How to Use Chromecast for Business Presentations

When giving a business presentation, “keeping it simple” are excellent words to live by. Too much information on the slides will overwhelm or distract your audience. You’ll have a difficult time connecting with your audience and convincing them to buy what you’re selling. Keeping it simple also applies when setting up a presentation. Simplicity is one of the upsides of using a Chromecast for your business presentation. Learning how to use Chromecast is super easy. There’s no need for messy cables, there’s no remote, and installation is a piece of cake. This means that there’s less chance of messing up and looking unprofessional. Also, at only $35, the Chromecast is probably the cheapest wireless presentation device on the market today. Here’s what you need to know to set up Chromecast and what you can do with it at work.

Chromecast Installation

To get started, you’ll need the following:

• your Chromecast device
• a TV or projector with HDMI port
• WI-FI access
• a free USB port or a power outlet
• computer, smartphone, or tablet where you keep your presentation

Now, here’s what to do:

Step 1: Plugging the Chromecast Into the TV

First, insert the HDMI connector from your Chromecast into the back of your TV. Then plug-in the USB cable into the TV if the TV has a USB port or into the wall charger connected to an outlet. If there’s power going into the device, the LED should light up.

Next, turn on the TV and press ‘input’ or ‘source’ on the remote. Find the HDMI input that corresponds to your Chromecast. Once you’ve selected the right HDMI port, you should see the “Set Me Up” screen.

Step 2: Setting up Google Chromecast

To begin pairing your devices, you’ll need the Google Home app. You can find this on either the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. Do note that if you’re using an Android phone, it should already have Google Home preinstalled.

Once you’ve downloaded the app, open it, and tap on ‘Devices’. Allow location access and the app will begin searching for your Chromecast. When the app has found your device, you’ll be prompted to confirm the setup, just click on ‘yes’.

After a short waiting period, you’ll see a unique key code on the TV screen and on the gadget you’re using to set up Chromecast. Verify that they match and answer ‘yes’ to the “See the code on your TV?” question.

This will take you to the page where you can select the Wi-Fi network you’re using. After the Chromecast connects to the Wi-Fi, you should be good to go.

If you’re on a Mac, you can go to https://setapp.com/how-to/set-up-and-optimize-chromecast-for-mac for a more detailed guide.

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Step 3: “Casting” to Your TV or Projector

As long as the laptop, smartphone, or tablet is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your Chromecast, you can stream or cast content to the TV. Casting from your smartphone or tablet happens through specific apps. There are thousands of apps with Chromecast built-in. Most apps are for media and entertainment, such as YouTube or Netflix. However, you can also find business-oriented apps such as Google Slides and Polaris Office. You just need to press the ‘cast’ icon on the application to begin casting. Android devices also have the option to mirror the entire screen by going to the ‘Settings’ app.

For laptops and desktops, you only need one application and that’s the Google Chrome browser. Click on the ‘more’ button, the three vertical dots at the top right of the browser, then select ‘cast’. You have several options. You can either cast the specific tab on the browser or you can select a specific media file on your computer. You can also cast your entire desktop. Choose the last option if you’re using PowerPoint for your presentation.

How to Use Chromecast at Work

Productivity is a buzz-word that’s entrenched in any business environment. So how can Chromecast help you in this regard? Check out some of these ideas.

1. Better Presentations

There are different ways to load up your presentation to a big screen. If you opt for the traditional slide show, you can cast directly from Google Slides. You can also deliver your presentation through PowerPoint by enabling the screen-mirroring feature. Controlling the slides is a breeze especially if you’re using a mobile device. However, why limit the presentation to text and pictures? Get creative and make a video that you can stream. You can use the video as a launchpad or as the actual meat and potatoes of the presentation. If you’re super old-school, maybe you prefer just a whiteboard and a marker for your presentation. You can do that too, with the help of a tablet and an image-drawing app like MS Paint.

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2. Everyone Can Chime In

Rather than just one person talking while the others listen, isn’t it better if everyone can share their ideas? Of course, in a meeting or presentation, anyone can express what they’re thinking of through words. With that said, what if words are not enough? If someone has to present a document or a chart or whatever, this becomes a logistics nightmare if cables are involved. You’ll have to do a lot of disconnecting and reconnecting to accommodate the person who is trying to get their ideas across. With Chromecast, anyone can show what they needed to show with one click of the cast button.

3. Icebreaker

Sometimes, you may want to lighten up the mood before a meeting or activity. Or after a stressful day, maybe you and your colleagues just need to unwind a bit. Chromecast was designed primarily for entertainment. You can listen to music or watch the latest episode of a series that’s been the talk of everyone in the office. You can even play games if you have Google Stadia. Not everything should be about work. A happy worker is a productive worker.

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Wrapping Up

Knowing how to use Chromecast is a small investment in time and money but it’s time and money well-spent. It may be cheap, tiny, and simple but it’s a big help during presentations and for other applications. For more business tips, check out the other articles on this site.