As I write this, we’ve been living in Zoom-land for almost a year.

The good news is that we’ve mostly gotten used to communicating with people in boxes (or “Hollywood Squares,” as in the old game show).

The bad news is that lots of people are even more reluctant to “let the dogs out” (show more personality) on Zoom than they were at business meetings IRL.

People feel inhibited on Zoom, or think that it’s an easy place to hide, or they’re just so over the whole thing that the idea of showing up with more personality or presence isn’t top of mind.

But it should be!

Why You Should Show More Personality

Personality isn’t just a “nice to have” when you’re communicating online. It’s essential if you want to keep people engaged and make an impact on your listeners.

Listeners and audiences are always drawn to energy, to warmth, to the excitement generated by someone who’s involved. And in these two-dimensional days of isolation and lowered expectations, that’s more true than ever.

It’s relatively easy to shine in virtual if you can signal that you’re engaged.

So do yourself and your career a favor and — now and then, when you’re able to muster the energy — bring some gusto, some zest, some friendliness, some three-dimensionality to the small screen.

How to Show Up in a Small Space

Here’s how to show more personality when only a small portion of your body is visible: