Anyone relevant in marketing is talking about and creating video for their content strategy. Videos with tips for working from home. Videos with inspirational thoughts or motivational messages. Videos with best practices and industry insights. Videos that amplify the “know, like, and trust” factor with valuable audiences. It’s a dominant force for marketing. If you’re not applying video in your marketing efforts, you’re falling behind the competition, big time.
“But I’m an introvert, I’ve never been on camera before — there’s no way I’m doing that!”
The truth is, literally ANYONE can (and should) create videos. It’s not an extroverted activity only — it’s an everybody activity.
Many consider me an extrovert because I show up on stages all over, conduct regular podcast interviews, and am consistently cranking out video content. However, you may be surprised to hear that I very much consider myself an introvert who’s earned the extrovert tendencies you might perceive.
What do I mean by that?
I much prefer small groups to large crowds and keeping quiet, but I know how to put myself out there (and do it regularly) to fane the appearance of extroverted-ness.
So as a self-proclaimed introvert, I can confidently say … YOU CAN CREATE VIDEOS. You just have to bite the bullet and do it.
Flexing that sexy video muscle
Video marketing is the same as any other skill or muscle. You have to train it to grow it.
If you think about it – it’s uncomfortable to go to the gym if you haven’t been to the gym in a while. Why? Because you haven’t been training and don’t feel as confident.
The same is true for video marketing. You can’t expect to be great at something you’ve never been a practitioner of before.
Be kind with yourself.
If this is new, acknowledge that you need to build the muscle through training and practice. It’s like anything else — the key is to turn it into a habit.
If you think of video or any of your marketing tactics as a muscle, you have to build that muscle through repetitive action. Work that marketing muscle!
When I started, I would practice my script over and over, and freak out about the presentation, thinking about it every night for the couple weeks prior to recording … but now, since I have created a habit of consistent videos and presentations, I have built confidence in myself to throw out the stress and worry and say YES to more opportunities to hop on camera, even on the fly. At times not even knowing what I’m going to say beforehand.
At the end of the day, it’s better to show up consistently than to not show up at all.
After all, the only way to improve is to actually do it.
Nervous? Nah – I’m Excited!
I think one of the biggest hurdles people face when it comes to videos (or really any presentation!) is nerves. When people get nervous, they often use it as an excuse to avoid the situation causing them anxiety, or outwardly express that nervousness, causing further anxiety.
Heart racing and hands shaking? Danger! Must. Escape.
The truth is, I’m always nervous. That doesn’t go away. But instead of letting the nerves control me, I change my mindset. When I feel myself getting nervous, I just remind myself that I’m actually excited. Those feelings are all signals of excitement. Don’t let the primitive mind control your modern necessity to communicate.
Perfection is boring
People worry too much about perfection. You don’t need to be perfect. In fact, perfect is boring. Share quality content and you’ll win every time. Attempt to be perfect and you’ll be too distracted about your perfection to focus on the content, which is the important part.
Imperfect gets better content. It’s more relatable. Think about it this way — have you ever watched an interview with someone you admire and they suddenly mess up? Did that person lose respect, authority, or believability in that moment? Not likely. That mess up can actually connect you better with that person. That mistake made them more real and relatable. That imperfection brought you closer, pulled your attention in, and created a connection with the person and content.
The same can be true for you!
Don’t stress over video length — seriously!
Don’t worry about how long your video is!
The length DOES NOT MATTER.
It’s about the content. The length of your video truly depends on the quality of the content. If you have something of value to share in 30 seconds, two minutes, 10 minutes, or 23.5 minutes … it doesn’t matter. The point is to share quality content for your audience.
But what if I don’t see any engagement?
The tricky thing about engagement, especially with videos, is you will not realize the people who are watching, reading, and even discussing your content without ever clicking like, share, or comment.
I get messages on LinkedIn, Facebook, and other platforms weekly saying “hey, I just want to say your videos have helped me and I really appreciate what you’re doing” … and these are people who have never engaged with my content in the past and I didn’t even realize were out there watching my videos until they sent me a message. You never know who you are helping with your content, but guaranteed, someone is watching (and not in a creepy way … at least, I don’t think!).
“OK, I’m convinced. How do I start?”
To get started, you need to … start. Do some dry-runs without the intention of posting it. Put yourself on your own Zoom account, hit record, and just focus on recording yourself talking about something you’re passionate about for 5 minutes. Then stop recording and go back and watch it.
No Zoom account? Grab your cellphone and make a recording there. You can set it up by leaning it up against a stack of books or a coffee cup. I’ve done plenty of videos this way!
You don’t need a fancy film crew or enormous budget to do this. Use the tools you have. Your smartphone. Zoom account. Traditional video camera. It doesn’t need to be fancy. It just needs to record.
Video is rolling, now what?
If you’re sitting there wondering what you should talk about, consider answering questions that you’ve received from a client, prospect, peer, or others. But don’t write a script. This should be a natural conversation. Consider this: how would you answer that question if you were approached right now? By talking naturally and organically, you’ll be more authentic in your video presentation style.
Let’s face it, talking to yourself on camera can feel awkward and unnatural. And that’s because it is.
If the awkwardness is just too much, have someone interview you. Grab a friend, colleague, someone you’re in quarantine with (even your child!), and have them ask you questions, and then just capture your responses on camera.
It can really be that simple.
Build yourself to the point of over-dramatizing your speech to over emphasize certain words. Adjust your inflections to ensure you aren’t monotone. You’re not monotone in your regular conversations, so why would you be in video?
Didn’t like how you phrased something? Redo it. There’s no limit to the number of retakes (and only YOU will know how many happened before the final cut). Just remember: It’s ok to mess up. It’s ok to laugh at your mistakes on camera. And it’s ok to keep some of those mistakes in your final cut. As I mentioned earlier, those mistakes make you more relatable.
And above all else, remember: Be easy and kind to yourself. You’re always going to be your toughest critic. But the more often you create videos, the better you’ll be at it. So keep training, practicing, and flexing that muscle!
Share that beautiful video!
You have your first video! It’s ready for prime time! (cue happy dance)
First, select the social media platform(s) you want to use to distribute your video. For example, you may share your shiny new video on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, to start.
Whichever platform you choose, always make sure you upload your video directly to the social media platform.
Next, be sure to tag people in the comment section that you would like to see it. Think about colleagues or peers who serve as cheerleaders for you and who will help boost you up as you try something new.
But don’t stop there …
Consider posting your video on your website, within a blog article or LinkedIn publication, or even in an email. The more channels you use to share your video, the more engagement it will get!
7-Day Video Challenge
For the next 7 days, I challenge you to record a video every day. You don’t have to share these videos with anyone. This is your time to practice, start building a habit, and grow in confidence.
Don’t worry about being polished or having something special to say. Just hit record and talk. Get familiar with the process. Shake off some of those nerves. And start training your video marketing muscle.
There’s no need to edit. Just watch yourself raw and make note of things you like and don’t like. Not as an exercise in self-shaming. Think of it as a learning technique. Weightlifters need to analyze and correct their form as they go, so you should analyze your form as you go, too.
Don’t be surprised if at the end the 7-day challenge you’re still not 100% comfortable in front of a camera. It takes time. You’ll get there … if you stay consistent and build video marketing as a habit.
Post on social media and tag me or message me and let me know if you’re going to do the 7-day challenge. I’ll be cheering you on!
As always you can direct message me wherever you find me online for extra support and make sure you check out how our team at Active Blogs can 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 your stalled, underperforming, or overpriced content marketing strategies with a Marketing Second Opinion!
