That’s the last thing you want when you’re trying to convey an important message. After all, you’re the main event!Ī virtual background is distracting. Make sure whatever is behind you is enhancing the shot and not distracting attention away from you. Do you want to come off as fake and inauthentic? I didn’t think so.Ī real background makes you seem more professional and trustworthy. But what if you cleaned up that mess instead? Ha – novel idea right?Īnother reason to reconsider virtual backgrounds is that anything in your video is part of your personal branding, including the background behind you. It’s usually just to cover up the mess behind them. But usually that’s not why people are using Zoom backgrounds for video meetings. The weather broadcast background is conveying essential information.

Green screens enhance the broadcast.īut even if you did have a green screen to create a high-quality virtual background, ask yourself why you need that background. That’s because most people don’t have the setup that will make them look really great - a green screen! When I was a TV producer, we used green screens in studios for years to do the weather reports because they needed to project graphics behind the weathercaster. Virtual backgrounds might seem like a great trick because people can’t see if your workspace is messy if you’re using them.īut like other work from home shortcuts like the “Zoom Shirt,” virtual backgrounds are actually undermining your productivity and professionalism.

One of the students asked me a question about virtual backgrounds so I figured why not also create a blog post about it. In my LinkedIn Learning course, Organizing Your Remote Office for Maximum Productivity, I cover how to look best in video meetings. Now that so many people are having video meetings, lots of questions about virtual etiquette are coming up. CLICK HERE to grab my free “Checklist to Become a Go-To Media Expert.”

So how do you get out there in a bigger way? I’ve got you covered. BONUS FREEBIE: Your message deserves the media’s attention.

Zoom background office space