Make Project Management Smoother: Apps For Screen Sharing

Smoother projects mean you can play golf, race cars, or watch an exciting game without doubting your team's capabilities back at work.

Yeah, but just as you're relaxing, John, your lead creative designer, asks for clarification regarding some visual elements!

Well, you're probably hundreds of miles away and know the project can't wait.

What will you do?

Have you ever tried explaining something to someone over the phone, and they just don't get it? It was frustrating, right? Now, imagine having to deal with the same scenario every day!

Just like it is hard for students to understand a complex math problem the teacher explains over the phone, John will find it hard to understand some concepts without you showing them visually in real time.

It'll be frustrating to explain over the phone, and the endless emails with 5 - 10 attachments will spoil your vacation.

Don't despair! We have apps for screen sharing, so you don't pull all your hair out as you try to explain your preferred design mockups.

Since project management tools are essential to achieving project management freedom, we'll explain in this post why you should add screen sharing apps to your project management toolbox.

Why Even Consider Screen Sharing?

If you're tired of endless downloads and back-and-forth emails on your teeny tiny iPhone screen that don't convey precisely what you meant, then you need screen sharing apps to help you pass visual messages along and answer all questions on the go.

Screen sharing is the superpower for small teams and large ones too that let you show your colleagues exactly what you see on your screen. Easily collaborate on projects, troubleshoot problems, and give presentations on the internet from anywhere, at anytime.

Now, let's discuss these awesome benefits and a use case or two next.

Screen sharing streamlines communication among remote teams.

A screen sharing app is a smart technology that will help convey complex information, data, and visual materials.

In project management, conveying complex information is often challenging and always frequent. You may need to explain intricate data, charts, or technical designs. This means that when, for example, the sales team at your digital agency uses only verbal or written communication, there will be a significant risk of misinterpretation.

Your team members will struggle to visualize and comprehend the details.

Video conferencing with screen sharing overcomes these challenges by visualizing the information, as the live sessions will facilitate efficient communication.

You'll have peace of mind knowing all team members in the discussion are literally on the same page and can understand the intricacies of the data.

Enhances real-time collaboration among attendees.

For digital agencies, many projects involve visual materials like product designs, software interfaces, and digital campaigns. You've probably found that describing these materials verbally or through written documentation is time-consuming and prone to misunderstanding.

However, it becomes easier when team members can actually see the designs, blueprints, preferred content creation methodologies, or user interfaces in real-time. The materials, ideas, and concepts become tangible and concrete, instead of vague and abstract.

Additionally, you'l have simultaneous collaboration and engagement.

Project managers will receive immediate feedback from team members, and even live design changes thanks to video conferencing features that allow the organizer to enable remote access. Pretty neat, right?

Most digital agency teams work remotely, and if we want better project outcomes, we must share our knowledge, ideas, and visions with our project team members. The fun part of video conferencing is that most apps like Zoom or Skype have screen recording capabilities you can access after the online meeting.

This interactive aspect of screen sharing ensures that any misunderstandings or ambiguities are addressed promptly, reducing the risk of errors or misinterpretations.

Reduces misunderstandings

Messages or instructions received via phone calls, emails, or other forms of messaging can be misunderstood even when we try our best to make the message understandable. When we use video conferencing instead, team members can see our facial expressions and body language to understand the complete message we're trying to convey.

And the presenter can see if anyone is nodding off.

Project managers can address emerging challenges by sharing their screens with team members. This real-time visualization fosters a shared understanding of the problem and encourages collaborative problem-solving.

Showcases progress and updates to clients

Regular stand-up meetings are essential for digital agencies and other businesses. Whether we have a remote or an in-house team working on our projects, we need these daily meetings for progress reports and feedback.

A video call provides us with opportunities to hold stand-up meetings with team members so they can update us on what they are working on and identify roadblocks in their projects.

When they share their screens during the usual online meetings, we can see where they face challenges and work on solutions together.

Do you know your clients can up and leave when they feel no longer satisfied with your agency?

What's the solution? Keep them updated with online meetings!

Screen sharing functionality enables us to update clients on the projects, which builds trust and highlights our commitment to transparency. This is a crucial strategy to ensure we keep our clients for the long term.

But What Would I Use It For?

We use screen sharing to:

Boost productivity

Do you hate the communication delays that come with sending files? We do. Apps for screen sharing enable team members to collaborate and work on the same document, project, or application in real-time.

These apps to screen share are also essential for employee onboarding. When new team members need to learn specific software, systems, or processes, we can use apps for screen sharing to train, onboard, and offer remote support. Trainers can walk through tasks step by step, answer questions, and provide a visual reference, ensuring a quicker and smoother learning process.

Build trust and transparency

When working on a project for a client, screen sharing helps us show our progress and get instant feedback. This can help to ensure that we're on the right track and that the final product will meet their expectations.

Apps for screen sharing foster openness, thus promoting trust among team members, clients, or collaborators as it facilitates honest discussions.

Our teams will be united and make informed decisions based on shared information during these live sessions. This strengthens professional relationships.

Identify and solve problems

$hit happens when you have a critical presentation scheduled.

Let's paint a picture.

You run a digital marketing agency and have a critical client presentation scheduled for later in the day. Great!

Your team has been working on a comprehensive marketing campaign proposal, which includes various digital assets, strategies, and performance data.

O.M.G! Hours before the presentation, you discover that the files you need to access and present are corrupted, and your primary data visualization tool is malfunctioning.

You quickly arrange an emergency meeting with your team to save the situation. Using free screen sharing software, you share your screen tab with your colleagues, including your graphic designer and data analyst.

Together, you collaboratively work on recovering the corrupted files and troubleshooting the issues in real-time.

Problem solved. That was close one!

Things would have been tricky without screen sharing, and you would have potentially jeopardized the client relationship and the project's success.

Most apps for screen sharing enable technicians to access your computer remotely and control it, see the issue firsthand, and provide immediate assistance so you can go back to doing the things you love.

Encourage creativity

Have we talked about the creative block?

It happens a lot. So no, you are not alone if you've dealt with this one, too many, times.

Here's a typical scenario:

A team of graphic designers and creative content creators is working on a new advertising campaign for a client. They're spread across different locations. They're expected to develop innovative ideas for a series of promotional materials, including posters, videos, and social media content.

But, creative block kicks in, and they can't think of any fresh and inspiring concepts for the campaign.

We schedule a meeting, and meeting participants can share their whiteboard, Android or iOS screens, documents, and sketches.

Finally! The creative juices kick in and fuel a burst of innovative ideas, breathing life into the campaign.

Ensure client satisfaction

After delivering projects to clients, we don't just close their files and say good riddance!

We keep in contact with them and help them troubleshoot some of their problems. We anticipate and go above and beyond with the customer support. We use apps for screen sharing to show them firsthand how we solve a problem so they can do the same should they face a similar issue.

These little gestures will result in great referrals. We all want that, don't we?

Screen sharing apps will also come in handy when trying to sell a product or service to a client. They can see a live presentation of how a product works and how it can benefit them. This can be much more effective than simply telling them about your product or service over a telephone call.

So, don't just explain to your clients what you are doing via text messages and emails. Show them how to do it with screen sharing apps.

Curious about Recommendations?

So, which is the best screen sharing app available?

There are several apps for screen sharing in the market where you can test their services with a free version to see which one works best for your business. Some screen-share apps don't need downloads, while for others, a link to the screen share download may be necessary before starting a meeting.

Spontaneous synchronous communication

With the fast-paced world and spontaneous nature of our working environment, having apps for screen sharing that we can use in real-time without prior planning or scheduling is essential for collaborations.

Slack

Need spontaneous synchronous communication? Most creatives need brainstorming, and Slack is one easy screen sharing app.

Slack lets participants use cursors to interact with the shared screen on paid plans, enhancing interactions and a hands-on, collaborative experience.

Slack offers the flexibility to switch hosts seamlessly during a screen sharing session. This is perfect for promoting smoother and more dynamic collaboration.

We know how valuable those meetings are! With Slack, each screen sharing session is automatically recorded and archived so we can rewatch the sessions whenever we need.

Pricing:

• Free plan
• Pro – USD 7.25 per person per month if paid yearly, or USD 8.75 per person per month if paid monthly
• Business plan – USD 12.50 per person per month yearly
• Enterprise Grid – Customized plan

Technical screen sharing

The best screen sharing sites should also enable remote training in technical fields. A good technical screen share app for PC and mobile devices will facilitate collaborative problem-solving, enhancing productivity and reducing downtime in our businesses. Technical screen sharing is great for companies that work with SaaS or a product like a demo.  

Tango

Tango Guidance browser extension and desktop app is a great tool that automatically generates how-to guides with screenshots and descriptions for even the most intricate procedures.

All you have to do is hit the "capture" button, and voila! Tango takes care of the rest. It's pretty cool for productivity. Though not a live screen share app, Tango takes screenshots, formats documents, and does screen recordings.

It's excellent for agency operations, marketing, product development, and training answers our teams need that pop up as they work. It will thus save time from endless research looking for answers on Wiki or How-to-videos on YouTube.

The fun part is that it finds and blurs sensitive data across text and images with one click. And even the less tech-savvy team members can use Tango Guidance. This is definitely a worthy technical screen sharing tool for businesses.  

Pricing:

• Free plan for up to 10 users
• Pro - 16 USD per pro user per month (billed annually)
• Custom plan – more security and control

Scribe

Another tremendous technical screen sharing app similar to Tango is Scribe. Scribe captures your screen activities and generates step-by-step guides with text and annotated screenshots. It enables how-to guides, training manuals, SOPs, and other types of documentation creation without taking manual screenshots and piecing them together.

We can also edit and customize our Scribe guides before sharing them and add company logos and colors to these guides to create on-brand, professional-looking documentation. We can also blur sensitive data.

Sharing is as easy as via email, exporting to PDF, or embedding them in our wiki or LMS.

Pricing:

• Basic plan – Free
• Pro plan – from 12 USD-23 USD per seat

Live Training

For real-time screen share online interaction and feedback between trainers and learners, live training is essential as it fosters better comprehension and skill development. Let's consider how Google Meet and Zoom are great screen sharing apps.

Zoom

You've probably used Zoom for meetings. It's one of the most popular and easy-to-use video conferencing apps.

It offers features like video meetings, webinars, specific tabs or entire screen sharing, and chat, making it a versatile tool for remote work, education, and collaboration. Furthermore, you can record meetings for future SOP creation.

Pricing:

• Basic Plan – Free
• Pro – 149.90 USD
• Business – 199.90 USD and customized plans for business plus packages

Google Meet

Another one of the best screen sharing apps for recording meetings for future SOP creation is Google Meet. This video conferencing platform offers high-quality video and audio calls.

It integrates seamlessly with Google Calendar and other Google services, making scheduling and joining meetings even with a phone screen convenient.

Google Meet also has screen sharing features, making it great for live training, virtual meetings, and collaborations.

Pricing:

• Free plan
• Starter plan – 6 USD per user per month
• Standard plan – 12 USD per user per month
• Workspace Plus plan – 18 USD per user per month

Asynchronous communication and training

Loom

Use Loom to create and watch video messages or tutorials, eliminating the need for real-time interaction. Loom's screen recording and easy-to-use interface make it ideal for conveying complex information, and its integration with other apps and tools simplifies content sharing and distribution.

Also, engagement analytics features enable trainers to track how and when content is viewed, making it an effective platform for self-paced learning.

Pricing:

• Free trial starter plan
• Business plan – 12.50 USD per creator per month

Get Guru

Get Guru offers a centralized repository for storing and sharing information, making it easily accessible for employees anytime. This is particularly valuable for asynchronous training, allowing team members to access resources and training materials when it suits them.

You can add audio and videos to your presentations and share them with teammates or clients.

Pricing:

• Starter plan – free
• Builder – 10 USD per user a month

Expected Features

Apps for screen sharing should have the following features:

• High-quality screen sharing capabilities that are compatible with mobile screens
• Integration with popular project management tools
• Should be compatible with Mac, Microsoft, iOS mobile devices, and Android devices for on-the-go updates
• Interactive features like remote control and annotation for easy technical support and presentations

Alright, Now I Have the Tools. How Do I Use Them?

So, you have your preferred apps for screen sharing. Good. But how can you make good use of them? Here are some quick tips to always keep in mind.

Prepare for a share session

Before you start a screen-share session, have all the necessary files, documents, and applications open and organized. Have a clear agenda or plan in mind for what you want to share, and communicate this to your participants in advance. Test your screen sharing tool and connections to avoid technical glitches.

Keep visuals clear and clutter-free

During a screen sharing session, declutter your desktop and close any unnecessary applications or windows to ensure a clean and organized visual presentation. Make use of tools within the screen sharing software to highlight or annotate key points to guide your participants' attention.

Engage remote participants with interactive features

Utilize the interactive features of your screen sharing tool to engage remote participants. Encourage them to ask questions, provide feedback, or make real-time suggestions. Use features like annotation tools, chat, and polls for participation and collaboration.

Avoid the "uninvited cat cameo" during presentations

Ensure that your physical environment is conducive to a professional presentation. Eliminate distractions such as pets, although they are adorable.

Ensure proper lighting, and consider locking pets and family members out of your workspace during important screen sharing sessions to avoid unexpected interruptions.

Streamline your project management with screen sharing apps

In navigating the realm of project management, the right screen-sharing tool can be a game-changer. While the market offers an array of free screen-sharing software, their functionality can vary. To maximize efficiency and collaboration in your projects, focus on selecting a screen-sharing app that has:

• User-Friendly Interface: Opt for an app that is intuitive and straightforward. This ensures that team members can easily navigate and utilize the tool without extensive training.
• Real-Time Screen and Window Sharing: Look for software that allows for seamless sharing of entire screens or specific windows. This feature is vital for real-time collaboration and effective presentations.
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: Choose an app compatible with various operating systems and devices. This ensures inclusivity, allowing all team members, regardless of their device, to participate fully.
• Recording Capabilities: A tool that can record screen-sharing sessions is invaluable for reference and training purposes. This feature allows team members who couldn't attend in real time to catch up and stay informed.
• Integrated Communication Features: An app that includes video chat and file-sharing capabilities offers a more comprehensive collaboration platform. It allows your team to communicate and share necessary documents without needing multiple tools.
• Web-Based Solutions: A web-based tool offers flexibility and accessibility, reducing the need for complex installations and allowing access from different locations.

By choosing a screen-sharing app that aligns with these criteria, you can significantly enhance the effectiveness of your project management efforts. Remember, the goal is to foster a collaborative environment where information and ideas flow seamlessly, driving your projects towards success with greater ease and efficiency. So dive in, explore the options, and equip your team with a tool that will not only meet but exceed your project management needs.

Want more tips and tricks to effectively scale your business than just screen share apps? Download our free PM checklist.