September 23, 2024

The Best Zoom Backgrounds For all Your Needs in 2024

A professional Zoom background can help you make a great first impression when participating in virtual meetings, webinars, or podcasts. Learn the best way to limit distractions and increase audience engagement with a professional and mindful Zoom background. 

Photo of a meeting room with an overlaid text saying "Best Zoom Backgrounds".
Photo by S O C I A L . C U T on Unsplash

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Written by
Filipe Pessoa

Marketing & Sociology. Gamer and music producer.
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Table of contents

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According to a 2021 hiring trends report from Indeed, 82% of employers use virtual interviews to hire new talent. Zoom is also used frequently to give webinars, record podcasts, and host internal business meetings. With that much riding on virtual meetings, your Zoom background can have a huge impact. Capture your most meaningful moments to be shared again and again with Framedrop.ai.

Best Zoom Backgrounds for Different Professional Settings

Choosing the right Zoom background can help you stand out in professional settings while maintaining a clean, distraction-free appearance. Here's a breakdown of the best options based on your needs:

  • Work Meetings:
    • Simple, elegant monochromatic color schemes keep the focus on you.
    • High-quality images of professional office spaces add a polished look.
    • Branded backgrounds with your company logo boost professionalism.
  • Interviews:
    • Clean, simple walls or a staged professional setting make the best impression.
    • High-quality virtual backgrounds reduce distractions, especially in public spaces.
  • Webinars:
    • Engaging yet simple abstract backgrounds maintain audience attention.
    • Branded backgrounds with logos or design motifs enhance credibility.
  • Podcasts:
    • Minimalist backdrops with logos increase brand recognition without distracting from audio content.

Why does your Zoom Background Matter?

A great Zoom background can help elevate your Zoom webinar, podcast, or meeting. The right background can help you appear more professional and set you apart from your surroundings. When recording your Zoom meeting, a great background can serve as the perfect setting for a great video. Here are some things a great Zoom background can do.

Build trust

The right Zoom background can help you establish trust with your audience. Whether you are giving a webinar, recording a podcast, taking an online interview, or conducting a business meeting, a professional background will show your audience that you are mindful of the details.

Fair or not, your audience will form biases about you and your work based on your Zoom background. A silly background or an unstaged area can make your audience form an opinion about you before you even speak the first word.  A professional Zoom background can help you send the right message to your audience and establish trust from the beginning.

Make a Great First Impression

We all know that first impressions matter. Your Zoom background can tell your audience a lot about you as soon as they enter the meeting. A professional and mindful Zoom background shows your audience that you think about the little things. It shows that you take what you are doing seriously. It lets your audience know that you care about them and their experience.

In contrast, a poorly chosen background can show your audience that you are unorganized. An unprofessional background may show your audience that you do not take what you are doing seriously. Make a great first impression with a background that shows your audience that you are competent, caring, and effective.

Limit Distractions

When working from home or from a busy or loud location, a good background filter can help limit distractions from your audience. A blurred background is a great way to limit distractions if you are in a busy location or have not yet had the time to prepare your space.

Virtual Backgrounds vs Live Backgrounds

When choosing a background in Zoom you will have the choice of staging a live background or using a virtual background. Here is the difference between each option.

Live Background

A live background is the real space that the subject sits in front of. This is the actual room that you are sitting in. Live backgrounds are most effective when you are in a quiet room with zero distractions. A live background should be simple, clean, and inviting. It is best to find the perfect mix between empty and cluttered.

Virtual Background

Virtual backgrounds are high-quality pictures that are digitally imposed behind the subject in a meeting. This can be as simple as a blurred background or as complicated as a fabricated office scene. Virtual backgrounds isolate the subject and cover everything else in the frame with the image. Virtual backgrounds are great if you are in a public space or do not have a location that looks professional. In addition to providing you with a professional background, a virtual background can help you display your logo or brand when hosting a webinar, class, or podcast.  

Best Zoom Backgrounds for Work

When choosing a Zoom background for work meetings it is best to keep it simple and professional. If you are presenting in a work meeting or are just an attendee, you do not want your background to stand out or be distracting amongst the sea of faces. Consider choosing a background that utilizes a simple color scheme. An elegant monochromatic color scheme is professional and ensures that you are the focal point and not your background.

One of the best options for a Zoom background for work meetings is to choose a high-quality photo of a simple office space. This shows your audience that you are keeping it professional. By displaying an image of an office space as your background you will set the tone that you are there to conduct business.

Another option for Zoom backgrounds during work meetings is to use an image that features your company logo. This will show everyone that you are professional and care about the overall success of the company. If you have guests who are not a part of the company, it will make a great first impression that you and your company are cohesive and organized.

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Best Zoom Backgrounds for Interviews

If you are being interviewed on Zoom it is crucial that you make the right impression, especially if you are hoping to get hired. Much like the suggestions for backgrounds during a work meeting, you will want your interview background to be simple, clean, and professional.

You want to stand out as the most impressive and important thing in your interview. That is why it is so important to limit the distractions in your background. If you are staging a live background, a simple wall is ideal. If you have the opportunity to stage a few professional props that make you look organized and thoughtful, that is better than an empty space.

A clean, crisp, high-quality virtual background can also help you look more professional while limiting outside distractions. If you are conducting your interview in a public space, you will want a virtual background so that you are not negatively affected by background subjects and objects outside of your control.

Best Zoom Backgrounds for Webinars

Your webinar background should be simple yet engaging. Simple enough that it does not cause a distraction and is interesting enough to capture your audience's attention. High-quality images are always ideal for Zoom backgrounds because they will look clean, crisp, and professional on any size screen. Abstract backgrounds are a great choice for webinars because they are visually captivating without being too distracting.

If you or your webinar have a logo or graphic, you can place that image as your background to establish brand awareness and continuity. Your webinar will look more professional and well put together if you use a background that includes the design motifs of your logo. Using consistent colors and fonts will build trust with your audience and increase your credibility.

Best Zoom Backgrounds for Podcasts

While the audio of your podcast is vital to your overall product, a visually engaging background can help make your podcast clips easy to identify on social media. Displaying your logo on a simple backdrop can be a great way to increase brand awareness while keeping your podcast’s audio front and center.

How to change your Zoom background?

You can change your background both before and during a meeting. Here’s how:

During a Meeting:

1.      Click the upward-facing arrow next to the start and stop button.

2.      Find the Choos a Virtual Background option in the settings menu and click on it.

3.      Once there you will be able to select a background from the options or upload your own.

4.      Once chosen your background will update immediately.

Before a Meeting:

1.      Log in to the Zoom App.

2.      Open your Account Settings

3.      Click on the Backgrounds and Filters Tab

4.      Select the Virtual Backgrounds Option.

5.      Once there you will be able to select a background from the options or upload your own.

6.      Once chosen your background will update immediately.

Make Captivating clips of your Zoom Meetings with Framedrop.ai

Framedrop.ai can help you capture the most engaging and important clips from your Zoom meeting. With a great background, you can use Zoom to produce podcasts, webinars, and other content. Framedrop.ai makes it easy to share that content in digestible video clips that can be used to build your audience.

Maximize Your Reach with AI

Supercharge your business' social media presence with Framedrop's AI-powered video highlights

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FAQ

Is it professional to use a Zoom background?
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Yes. Zoom backgrounds show that you are organized and care about the little things. Zoom backgrounds limit distractions and make a great first impression.

What is the best backdrop for virtual meetings?
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Neutral colors are best for a backdrop. Bright colors or complicated designs can distract others from your message. 

Should you use virtual backgrounds?
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Virtual backgrounds are a great option if you are using Zoom in a public place and want to cut down on distractions. Virtual backgrounds are also a great way to display your logo and create brand cohesion throughout your webinar or podcast. 

Published at
September 23, 2024
Category
Filipe Pessoa

Having a bachelor's degree in Sociology and currently getting his Masters' in Marketing, Filipe has always followed a customer-centric ethos. In 2021, Filipe was part of one of the 3 European Innovation Academy winning projects - CultureKit - as its CMO. Since joining Framedrop in August 2022, Filipe has worked on a wide array of tasks such as Copywriting, Lead Generation, Influencer Marketing and even dipped his toes in SEO.

When not working, Filipe channels his creativity into music production in his home studio.

Favorite sport: Football ⚽️

Favorite hobby: Gaming 🎮

Favorite musical artist: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard 🎸

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