The coronavirus ushered in a new era of video conferencing, as many Americans found themselves logging in to Zoom for the first time to meet with clients and colleagues. Daily zoom meeting participants surged from 10 million a day in December 2018 to 300 million by April 2019.Even after the COVID-19 pandemic is behind us, it's likely that a large share of the U.S. workforce will continue to work from home and video meetings will be just as ubiquitous as they are today. For example, Global Workplace Analytics forecasts 25 percent to 30 percent of the workforce will work from home multiple days a week by the end of 2021.When it comes to face-to-face meetings, it's always important to look your best to make a positive impression on your professional peers. The same is true when it comes to Zoom calls as well, even if you're wearing your skivvies and your home is a cluttered disaster area. If you want to look your absolute best on Zoom, here's everything you need to master:
The right lighting can make anyone look fabulous, but the wrong lighting can have disastrous effects. The cheapest, and perhaps best, method of lighting is the sun pouring in through your window. Open up your blinds and face towards the window during the call. The brighter the room the better, so you might take note of how the sun shines into each room of your home at different times of the day.If natural light isn't cutting it, you can give your video feed a professional look with LED lighting. LED bulbs give off color temperatures that work well for digital video, especially if you choose a 5-6k daylight bulb. Ideally, you want to use three lamps—one placed directly across from you, and then one on each side placed 45 degrees from the center. You'll want to the lights to shine done slightly above you for the best look. An LED ring light is also a good set up to use.Pro tip: The bright blue glow of your computer screen can wash you out and make you look like a ghoul. Remember to lower the brightness of your screen.
Ready for your close up? Actually, that's not a good look at all when it comes to Zoom calls. You'll want to frame yourself in the camera so that you are visible from your shoulders up. Anything from the bottom two-thirds of your body should stay out of frame at all times.Also, you'll want to raise your camera so that it is directly across from your face, the last thing you want is your attendees having to look up your nose for 45 minutes straight. This may require placing your computer on a stack of books, or using a laptop stand to raise your laptop to head height.
All kidding aside, you should totally wear pants. While no one will see them, you'll feel more confident and professional. As far as your overall attire, in most instances, you don't need to dress too formerly. You are working from home after all, and everyone else is too. Stylist Dia Dewoolkar recommends dressing a level down from what you would normally wear at the office or too a meeting. Dewoolkar also recommends wearing solid colors, as complicated patterns don't always look great on video.
It might have been a while since you've been able to get out of the house to see your regular hairstylist. That means if you want to look your best, you might have to learn how to give yourself a trim. Believe it or not, Fiverr is a great place to learn with sellers like Patti Taylor offering a range of lessons.
You might also want to use makeup to bring out your best features. It's recommended to apply a bit more makeup than you would for meeting people face to face, and you'll want to focus on sculpting to create definition. For more personalized advice, Fiverr seller Sara Ortiz offers 1 on 1 makeup lessons so you can look like a goddess for your next client meeting.
Putting just a little bit of thought and preparation into your Zoom meetings can go a long way towards making you look your very best. When you make the extra effort, you'll feel more confident and empowered—allowing you to be a more effective communicator during your video calls. Need more help with Zoom? Fiverr sellers also offer an array of Zoom-related services from stunning virtual backgrounds to video editing.
