4 Mistakes Founders Make (with Their Backgrounds)
And how to fix them :)
I help founders get on video. Here are 4 mistakes I see founders make with their backgrounds.
1) Too many distractions
Kids running around, pets scratching at the door, maybe even just general messiness from a long day at work…
All these things make viewers stop watching.
It’s distracting.
You want people to pay attention to YOU, not the thing behind you.
2) Lack of depth
A lot of founders record themselves in front of a flat wall.
That gives their videos a claustrophobic (and boring) feeling.
You want to show depth, and here are 2 fast, easy ways to do this.
a) You can stand in front of a wall, but leave a couple of feet of space between you and the wall. Don’t stand right in front of it. Also, don’t choose a blank wall. A wall with shelves and pictures automatically gives the video depth.
b) Position the camera so the walls are at an angle behind you. The angles create natural depth.
3) Never changing your background
I know it can seem like a lot of effort to change up your background, especially when you need a quiet place to film.
But you have more space available to you than you realize.
Go outside, shoot at home, try a co-working space.
You just don’t want to have the same background in your videos all the time.
People will subconsciously think: “I’ve seen this already.”
They swipe away and won’t finish the video.
4) Putting windows in your background.
You don’t want too much light in the background.
If you’re sitting in front of bright windows, you’ll appear dark, and the light becomes the focus.
People can’t see your face, and it just looks really unprofessional.
These are just 4 mistakes I see founders make with video, but hey, if you want someone to help make sure your videos always look good, I’m your guy.
About Justin
Justin is a marketing nerd. His gateway drug was in middle school when he and his buddies would make up brand names and draw logos for fun. He graduated with a B.A. in Graphic Design from UW Eau Claire. He then cut his teeth leading the marketing for a $4 million non-profit, moving them into the digital age with new channels and systems. He joined a $60M healthcare manufacturer as marketing team of 1, helping grow them to $90M in three years. Justin became a full-time marketing entrepreneur in 2018. He now enables founders to grow their pipeline and thought leadership through social media videos. Follow him on Linkedin here.
