It’s no secret Zoom has come into its own over the course of 2020 — evolving from a niche enterprise solution to a frequently used verb and video conferencing app integral to carrying out our day to day lives both personal and professional.
For context, the app surged from 10 million daily active users in December 2019, to 200 million in March 2020. Further, at one point earlier this year, Zoom reached more than 300 million daily call participants. This growth is nothing short of remarkable and the platform is pushing to continue its lockdown success in some big ways. Specifically, new event discovery and monetization features, which will enable paid Zoom users to create and host ticketed online events.
Here’s a breakdown of what’s new.
Introducing OnZoom
A primary goal of many marketers and businesses in these uncertain times is simplifying how virtual events are delivered and engaging new audiences in ways that combat technology fatigue. Enter OnZoom.
OnZoom, as described in the official announcement, is “a one-of-a-kind online events platform and marketplace that supports – and salutes – the creativity, perseverance, and innovation that enabled so many people to adapt their in-person events to virtual or hybrid experiences.” More specifically, the platform supports one-time events or event series with up to 100 or 1,000 attendees ranging from classes, concerts, stand-up, and more. Essentially, anything you could use Zoom for initially with the major difference now being the ability to earn money from the events and have them be easily searchable via a public directory.
Hosts can use OnZoom to list and sell tickets and share and promote their events via email and social media. Organizers will need a paid Zoom account in addition to a business Paypal account to manage ticket transactions though the company noted other payment options aren’t off the table and could be introduced at a later time with the broader global rollout slated for 2021. For nonprofits, Zoom teamed up with Pledgeling to allow for the ability to receive donations by attendees.
Third-party integration with Zapps
From a more practical standpoint, Zoom announced the integration of third-party apps directly into calls hosted on the platform so that users can save precious time and headaches from toggling to numerous tabs for the apps they use for their work including Slack, Asana, Atlassian, Dropbox and SurveyMonkey. Rather, all of the core tools you use to communicate and stay organized are centralized under what the company has named ‘Zapps.’ At launch, there are over 25 partners supporting the integration.
“Zapps help surface all the applications you need to be productive and enable the free flow of information between teams before, during, and after the meeting,” the company shared. “Think of Zapps as an app store right where you need it most — in a Zoom meeting, chat, webinar, phone call, and even your contacts directory.”
Zapps will be available through the main taskbar during Zoom calls where each individual app can be launched as a screen share. Similarly to Apple’s App Store, you can browse and select the various apps you want to be integrated into your Zoom account, and based on your customization, these will be displayed under “My Zapps” for easy access in your meetings.
Embracing change and preparing for a future of hybrid work
We are experiencing a massive acceleration of digital transformation. Whether we like it or not the world has made a quick adoption to a new way of living with technology being front and center of our unique pivots. Through education and reinvention we can take a beat, ask the hard questions, and open the door to new opportunities that advance our careers and businesses in profound ways. The outcome of this evolution remains to be seen, but one thing remains clear: there is much more value to gain from embracing the moment through innovation and creativity that supports this paradigm shift than fearing it.
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