Throughout the pandemic, countless people have explored video conferencing solutions and virtual platforms to offer one-to-meetings, tutoring sessions, yoga sessions, music lessons (etc). Leaders, coaches and experts are looking for any possible outlet to offer value to, interact and cultivate relationships with their audiences as we navigate our collective “new normal.” That said, the search is not without its snares. For example, the average musician looking to offer virtual lessons might not have the money or skills to build an SEO-optimized website or pay for the site’s hosting fees. That same musician is also unlikely to want to pay Zoom $15/month and 3% of all credit card processing fees for services rendered. Joe Baumgartel, CEO of Symposium, shares his expert insights below on why Symposium is a better alternative than the other options – especially for creatives like these.
At Symposium, we are keen on providing the best-of-the-best across the best-of-the-best, all in one place and at little-to-no cost to the consumer. Meaning, we integrate the top tasks, tools and functions found in solutions like Zoom, Calendly and Venmo, while nurturing and honing in on the human connection that often gets lost when things go digital.
When you follow your favorite chef on his/her YouTube channel, you’ll likely watch the tutorials closely, try out the recipe(s) and leave a comment about your experience with the muted hopes that maybe, one day, your feedback will be seen and responded to by your beloved culinary leader. The problem: this entire experience is one-sided. How much better would it be for both the user and the expert to cook alongside one another, interacting in real time and asking for suggestions/questions while allowing others in the audience to share their own tips. Symposium makes this kind of elevated, immersive engagement possible. What’s more: if a host or his/her audience runs into any technical troubles or log-in issues, the Symposium team is right there to help, essentially freeing the expert from a variety of technical snafus.
By now, we’re likely all very familiar with (and frustrated by) certain usability issues with other video conferencing providers. Zoom, for example, requires users to download the app across their various devices and troubleshoot how/where/when to join a meeting based solely on the information that was provided by the meeting host. You are completely at the mercy of the code’s connectivity, your calendar’s organization and the clarity of dial-in details. With Symposium, users automatically receive a push reminder before an event starts and can simply click “Join” to enter their session. After the meeting has ended, a video recording is stored and available without any effort on the part of the expert.
Additionally, Symposium is the only virtual conferencing ecosystem to offer a searchable marketplace where users can seek out an expert in boxing, entertainment and/or myriad other interests. As an open, free market, it is Symposium’s end users (and their reviewed experiences) that help determine which events and experts are the most beneficial and engaging. The Symposium team also helps experts actively cross-promote events on social media channels and attract new customers – without ever hijacking those customers. And, potentially one of our most powerful differentiators is the fact that Symposium allows experts to maintain ownership of their client/connection. We do not limit the topics experts can cover, require an application process or define which names they can use on our platform.
Ultimately, with Symposium, experts remain in complete control of their business, branding, teachings and relationships – we help drive new users to them via search, offer an intuitive interface for real-time interaction and support the entire experience from beginning to end, every single time.
