Better than Zoom backgrounds, do this instead in 2025!

TLDR - When people think of branding their Zoom experience, the first (and probably only) thing they thinks of is virtual backgrounds. But in reality, most virtual background are uninspired, lazy, and/or unprofessional in quality. Using dynamic, branded graphic overlays is the most professional way to brand your Zoom calls. SPX Graphics for Zoom is the only Zoom native app to be able to do this, and best of all it's free to use.

What is the first thing you notice when you jump into a Zoom call with a potential client or a business partner?

Maybe you notice the quality of their webcam or the quality of their audio...

But for me, I instantly notice if they're using a Zoom virtual background or a blur effect. And mostly because it looks quite unprofessional...

Now I'm not saying that this is the case for everyone but for the vast majority of people using Zoom, I can confidently say that they have not given much thought about how they can make their video-conferencing quality better.

For some reason, the idea of branding on Zoom has never been taken further than the virtual backgrounds that everyone seems to be turning on; mostly to hide their messy rooms in the back (no judgement😂).

But when you think about it, why are we not utilizing and getting more out of this entirely new platform where everyone spends so much of their worktime in? Branding/Digital Marketing teams have looked through every crevice of a company's digital presence when it comes to branding, but somehow, they all forgot that video-conferencing is one of the most visible platforms both internally and externally; and it definitely needs to be branded with the highest amount of care!

Well I'm here to help you and your team take your video-conference branding beyond the glitchy and distracting virtual backgrounds. And the best way to do this? Branded Live Graphics.

Now notice the wording here. I'm talking about a graphic overlay that goes over your webcam video but 1) it's branded to your company's visual identity with your fonts, colors, shapes, etc. and 2) it's LIVE, meaning that the graphic is dynamic and controllable in real-time!

And the only Zoom-native app available to be able to do this is SPX Graphics for Zoom, which can be added to your Zoom for free! This extension allows you to control live graphics from a sidebar right inside of Zoom, so you don't need any kind of technical or production knowledge to use.

I go through the in-depth how you can get started using live graphics right inside of Zoom in this blog post but all you need to do to get started is click this link and the app will be added to your Zoom automatically!

Once that's done, you're ready to start using live graphics in your next meeting! But it's probably a good idea to test out the app a little bit beforehand so you know what to do in a real meeting.

1. Start a new empty meeting

2. Locate the Apps icon in the toolbar

3. Click on SPX Graphics for Zoom (make sure your webcam is on!)

4. Start to play around with it by clicking on the toggle buttons to see what happens. Click on the name of each item to see the options dropdown where you can enter your information and images, etc.

   
   

There you have it! Pretty cool, right?

And as a free user, you can use all the basic graphics like nametags and meeting callouts. But we offer powerful services to get way more out of this app when it comes to upgrading your Zoom video quality. The options are:

1. Pro Subscription - This is a super affordable way to be able to do more with the app such as custom colors, custom logo, additional layers, and more. It also comes with 2 graphics made for making your meeting more efficient - the Meeting Agenda and Meeting Progress. Find out more about the Pro Subscription here!

2. Custom Branded Graphics - If your company is serious about branding, our professional creative team is here to help you create custom, live branded graphics that can be used by everyone in your entire organization! In addition to the creative services, we offer enterprise-level support, admin panel, custom UI, and more to make integration frictionless. Contact me directory here or you can book our famous 5 minute demo from this Calendly link.

   
   

As always, I'll be back with more tools, tricks, and insight into using live graphics to upgrade your video-conferencing game. Stay tuned for more :)

PS : We recently launched a new podcast title "Live Graphics for All", hosted by me and the founder of SPX, Tuomo. We talk about live graphics in general and share stories, industry insights, tools, and more so make sure to check it out here!