Photo by Abet Llacer from Pexels
Be Camera Shy No More! How to Get More Comfortable on Camera
There’s no doubt that video is a powerful part of your marketing – it gets people to see your face and make a real connection with you.
But no doubt, putting yourself on camera can seem like the most uncomfortable.
Like “sleeping-on-a-concrete-block” uncomfortable.
A while ago, I ran a LinkedIn poll where I asked people what their biggest objection was when using video in their marketing.
In this blog post, I’ll address the 4 obstacles from the poll, and more importantly – show you how you can overcome them.
Pain Point #1: “I’m not comfortable on camera”
Photo by samer daboul from Pexels
This was the most common answer for my poll – out of the 4 people who voted, 75% said that they weren’t comfortable on camera.
I can relate to this – there was a time when the sight of a camera would have caused me to run away in fear.
And yet, – through one simple LinkedIn video where I talked about the importance of subtitles in your social media videos, I managed to overcome my fear.
I believe you can too.
My advice: start by making “practice videos.” You don’t have to upload them anywhere, just get comfortable talking to the camera.
The very first videos I ever made, I just said “blah, blah, blah” over and over – just to make sure that I focused on the important parts, like:
– Looking into the camera lens
– Blinking every now and then
Then, once you’ve built up your confidence, take the leap and create a short video.
The emphasis is on “short” – 30 seconds should be enough.
Even high-profile award-winning movie directors start out directing commercials and shorts.
Pain Point #2. “I don’t have the equipment”
When you see all the fancy equipment used by movie-making studios or YouTube channels, it’s easy to feel insignificant by comparison.
However, you don’t have to invest in a $1000 camera to start making good-quality videos.
To prove my point, here’s a picture of everything that I started with:
The equipment includes:
– Boya BY-M1 Lavilier microphone
– Lincocell Octopus Tripod
In total, this cost me $50 (not counting the smartphone that I used to take this photo).
But what about editing software?
I use HitFilm Express to edit my videos – it’s free to download but has some very affordable add-on packs.
That way, you can start small and add on as your editing skills grow.
Are you on a Macintosh? Then, there’ always iMovie – an excellent free video editor.
Even better, if you’re on a Mac OS, you probably already have it installed.
And hey, even if you don’t – no worries: it’s available to download for free at the App Store.
Pain point #3. “I’ve never made a video before”
It’s like every time when you try something new – you’re scared, you’re uncomfortable, you’re afraid to make mistakes.
And the bad news is this – mistakes will likely happen.
When I look back on that LinkedIn video I showed you earlier, I realized just how awkward it is.
Everything’s shot from a top-down perspective (the result of being 1.95 m tall and not having a table high enough to put my $20 cell phone tripod on), and my delivery was a bit off at place.
But guess what? That’s a good thing – and here’s why:
It shows that improvements have been made since then.
It shows that you’ve learned from the mistakes that you made and made sure to not repeat them in the future.
Editing and making videos is a similar sort of thing – your skills will improve the more you do it.
Making and editing videos is like a muscle – you have to exercise it by starting small and gradually improve from there.
If you’re looking for a good online course to get you started, I recommend the following LinkedIn Learning courses:
– HitFilmExpress: Creating a Presentation Video
Pain point #4. “I Don’t Know What to Say”
Photo by Alex Green from Pexels
This is a tough one. Not knowing what to say is on par with not preparing for an oral report.
If you don’t know what to say, it will show.
You’ll stammer. You’ll make awkward pauses. You’ll wander off into pointless waffle and ramble.
This is especially problematic if you’re making an explainer or tutorial video – if you don’t know what to say, it will make you seem unfocused or uninterested.
That’s where writing a script can help.
But maybe you don’t have the time to write one?
Maybe you don’t know how?
That’s where I can help.
I write scripts that will make sure that you know exactly what to say, and with great pizzazz too.
Contact me today to find out more.
Recent Comments