Zoom comes with a few baked-in virtual backgrounds that are basically there to demonstrate the kinds of options you might consider using yourself, even if none of the defaults is really suitable for business users. Thankfully you can now find virtual backgrounds for your Zoom meetings to download that are high quality, enterprise-appropriate backgrounds that will allow you to enter your next Zoom meeting with your head held high, and here is a look at how to find them.
Go direct to the experts
Rather than scouring Google images for copyrighted snaps or having to put up with watermarks, the best option for business users is to head straight to a site that specializes in Zoom virtual backgrounds, such as Hello Backgrounds.
You will be able to browse vast collections of literally hundreds of exceptionally detailed, high resolution backgrounds which are designed specifically with Zoom in mind, meaning they also meet all of the technical requirements imposed by the software itself.
In addition you can download video backgrounds that give your calls more of a living, breathing feel than plain static images. Whether or not a video is ideal will depend on the nature of the meeting you are attending, but since it is so easy to download multiple backgrounds and switch between them before you join, you do not need to limit your options whatsoever.
Avoid lesser alternatives
As touched upon above, you might be tempted to download any old image from the internet to use as your background, or perhaps use one of your own snaps taken on your phone for the same purpose. There are a number of reasons to avoid doing this, chief amongst which is the fact that the results will be less than pristine at best.
Unless you are a professional photographer who knows how to use light, your personal picture-taking efforts are unlikely to match Zoom backgrounds that have been both snapped and edited by people who get paid to do this for a living.
Furthermore a random image from the web might be recognizable to other participants, or simply suffer from a subpar pixel count, making it look blocky and unprofessional.
Perfect your setup
Once you have got a good selection of virtual backgrounds for Zoom meetings, you also need to remember that you can take steps to enhance the way they appear.
Setting up a green screen behind where you will be sitting for the meeting is ideal, although a plain background can also be adequate thanks to how well the software handles virtual backgrounds.
Your clothing also matters, aside from the obvious need to look professional in your presentation. Be sure that the background you choose does not have colors in it which match the garments you intend to wear, since this can create odd artifacts during calls that will be distracting.
At this point there really is no excuse to not find virtual backgrounds for your Zoom meetings that are great for every virtual meeting you attend, whether you are leading a remote team or just a casual observer, and now you know how to achieve this.
The post Where to Find Virtual Backgrounds for your Zoom Meetings appeared first on Mike Gingerich.
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