As you are working in your home office for some time now, there is no way that you by now have not been on a Zoom meeting. It looks like that that Zoom meetings are now the new normal. So you may wonder if a zoom meeting background is a good solution?
Most likely you have seen already all kinds of funny and disturbing background pictures. Or you have gotten deep insights into the homes of your colleagues you wish you never had. A messy house or office is here the least problem.
So the question comes up: What home office zoom background should I use?
For a professional look in your business Zoom meeting, the background should also look professional. If you are not using a background picture make sure your office or home in the background is nice and tidy. Or sit in front of a light-colored wall with no pictures in the background at all.
If you use a background picture make sure it is job-related and also professional. A Star Wars background might be appropriate when chatting with your friends but really has no place In a professional online meeting while working from home.
Does it matter what zoom office background you should use?
The short answer is: Yes, it matters since the background is saying something about you as a person. And since people can only communicate with you in a video call, everything they can see makes an impression on them – either good or bad.
A messy office may reflect on your professional work skills and even can give others the impression you are not organized.
So it’s worthwhile to think a bit about what type of Zoom meeting background you want to use.
See also our article HOW CAN I BE SURE THAT MY HOME ZOOM MEETINGS ARE SUCCESSFUL?
What makes a good Zoom office background?
Think about what message you want to convey when you are having a video call. If you are a project manager you want to give the impression that you are organized and busy while you are working for your clients.
So you may want to have a background that is not too minimalistic but shows good work in progress without being messy.
If you are a creative writer of artist the background might be totally different.
The point is: Think about, what would a person expect to see when they have a conference and discussing a project with you. And what impression do you want to give them?
A word of caution when using background pictures in Zoom meetings.
Although background pictures and animations are a great way to cover up your home office or home, people can tell that you are using a virtual background.
You may have noticed that as well – around the hair it gets blurry and sometimes the virtual background covers parts of your face as well, especially when the lighting is not good.
Using a real background of your nice, clean, and tidy office is mostly best for any type of business video call. After all, people don’t like others who are hiding something. If you are showing people your “real” you, it gives you a matter of credibility and honesty.
So the best advice for a good Zoom meeting background in your home office is to find a place in your home where you have good light. Ideal is natural light that illuminates your face and background.
Then make sure the part of the office you want to show as a background is nicely arranged, so no clutter, no old empty coffee mugs, no cats lying around, and no messy paper piles.
This way your Zoom meeting will be professional and you are truly promoting yourself just by e good choice of your background.
So is a zoom meeting background good or not? It certainly has it’s advantages. But if you can do without you have a much cleaner and professional look and give you more credibility.
