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Something I often hear from people who are starting to use video in their brand is the “awkwardness” that they feel when recording. And trust me, as an introvert who much prefers to spend her time behind the camera, I’ve had my share of awkward moments on camera as I learned these lessons. I did go into video production, after all! However, I’ve developed some strategies + mindset shifts that have helped me show up more confidently. When I was traveling in Mexico, I filmed a video postcard + shared my three main tips for keeping awkwardness at bay.
Here are my tips to appear more confident on video.
Embrace Your Imperfections
It’s important to remember that people want to connect with you as a person, and that person has a personality and quirks and flaws. I think a lot of times what we want is to look or feel totally flawless on camera, but if your people wanted to talk to a computer, they’d just use email – they wouldn’t be watching a video. Understanding that part of the goal with video is to let our personality come through (complete with its quirks) takes a lot of pressure off when creating video content.
Plan & Practice
Personality isn’t an excuse for poor planning, however – which is why my second piece of advice for feeling more confident on camera is practice. I always create an outline for each of my videos and practice repeatedly. Usually, I’ll recite my content in the shower to an imaginary audience, sometimes in front of my cat (who is never very entertained) or my fiancé. The more I know the topic I’m covering in the video, and the points I want to make, the easier it becomes to have the information flow naturally on camera. My goal is to feel like I’m talking to a friend as opposed to reading an outline or reciting a poem.
Make Eye Contact
The third thing to remember when you’re creating video content, and probably the most powerful tool you can use to connect with your audience, is eye contact. Especially when we’re recording with a smartphone’s front camera, we have a tendency to look at the screen instead of the camera. And when recording with a DSLR, we don’t have anything to look at, so our eyes go all over the place. With a little bit of practice, it will become easier to look directly into the camera lens – which translates to direct eye contact with your viewer. Mission accomplished: they feel like you’re talking right to them.
In summary, here are the three ways to feel more confident showing up on video:
- Remember that people want to connect with your personality – so a little awkwardness is OK!
- Practice, practice, practice! The more comfortable you are with the content, the more comfortable you’ll be with the camera.
- Use eye contact purposefully to connect with your viewers.
So tell me, what are your biggest struggles when it comes to using video for your business? What is one step you can take to removing a hurdle for yourself?
