Video Marketing: How to be Confident on Camera
Video marketing is all the rage right now. YouTube has about 1.8 billion monthly viewers and is continually on the rise. How many times are you scrolling through Facebook and a video of a cute puppy pops up and you share with your friends. We as consumers love video content. It’s quick, easy, and fun to watch. However, as a marketer it’s more difficult for us to give the consumers what they want. We have to deal with camera equipment, lights, etc. For those of us who are camera shy this new love for video marketing is terrifying. If you are camera shy here are a few tips for conquering being on camera and showing off your awesome brand confidently.
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Relax
Your body language tells a lot. If you are tense and nervous that will show up on camera. Now this is not an easy task to do if you are camera shy, but with time it will start to become more natural to you. Relax your shoulders, have good posture, and take a deep breath. You want the audience to see you as cool calm and collected, not a nervous mess. If this is the first impression someone has of your brand, you want to put your best self forward.
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Your Voice
Project your voice and enunciate your words. This might seem like common sense, but it is extremely important for quality content. If you have a microphone definitely use it, this will make your life so much easier in the end and help prevent echoes or other background noises. However, you do want to enunciate your voice, but you do not want to yell. Just pretend you are talking to your best friend or your dog, just make sure you sound calm and natural.
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Practice
Practice, practice, practice! Know exactly what you want to say, what your point is, and what you want to include and execute. Think of it as public speaking, have a few points you want to get across and give details. At first it might seem unnatural sitting and talking to a camera, but with practice it will get easier. After all, practice does make perfect.
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Be your own critic
Be your own critic, watch your videos and see what you want to change for the next one. Maybe you have a nervous habit of cracking your knuckles, or maybe you clear your throat too much. It’s worth watching your own videos will help you from doing that in future videos.
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Prepare yourself
Don’t just rehearse what you are going to say, but how you look. If you are one to get nervous on camera wear something that makes you feel confident. Wear your favorite dress or your favorite suit. Feel good about yourself and the camera will see your confidence.
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Take your time
I know from personal experience when I get nervous I tend to talk fast. So, make sure to focus on how fast you really are talking. Take your time speaking and ensure that you are saying all that needs to be said. Do not rush. In addition, make sure you allow yourself enough time to rerecord videos if needed. Also, there are a few words that you want to avoid: um, oh, uh any words like that. If you are unsure what to say take a second to gather your thoughts and then continue.
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Look at the camera
Sometimes with video marketing you can see people looking off to the side or everywhere except the camera. This can not only be distracting but also unprofessional. Look at the camera as if you were having a conversation with it. Like mentioned previously about acting as if you were talking to your best friend same applies. Look at the camera as you would if you were having a conversation with your best friend.
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Be yourself
It is okay to be quirky and unique on camera. You can tell jokes and laugh! We want to inform and educate the viewer, but you can still be yourself while doing that. Viewers appreciate getting to know the person on camera, and their personality.
Video marketing is everywhere right now and a great marketing tool. However, it can definitely be intimidating and confusing if you are new and have no idea where to start. For those of us who are camera shy this is even more intimidating. Just remember you to be confident, relax, and to take your time and you will be just fine! Next thing you know you video marketing and talking to the camera will be second nature to you. You got this!