—Start with your session design, not with the platform functionalities —Make a list of “must-haves” and “nice-to-have” based on the design —Consider the group size and the use experience for participants —Compare different platforms before making a choice
You are hosting online, so the tools matter!
Choosing the right platform will facilitate your work, or will stay in the way. Also, consider the user experience for the participants as well.
Here are some tips to help you make the right choice:
👉 Tip 1: Start with your session design
Starting with the platform in mind will often limit your creativity regarding what’s possible. A best practice is to start with your audience's needs, session goals, and session design. Once you have that figured out, you can better understand how the tools you’ll pick can enable you to achieve the desired outcomes.
👉 Tip 2: Think about the features Based on the design, consider the features you need for your workshops, such as breakout rooms, polls, whiteboards, screen sharing, interactive tools, and more. Make a list of the “must-have” and the “nice-to-have” features, and use that as a guide when researching platforms.
👉 Tip 3: Consider your group size Different platforms have different capacities for the number of participants they can host, so it's important to consider the size of your group when choosing a platform. You don't want to run into any issues with participants not being able to join or having to upgrade your plan midway through the workshop.
👉 Tip 4: Compare different platforms
There are many different online platforms available for virtual meetings and workshops, but not all of them are created equal. To help you decide which platform is best for your needs, we've put together a comparison of popular platforms like Zoom, Teams/Meet, Slido, and Butter. And guess what? After extensive research and feedback from facilitators and trainers, Butter.us stands out as the best option for interactive trainings, workshops and meetings.
Platform | Max. Participants | Screen Sharing | Breakout Rooms | Interactive Tools |
Zoom | 1000 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Teams/Meet | 300 | Yes | Yes | No |
Slido | 1000 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Butter | 1000+ | Yes | Yes | Yes, and more |
Remember, choosing the right platform is key to a successful workshop! That's why we're excited to recommend Butter.us - the most interactive, customizable, and engaging platform for your training needs. Sign up today and take your facilitation skills to the next level!
Other tools we love are:
—Miro and MURAL: the perfect virtual whiteboards
—Piccles: invite creativity through doodling into your sessions
—Padlet: Crowdsource ideas, insights, and resources in shareable boards
—mmhmm: add fun visual effect to your slides and camera