10 Zoom Backgrounds HubSpotters Love When I first started working remotely, I quickly realized that I didn't like the available backdrops in my house. First, there's the cluttered living room. Then, there's the rarely spotless kitchen. Or I could go with the yellow wall. That's when I started looking into Zoom backgrounds. I found a few funny ones, some professional ones, and even a couple of creative options. It turned out to be really fun to express myself with a Zoom background. If you're in the same predicament, look no further. Below, let's learn how to set up a Zoom background, and then we'll show you our favorite ones. 1. Open Zoom Before we dive into our favorite Zoom backgrounds, let's learn how to set one up. To start, open your Zoom app and log in. 2. Go to Zoom "Preferences" Once you're logged in, click "zoom.us" on the top left and then hit "Preferences." You can also get to this page by clicking your profile image on the top right corner, and then clicking "Settings." 3. Click "Virtual Background" When you've opened your settings, click "Virtual Background" on the left-hand side. 4. Click the "Plus" sign and "Add Image" Now, click the plus sign on the right, and click "Add Image." Voila. Now you can add any image that you have the rights to and that meets the image guidelines. Tips for Determining When to Use a Zoom Background...

The Ultimate Guide to Managing Remote Marketing Teams Behind many great teams are great managers. Take my manager for example. Each day, she oversees a team of blog writers and editors, reports on the HubSpot Blog's progress to stakeholders, and also manages many of the logistics and processes that keep our site running smoothly. But, the blog's editorial processes and traffic strategies aren't the only things she focuses on. Most importantly, she takes time to empower each individual on our team. She mentors us as we lead projects that benefit the blog, plans team bonding activities, ensures that we're getting the tools and training we need to do our jobs, and checks in with us regularly to make sure the work we're doing is fulfilling. It sounds like she does a lot, right? And the kicker? Half of the team she manages, mentors, and empowers isn't even based in HubSpot's Cambridge office. By this point, you might know that managing a team, even isolated to one office, isn't for everyone. On any given day, you need to balance your own workload, overall team success strategies, and working with individuals within your department. To do this, you must balance being a team player and a leader. You also must be highly organized, strategic, and have a high level of emotional intelligence. In a company that's primarily in-office, a manager can directly impact the success of their team. But, this role is even more important when it oversees a fully...

14 Signs Your Remote Team is Communicating Ineffectively Every weekend, my friends and I have online video calls to catch-up with each other. Sometimes it feels like certain people dominate the conversation and others don't feel comfortable speaking up. These types of communication issues via remote conversations are actually normal. In fact, for remote teams communication with co-workers is a challenge that remote workers face daily. Additionally, according to HubSpot's findings, non-HubSpot remote workers noted a lack of social connection (29%) and communicating with co-workers (29%) as the two biggest challenges they face being remote. When your team can't be in the same space, communication needs to become more intentional. So, how do you do that? And how do you know when your communication needs some work? Below, let's review some signs that your remote team isn't communicating as effectively as possible. 1. Your team has too many meetings. As a remote worker, I know I've had days where I jump from meeting to meeting with no time for a break. Sometimes, this can actually be a symptom of poor communication. Typically, your team shouldn't have to meet several times a week. In fact, plenty of meetings can be sent in an email. Before scheduling a meeting, think about whether that meeting will waste time. If you aren't sure, then reevaluate whether the content can be sent in an email. Additionally, keep in mind when you schedule a meeting that every person you invited needs to be there....