The WebPixie’s Weblog

Calliflower Tips

Posted on January 29, 2009. Filed under: podcasting, software |

Calliflower is a great tool for setting up conference calls and creating webcasts. Premium versions have been introduced but the FREE version is still available.

The service appears to be upgraded continually, in keeping with the laudable Continuous Improvement philosophy. Those improvements can make setting up a Calliflower Call tricky at times, so here are some more tips to help things go more smoothly:

1. Write out your agenda using your own word processing software BEFORE you begin to set up your Calliflower Call.
2. Check your pre-written agenda for typos, spelling, and style issues.
3. Copy and paste your pre-written agenda to the Agenda form in Calliflower. 

Make sure you’re happy with the layout of your agenda on the Agenda form before you proceed.  It will go out in the form of an email, generated by Calliflower, so you probably want to keep it short enough to fit on a one-page email that will also include other Calliflower-generated information.

It’s also important that you don’t make any changes to the Agenda form later.  Each time you do, Calliflower will present you with a dialog box that gives you the option of resending the Calliflower Call announcement email.  It’s very easy to have multiple announcements sent out by mistake, so make sure that the content on the Calliflower Agenda form is EXACTLY the way you want it before you proceed.

Here are some more tips for using some of the nifty little features offered with the FREE version of the Calliflower software:

1. Decide if you want the call to be public or private.  Calliflower archives public calls so that they’re available for anyone to hear at any time in the future.  There are advatages and drawbacks to either choice that will be covered in a future post.
2. Be sure to click on ADVANCED OPTIONS before you proceed to CREATE THE CALL.  Calliflower’s Advanced Options gives you more control over when your conference call (or webcast) starts recording.  Calliflower’s Free Calling Options are offered under ADVANCED OPTIONS by default, making it easier for the participants you invite to access your Calliflower Call.

You can find more ideas to consider when using Calliflower to create a podcast at Calliflower for Neophytes, and STAY TUNED for more Calliflower tips in future posts. 

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