How to be more confident on camera | VIDEO FIRST Newsletter #06

The single most common thing that gets mentioned by EVERYONE when starting using video in their business is the fear of being on camera.

Everyone brings this up, even the people who do just dive in and have a go.

Nobody likes it. But how can we be more confident on camera?

I recently caught up with Katie Bentz from Vidyard about this topic and here's the top tip...

Want to hear the full chat with Katie where we go through a few more simple tips to help you be more confident on camera?

Check out the full podcast here.

Watch the video above to see this explained, check out the transcript and sign up below to get tips and tricks like this straight to your inbox every 2 weeks.

The VIDEO FIRST Newsletter #06 transcript:

Hi! In this edition of the Video First Newsletter we're tackling how to be more confident on camera.

It's the single most common hesitancy shared with new starters at Digital 22, but also customers who purchase Vidyard and want to do video for sales and marketing purposes.

People are not sure about being on camera. People aren't confident doing it. I think to understand why would help tackle this challenge and why were afraid of being on camera is... it's a defence mechanism which is hard wired into us.

It's the same one as why we're uncomfortable doing speeches. Why we're uncomfortable presenting to a big room of people. It's a defence mechanism which is hard wired into us through evolution, through millions of years of evolution.

When we feel a threat, we recoil and go on the defensive, putting yourself out there is putting yourself vulnerable to attack.

When you're going on camera, you are putting yourself out there and that is the same primal reaction... As that... scary lion coming down through the jungle to come and get you...

We don't have to worry about those things anymore. So what the human brain does is find things to worry about. One of the things in the modern world is getting on camera.

Everybody feels that.

How to overcome it is prep. Prep what you're going to say and then aim for a human connection. If you prep what you're going to say, it will take a lot of stress away from trying to think in the moment and then if you remember that you're aiming for a human connection (not perfection)...

You will take the pressure off of trying to be flawless. I've stalled, have stuttered, have digressed in this video. All I need to do is try and build a connection with you and keep this tip under two minutes.

I could talk about this in more depth and have done in a podcast with Katie Bentz from Vidyard recently. I'll put a link in the email as well.

If you've got any queries about getting more confident on camera or finding out about why are we afraid of being on camera?

Feel free to check out our other resources or get in touch with me and I'll happily have a chat about that. Right, hope to speak to you soon.

If not, I'll see you in the next newsletter.