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In today’s post-Covid world, we are still in a hybrid situation where part of the workday is done online so your virtual background is super important. That might be the first and most impactful impression you make on a potential client or customer. Remember, we have less than 7 seconds to grab attention (and I’ve been reading it’s down to 3 seconds). What does your background say about you? Is it dark? Are you too close, too far away? Is it messy/disheveled? You don’t realize how much your background says about you.
When it comes to the media, think of how you come across as an expert when they see a bad backdrop. It reflects you and who you are. I remember in the thick of Covid, I was watching an evening news program and the guest expert lived in a studio and his bed wasn’t made. Dude, MAKE YOUR BED! You are being exposed to almost 10 million people. That was one of the biggest wows I’ve seen for virtual backgrounds. And, I’ve never seen him on the news again.
Also consider your brand. What do you represent? How do you make people feel? For professional industry experts, I prefer a clean simple background with some books, a plant for color, maybe a diploma or award. I recommend shying away from personal pictures too. That happened as well early in Covid, the news anchors were on with all of their personal pictures behind them. Most people prefer to choose what they share with the world.
Lighting and sound are really important as well. Again, it’s how you come across. Are you dark or well-lit? Make yourself look appealing by being well-lit. And lastly, make sure your sound is good. If you are filming in your basement, it will likely be echoey. Anywhere with hardwood floors or tile will be as well. For good sound, consider investing in a microphone and if nothing else, record in a carpeted room.
Be aware of how you represent yourself when you are online showing yourself virtually.
Branding
For a refresher on your brand, watch this video on How to Get Publicity with Branding. Remember, a brand is how you make people feel. How does your virtual background make people feel?
PR FOR ANYONE
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Transcript
Hey everyone! It’s Christina Daves with this week’s Free Publicity Friday PR Tip. This week I want to talk about your virtual interview backgrounds. But before I get to that, make sure you subscribe to the channel, ring the bell, so you’re notified.
But what do you want to do for a background? People say they love this background. This is my logoed background. It is not with a green screen. I’ve had this forever. You can tell It’s buckling a little bit. I even need to get a new one. But I use that for TV interviews when I’m an expert in PR. If you’re doing, if you are an expert in your industry, and you just want to kind of show that, I like an office setting, clean, not too much behind you. Don’t have family pictures.
When Covid first started happening and all the big news anchors were there, it’s like all their personal family pictures were being shown to the world. So I don’t recommend that. A plant is always nice for a little bit of green and a little a bit of color. But you just want a simple clean background behind you. I don’t like just the solid wall. We call that the mugshot wall. So you definitely want something behind you.
Don’t stand right up next to it either. Again, you want to have power and space and just have something clean behind you that looks professional. I’ve seen some people in studio apartments and it’s fine if you’re in a studio apartment, make your bed. Put some pillows on the bed. Just make it look clean and neat.
Obviously, we’re in a transition. This is new and a lot of people are doing interviews from home and you are limited to the space that you have. But find a nice clean area that you can have a great background. If you do a lot of videos, a lot of interviewing and things like that, and you want the logo background, it’s a great, great idea to have.
So that is this week’s PR tip. If you would like to learn more, feel free to reach out and set up a call at ChatWithChristina.com, and I can’t wait to see you in the media.