If you manage a remote team, you know video meetings are both a blessing and a curse. They keep people connected, but they can also be clunky, confusing, or just plain painful. If you're using Vonage to handle your team’s video calls, this guide will help you skip the nonsense and get right to what matters: scheduling, managing, and actually running meetings that don’t waste everyone’s time.
This isn’t a glossy sales pitch. It’s the stuff you actually need to know—warts and all—so you can spend less time troubleshooting and more time getting work done.
1. Setting Up Vonage for Your Remote Team
Before you start scheduling meetings, let's make sure your Vonage account is set up for success. Here’s what matters:
Get the Right Vonage Plan
- Not all Vonage plans include video meetings. Double-check that your subscription covers video. If you’re not sure, log in and look for “Video Meetings” or check with your admin.
- Don’t pay for stuff you don’t use. If your team only needs video, skip the add-ons.
User Access and Roles
- Make sure everyone who needs to host meetings has the right permissions. Vonage splits users into admins, hosts, and participants.
- Pro tip: Give hosting rights only to people who actually schedule meetings. Too many cooks, etc.
Basic Tech Checklist
- Vonage video runs in browsers, but Chrome and Firefox are the safest bets. Safari and Edge usually work, but they’re less predictable.
- Good headset, decent webcam, and reliable internet. You know the drill, but remind your team anyway.
2. Scheduling a Video Meeting in Vonage
This is what most people want to know, so here’s the straight path:
Step 1: Log In and Find the Video Meetings Tool
- Log into your Vonage dashboard.
- Look for “Video Meetings” or something similar—Vonage likes to shuffle menus, so poke around if you don’t see it right away.
Step 2: Create a New Meeting
- Click “Schedule Meeting.”
- Fill in the basics: meeting name, date, time, and duration.
- Add a short agenda in the description. Seriously, even just a line or two helps.
Step 3: Invite Participants
- Enter emails manually or add participants from your Vonage contacts.
- You can copy the meeting link if you want to send it out via Slack or email—sometimes this is faster than using Vonage’s built-in invites.
Step 4: Set Meeting Options
- Recurring meetings: Good for weekly standups. Double-check time zones—Vonage sometimes defaults to your local time.
- Waiting rooms: Turn these on if you care about privacy. Otherwise, they just slow things down.
- Password protection: Only bother if you’re discussing sensitive stuff. For most teams, the invite link is enough.
Step 5: Confirm and Send Invites
- Review everything before you hit “Send.” Fix any obvious typos or timezone glitches.
- Participants get a calendar invite with the video link. If you don’t see it, check your spam.
What works: The scheduling tool is straightforward once you find it. Copying the meeting link and dropping it into your existing calendar or chat tool is usually faster than wrangling Vonage’s invite system.
What doesn’t: The built-in calendar sometimes doesn’t sync perfectly with Google or Outlook. Double-check your invites after scheduling—don’t assume it just works.
3. Running a Smooth Video Meeting
Getting people into the meeting is half the battle. Here’s how to actually run a session that doesn’t devolve into chaos.
Step 1: Join Early
- If you’re the host, join five minutes early. Test your mic and camera. Don’t assume “it worked yesterday” means “it works today.”
Step 2: Admit Participants
- If you enabled a waiting room, you’ll need to let people in manually. Otherwise, folks can join via the link.
Step 3: Share Your Screen or Files
- Click “Share Screen” to show slides, docs, or your browser. Vonage supports sharing a specific window, tab, or your whole screen.
- File sharing in Vonage meetings is basic. If you need to send big files, use your usual cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.) and drop the link in chat.
Step 4: Use Chat and Reactions
- The built-in chat works fine for quick links or side questions.
- Reactions (thumbs up, raised hand) are there, but most people ignore them. Don’t expect much.
Step 5: Record the Meeting (Optional)
- Hosts can record meetings, but storage is limited unless you’re on a higher plan.
- Always tell people you’re recording—nobody likes surprises.
What works: Screen sharing is solid, audio quality is usually good, and joining a meeting is quick for most people.
What doesn’t: The mobile experience is hit-or-miss. The Vonage app can be fussy (especially on Android). Have a backup plan if someone can’t get in.
4. Managing and Following Up After Meetings
Scheduling’s done, the meeting’s over. Now what?
Accessing Recordings and Notes
- Find recordings in your Vonage dashboard under “Meetings” or “Recordings.” Download them ASAP—Vonage sometimes deletes old files after a set period.
- Meeting chat logs aren’t always saved. If there’s something important, copy it before you leave the session.
Sharing Meeting Outcomes
- Don’t rely on Vonage to do this for you. Summarize action items and decisions, then send them out via email, Slack, or your project tool.
- Link to the recording if there is one, but never assume anyone will watch the whole thing.
Managing Recurring Meetings
- Edit or cancel recurring meetings from your meetings list. Changes don’t always update for every participant, so double-check that everyone got the revised invite.
- If you’re not using a recurring meeting anymore, delete it. Otherwise, people will keep getting invites and start ignoring them.
What works: Recordings are handy, and you can quickly clean up old meetings from the dashboard.
What doesn’t: Vonage’s reminders and follow-ups are minimal. If you want accountability, you’ll need to do it yourself.
5. Pro Tips, Troubleshooting, and What to Ignore
Pro Tips
- Bookmark your meeting dashboard. Saves time hunting through menus.
- Keep invites simple. The more links and passwords, the more confusion.
- Have a backup call option. If Vonage flakes out, keep a Zoom or Google Meet link handy.
Common Headaches—and Fixes
- Audio issues: Have everyone check their input/output settings before the call. If someone has trouble, have them leave and rejoin. It fixes 90% of problems.
- Screen sharing not working: Make sure your browser has permissions. Restart the browser if needed.
- Can’t find the meeting link: Search “Vonage” in your email or calendar. Worst case, ask the host to resend.
Features You Can Ignore
- Background effects and filters: Fun but usually distracting.
- Integrated whiteboards: Unless your team actually uses them, they’re mostly clutter.
- Auto-generated meeting summaries: Sometimes available, but rarely accurate.
Keep It Simple and Iterate
Vonage does the basics of video meetings well enough for most remote teams. Don’t overcomplicate things—schedule your meeting, keep invites clear, and follow up the old-fashioned way. If something’s not working, don’t wait for it to magically fix itself. Try a workaround, keep notes on what works for your team, and adjust as you go. The best remote meetings are the ones that just work—and then end on time.