Getting comfortable with video

Have you been thinking you should produce more video content, but you hate watching recordings of yourself?

Whether the process feels uncomfortable, or you dislike the way you look or sound on camera, know that you are not alone. Many people dislike recording video content initially, but in this month’s column (and accompanying video) I aim to build your confidence and encourage you to produce more videos.

Let’s start off with why it’s a good idea to create videos. Whether your communication goals are personal- or business-related, video is one of the most effective mediums we have access to for getting a message across. What’s crazy is that many people have been talking about the importance of producing video content for decades; however, to this day, very few people produce significant amounts of video content.

In previous columns, I’ve talked about the percentage breakdown of how a message is communicated: 55% of communication revolves around body language, 38% comes from vocal tone/variety and only 7% of how a message is interpreted comes from the words that we say. While some have debated the specific numbers related to this formula, it’s undeniable that body language has a significant impact on our communication.

With this in mind, e-mails, blog posts and even audio-only podcasts are missing a huge component of communication. Video content allows your audience to see your body language and, therefore, understand more of your message.

But for some reason, when we step in front of a camera, many of us tend to freeze up. Even though no one may physically be in the room, our brains understand that a number of people will end up watching the video we are creating, which makes us nervous.

Here are four tips to make video content creation easier:

1. Plan the structure in advance

It's very difficult to turn on your camera and wing it without any preparation. For every YouTube video I create, I spend time in advance writing brief notes on what I want to talk about. Once I have the basic structure outlined, I practice my delivery a few times before turning on the camera and pressing record. By taking this step, you’ll make the recording process significantly easier than if you had tried to wing it.

One additional note is that I don’t suggest writing out your notes word-for-word, because the audience can often tell if you are reading off of a script.

2. Smile!

Some of the best advice I received when I began shooting video content was to purposefully smile more than I thought was necessary. My friend told me that it might seem odd at first, but it will be a positive experience for the audience.

Many people who start creating videos are so focused on communicating their message correctly, they forget to smile and end up coming across incredibly serious or maybe even upset. Smiling will lighten your mood, and create a deeper connection with your audience.

3. Place reminder bullet points behind camera

If you are struggling to remember what you’re going to talk about, try writing brief bullet points on a sticky note and placing it just behind your camera. It’s important to not stare at the sticky note (your audience will be able to tell if you’re reading off of something), but it will give you something to quickly glance at between sentences to keep yourself on track.

This tip is especially helpful for when you are creating live video content:

4. Create multiple videos in every session

When I create video content, it’s quite the process.I spend about 20 minutes setting up one of the rooms in my house with the appropriate lighting, camera, tripod, laptop, microphone, etc. For all of that effort, it would be silly to simply shoot one video. I’ve learned it’s much more efficient to create a batch of videos (usually I do four) at once, to be as efficient as possible.

Beyond the benefit of additional content, you will also find you hit your groove after the first or second video, so recording the third and fourth ends up being a breeze.

If you’re interested in learning more about Impactful Communication, subscribe to my YouTube channel.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.