6 tips to look and sound great on Zoom

Home offices are now the new normal and as cases of Covid-19 continue to rise across South Africa, so too are the number of video meetings we engage in daily.

And so, with many of us spending our days on video conferences hosted by the likes of Zoom, Skype, FaceTime, Hangouts and WebEx – how does one keep it professional?

Granted, we don’t all have total control over pets, kids and family video-bombing us, but we can maintain control over how we look and sound.

Here are 6 awesome tips to help you be a whiz at video call:

Step Into The Light

Even if your laptop camera is sub-standard you can still create great lighting. Avoid sitting with your back to the window. Invest in a directional lamp or an LED panel to add extra lighting to your setup.

Create A Backdrop

For this, your background is everything. Because you want people focusing on your face, not on what’s behind you – a blank wall or one with nothing but one piece of art hanging from it will work great.

Step Back A Bit

Because the cameras on phones and webcams are wide-angle, you’ll do well to step back from the camera a bit. The closer you are to a wide-angle, the more distorted you will become.

Can You Hear Me Now?

Invest in a headset microphone or an actual dedicated microphone to boost your audio fidelity and help eliminate background noise.

Pull Yourself Together… Damn it!

Just because you’re working from home doesn’t mean you should look like it. You’d be amazed what combing your hair, shaving your face or applying some makeup can do for your appearance.

Be A Plain-Jane

Busy plaid or patterned outfits are harsh on your viewers’ eyes. Rather choose plain or solid colours when dressing for your video call. And while plain is the name of the game, avoid shirts and blouses that are bright white or dark black – unless you want to look like a blob on camera.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.