The Zoom Boom!

Due to this global pandemic, we’re in the middle of a “Zoom boom.” Consider that this past December, the video conferencing service Zoom had 10 million daily users. In March, that number reached 200 million.
Given the Zoom boom—and that millions of people will be working remotely for the foreseeable future—here are a few ways to quickly improve the quality of your Zoom meetings.

1 – Find a quiet space – Ideally, you want to set up in a room no one else in your household will be using or able to walk through while you Zoom. Use a sign to indicate to others that you’re on a Zoom call.

2 – Use a clean background –The wall behind you can include art, plants, or books, but whatever’s behind you shouldn’t be too distracting—nothing too ornate, bright, or colorful to attract eyes to it, instead of you.

3 – Setting up your camera – Position yourself at a distance from the camera so you’re only visible from the shoulders up. Your goal is to form connections so make sure people can see your facial expressions clearly.

4 – Light it up – A trick here is to get a lamp and position it just behind and to the side of your computer. This will light your face without having to rely on a ton of overhead or background light. Fashion icon Tom Ford, recommends putting white paper or a tablecloth on the table you’re sitting at to “give you a bit of fill and bounce.”

5 – Finally, use the Zoom enhancement tool – here’s how:

When your video screen is up, go to the video button on the bottom left of the screen.
Click the up ↑ arrow
Click on video settings
Check the box – touch up my appearance

Voila’ you have the Diane Sawyer look!

Remember, now is not a normal time. Don’t be hard on yourself if you’re Zooming and your son runs through the room or your neighbor’s car alarm goes off and won’t stop. In the time of a global pandemic, doing your best is all that you can do, all anyone can ask of you. People you Zoom with will certainly understand any minor technical difficulties you might experience.

Up and up!