“If your video views suck, this might be why.”
Dustin Brohm, aka The Massive Agent, just called out one of the biggest (and easiest-to-fix) mistakes creators are still making. And he did it by literally pointing at the problem.
In a recent Instagram Reel, Brohm stood in front of a blank wall and said: “This is a visual snooze fest. If it’s boring, people will scroll right past.”
And he’s right. Your video could have great lighting, sharp audio, and killer content, but if your background is bland, viewers might not even give it a chance.
Boring Backgrounds Send a Message
You might not think a boring background would make much of a difference if your content is otherwise solid and engaging.
But put yourself in your viewers’ place for a sec. What do you think when a creator’s background is a bland white wall?
Instead, Brohm recommends switching up your backdrop to something your viewers will find more interesting. And most things are more interesting to look at than a white wall—or off-white, or really any color that makes people’s brains think, “Nothing is happening here.”
Give your viewers a reason to linger and take a closer look, even if they’re just checking out what you’ve got stashed in your car’s cupholders.
In the reel, Brohm snaps through multiple background changes to prove his point: your background tells a story before you ever say a word. And even if it doesn’t have an obvious tie to your content, it can still keep eyeballs riveted to your post.
So, while you don’t want your background to distract viewers from your message, you do want something that’s interesting enough to keep their eyes engaged.
Don’t have an office setup that works? No problem. Head outside, film in your car, or go anywhere that gives viewers something more engaging to look at than a blank wall.
You can even ask ChatGPT for some ideas on background images to use for your next post.
The takeaway: Don’t let your content fall flat before you even start talking. Switching up your background could be the difference between being scrolled past and getting watched.
