As consumers, we are drawn to video content like never before. We are constantly consuming information across mediums, and video is rising up to meet the competition. Maybe your role has always been the consumer, but what happens when it’s your time to shine and you have to film a video for work?
Do you sink into an utter panic when thinking about being in front of the camera? Are you unsure of where to start?
Here are a few tangible steps you can take to shake off video fears and camera phobia so that you can thrive on video.
Can you relate to any of the fears below?
According to our Customer Success Team, camera shyness is the most common issue our customers struggle with. Not everyone is a natural-born star. More often than not, the camera can feel intimidating. While those feelings of fear are valid, there are a few easy ways that help boost your confidence as you prepare for your upcoming video shoot.
The first tangible step you can take as you prepare for your video is to write a script. This is helpful regardless of whether you wind up using the script or not. Writing out what you want to say allows your brain to process all of the goals and key points that need to be emphasized during the video. It gets your mind focused on what you want to say. If you are not the type to write an entire script out, try writing down bullet points of key topics you need to cover in your video.
Secondly, acknowledge that not every word or every take will be perfect. You might miss a word you meant to say. You might stumble over your words. And that’s okay! Sometimes passion and excitement speak louder than having a perfectly eloquent script. Be confident in who you are. You will be shocked at how you are capable of letting your experience and knowledge shine through!
Lastly, when you are feeling those moments of being camera shy, take a moment, and remind yourself to just be you. Drop the idea of wanting to be anyone other than you. You are most confident when you are yourself. The more natural you feel, the better you will look on camera. This might include talking with your hands, standing when talking, or holding something like a pen or coffee cup. Still use your video creation best practices, but also allow yourself the freedom to be you!
This can be a frustrating reason to get discouraged when recording a video. Lighting is important, and good lighting is essential for helping increase your engagement. No one wants to watch a video where they can’t see your face or where the shadows are distracting to the actual message you are trying to deliver.
A great way to address lighting is to focus on using as much natural light as you can and then using your secondary lighting to highlight the places where your natural light doesn’t. A quick tip from our Customer Success Team is to face the natural light and place your camera the opposite way that the light is facing. This will allow the light to highlight your face without creating dark shadows or contrasting too much in your video frame.
One thing we love about our platform is that our team is able to engage our prospects and customers right from our laptops. An engaging video doesn’t necessarily have to be the highest quality, best-produced video. With a few simple best practices you can eliminate the pressure to have the best camera equipment to film an engaging video for your target audience.
If you do have access to nicer camera equipment, use free resources to understand the basic functionalities that you need to make your video. Googling how to use your camera model will give you many free resources for beginners. The trick to using any camera equipment regardless of how “fancy”, is having the confidence and know-how to use it.
The great thing about integrating video into your engagement process is that you don’t need a huge budget to make an incredible video. With a smartphone and a ring light attachment for your phone, you have direct access to studio production lighting. Retailers, including Amazon, sell budget-conscious attachments for your smartphone like microphones and ring lights that help enhance your video quality. Regardless of your budget, you can use hacks and tricks to curate a video that looks and sounds well-produced, while effectively reaching your audience. This is where using video creation best practices come in handy because they still cultivate a studio produced look to your video even if it’s produced in your boardroom.
Now that you’ve been fully equipped to record that incredible video for your prospect engagement cadence, we want to highlight why integrating video increases your engagement.
People connect with people before they connect with products. You buy a product because you see how others are using it and benefiting from it. People also feel a stronger connection when they see a face rather than a curated ad. Video re-introduces humanity back into your brand. This is a vital part of the way we interact with prospects and customers. Humanizing your brand and your product is a major competitive advantage over competitors. Video allows you to tell a story. It creates room for connection to turn into conversion. When your story resonates with consumers, they are more likely to buy into what you are offering as a company.
Are you ready to better engage your audience through video? vidREACH is here to help!