This text comes from my own practice, from regular video calls with family across national borders. It applies just as well to circles of friends, small groups and any cooperation that lives on more than tasks.
Regular times
Regular meetings rarely fail because of the meeting itself, more often because of the arranging. A fixed day, a fixed hour: then everyone knows you will see each other, without arranging it anew each time.
Even five minutes can be enough, regularly, to stay in touch and feel close. It is not the length of the meeting that holds, but its return.
Occasional cancellations are fine. If they happen too often, it is worth thinking about what could change: a different time, a shorter meeting, something shared to look forward to.
Preparation
A short reminder beforehand helps. A flat battery ends a meeting before anyone has decided to. If you use a smartphone, put it on a tripod with a holder, so your hands are free and the picture does not wobble.
It is worth jotting down what you have in mind: something to show, to tell or to play. Materials or links can be sent alongside, by chat or email.
During the meeting
Have something ready to show or tell: a question, a photo of the week, a small piece of news. They help with the first seconds, when everyone is still busy with sound and picture.
Develop a bit of routine: things that come up every time, without the meeting being limited to them or running mechanically. The routine gives support; the rest stays open.
Do nothing else on the side, unless it is a conscious absence from the meeting, as it would be on site.
Now and then, disappear from the screen. And reappear. A meeting online need not be an hour of looking into the camera. With a phone or tablet you can walk around and show what there is to show: the garden, dinner on the stove, the new picture on the wall. That offers something a meeting in a café cannot: you are in the other person’s home.
Playing together
You do not have to just talk. Playing together is one of the nicest ways of being together online: a board game, a puzzle, a quiz, a game in which everyone takes on the task together. When playing, nobody needs a topic; the task supplies it. Adults and children are suddenly talking about the same thing. You laugh together, lose together and learn how the others think.
Which game fits depends on the group. What matters is that everyone can keep up and that sound and faces stay on while you play. Why play means so much for cooperation is explained on the page Play.
Afterwards
You can record the meeting or parts of it, but only with the agreement of everyone present. Decency and the law both require it. Often a screenshot is enough, with the same consideration. And a few notes with ideas for next time.
Read on: Live online: sound, picture, roles · Cases · Online and on site