Host a group meeting with co-workers or clients. Zoom allows you to run group meetings at ease, so team meetings or client updates can still take place. You also have screen share functionality, so you can refer to your own screen when speaking.
3. Reliability: In such times where video calls will take place more than ever before, Zoom’s reliability in our opinion is one of the best in the market. It is very reliable and easy to use so making it an ideal option for video conferencing software.
This year the number of Zoom users has grown rapidly surrounding concerns for coronavirus (COVID-19). It’s estimated that the company has added 2.22 million to its 13 million monthly active users so far in 2020.
Zoom can be accessed for free or, if you want additional features, there is a subscription version available.
For more information visit Zoom’s website.
