You have heard that video is king, but you just can't get yourself to dance on camera to promote your business. I mean, what does dancing have to do with my business (unless you give dance lessons)? Your concerns are valid! Heck, I had the same ones! But I learned that video was one of the best tools to grow, so I did what I had to do. It started out rocky. I felt silly. But ultimately, I did gain confidence on video so that I could start reaching more potential customers, and you can, too! Here's how!
But First...
Do these statistics from Sprout Social surprise you? I mean, 93% of companies have acquired a new customer because of social media videos? That is CRAZY! You're probably thinking that you need to go "viral" to get that sort of results, right? WRONG! You don't! The best way to get those clients is to create videos directly to them! You know the whole "create your client avatar" IE Sally has 3 kids and is interested in baking, organic beauty products, and high end fashion on a budget. You want to create your video FOR SALLY!
The reason why I wanted to show you these statistics and give you that advice is because it is SO IMPORTANT when creating your videos. You can have all the confidence in the world and dance to your little hearts content, but if you aren't reaching your target audience, you aren't going to sell your products. So now on to the real reason you came to this blog.
How to Gain Confidence on Video
Create a Strategy
Creating a strategy is one of the most important things you can do when coming up with not just TikToks or Reels, but any type of digital marketing. Having a strategy in place will automatically boost your confidence because you have really thought it through and have created a space specifically for this type of digital marketing. When you have a plan, an outline, a script, a music or sound clip in mind, you have the building blocks for your video. Winging it, especially at the beginning, is not going to make you feel more confident, it actually can do the opposite. Having a plan or strategy in place is number one in feeling more confident and put together on video. I use Asana to plan out my video from the music to the script, copy and hashtags. Below is an example of one I have done in the past.
Practice Makes Perfect
You know that saying? It's as true in everything in life as it is to gain confidence on video. The more videos you create the more comfortable you will start to become in front of the camera. My main advice when creating videos is to just go for it! Even if you create your videos and never post them, that is OK. Why? Because you are practicing. You aren't a professional actor so I would assume you wouldn't go in front of a 1000 people and start reciting lines from Romeo and Juliet. Even actors practice their lines with their costars, at home with someone else, or even just by themselves. They do this so that they can feel comfortable with the material. Practicing being on camera is no different. Here are some things you can start out with to get your feet wet.
- Put on some music, prop up your camera, and dance like no one is watching. Mainly because no one will be watching this! Go back and view it several times throughout the next week or so. Get comfortable with seeing yourself on video
- Find some soundbites that you can lip sync to on video. Practice looking at the camera while doing it and practice looking elsewhere. Try different hand gestures, different facial expressions, and different types of content to find what you are most comfortable with.
- Watch other Reels and TikToks to get inspiration. Sometimes seeing a video the way someone does it gives me an idea that I think would make it even better. Knowing that I can create something that I feel is better gives me the confidence to move forward.
But My Significant Other/Friends/Kids/Strangers Will Laugh At Me
They really won't. Trust me, I thought the same thing. Well, I take that back. My husband still laughs at me ALL THE TIME because he just doesn't get it. But, every single time I create a video my followers count goes up, I get DM's or comments that can bring in more business, or hundreds to thousands more become exposed to my business. That type of exposure is HUGE. If you gather your friends, family, and 1000 strangers in a room and talk about your product or service and a handful of people giggle at you, but the other 1000+ don't, and consider your product isn't that worth it?
Plus, if they do laugh at you, Eff Them! More on that later.
If you still are hesitant try creating a video that is purposefully supposed to be funny. This is a great way to ease the nerves for a couple of reasons:
- You won't need to worry about "those people" laughing at you, instead they will be laughing with you.
- It will showcase your personality and that has a very positive effect in people "knowing, liking, and trusting" you.
Be Yourself
I know that sounds super cliché, but it is true. People like you for you. So what makes you think that people won't like you on video? People want authenticity when purchasing something. They are tired of the celebrity spokesperson telling them that they use the $8 beauty store product because we all know it simply isn't true. We all know they go home and slather on the $300 high end beauty products, go and get facials all the time, and have a team of makeup artists that make them look flawless. Most people are not going to look like them using that $8 product and we know this. Authenticity sells! So be authentically you! OR...
Have an Alter Ego
I have seen many videos of people that have created a cute alter ego for themselves. Pretending to be someone else, or a different character can certainly be less intimidating than putting yourself out there. Just remember if you create an alter ego, that persona becomes your brand and that is something that you will need to stick with throughout the life of your business (unless you go through a rebranding phase).
Don't Give a S#!T
I know. That is a really hard one to do because by nature humans actually do give a shit, even those that say they don't. But, that doesn't mean you have to give a shit what other people think about you trying to grow your business. If someone wants to judge you because you did a video promoting a product that you think is amazing, eff them. Seriously. Those are not the people that will be buying your product nor would you want those people buying from you. The people that see your video and purchase your product are doing so for one of three reasons:
- They absolutely have to have your product because it is what they have been looking for
- They like your product, but they also like you. Purchasing from someone that you have a connection with is much better than purchasing a product from a no name large corporation.
- Both 1 & 2.
Remember that! Also, this is why targeting your preferred audience through keywords and hashtags are so important. If you find that you are just not reaching the right audience, switch up your copy and content to see if that helps.
And if all of that advice above fails...
Fake It 'Till You Make It!
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