Stop worrying about video–live or pre-recorded–and do it.

“I hate how I look on video.”

“I don’t know what to say on live video.”

“No one cares about what I have to say.”

I hear this all the time from people when I ask them if they’re doing live video…or any video, for that matter. It’s time to stop worrying about video and start doing it.

We are our own worst critic.

We criticize ourselves the most…and the worst. It’s understandable–it’s human nature to worry about what others will think or say about us. But like Mom said when we were younger: just be yourself. People like you for who you are, so don’t pretend to be someone else.

Once you have established that mindset, the next step is accepting that we all make mistakes–even on video. The more you engage in the act of creating video, the more at ease you’ll be with it and the fewer mistakes you’ll make.

how to do live video

Think of video as a virtual handshake.

If you want customers and clients to get to know you, the best way to do it is with video. They can hear your voice, put a face to a name, and quickly connect with you before they meet you face-to-face. If you run a virtual business, then video is an absolute must to build community and make your business more personable. Look at Gary Vaynerchuk. He’s an influencer to many an entrepreneur and dreamer, but he maximizes video to build not just his personal brand but also (albeit more subtly) Vayner Media. And he started out selling wine. If you want to grow, you have to let people in.

how to prepare for doing video

4 tips to prepare yourself for live video.

Some people work really well “winging it” or going “off the cuff.” But it’s not for everyone, especially if you’re just getting started and already have the stomach butterflies working against you. Here are four tips to prepare yourself for doing live video:

  • Have a script. You can opt to write out word-for-word what you’ll say, but make sure that you practice so you don’t appear to be just reading…like you’re nervous. Alternatively, you can bullet point your main ideas and discuss those off the cuff. This is especially beneficial if you are well versed in your subject matter.
  • Practice. If you’re nervous about doing video (live or otherwise), don’t be afraid to practice. Literally hit record and start talking. Practice looking into the camera, as if you were talking with someone instead of to a camera lens. Before you start, take a deep breath, shake out your hands, do a quick neck roll to relax. Use inflection in your voice (avoid the monotony of nervousness as much as possible).
  • Watch yourself. Might sound counterintuitive to our statement about being our own worst critic, but it is important that you pay attention to any nervous ticks you might exhibit, how stiff you appear, any awkward hand gestures (or lack thereof!), weird clicking sounds you might make, and so on. These types of things can be remedied only if you know about them, and the more you practice the better you’ll get.
  • Pause. Don’t be afraid to pause at the beginning, middle, and end of your speech, especially if you’re doing pre-recorded video. Always be thinking that you’ll need to edit your video, so these pauses will give you ample cut space. With live video, holding your smile at the end of your speech will allow time for the live video to end.

how to develop video strategy

Develop a strategy.

We coach our members to use a strategy for their content, and video is no different. It can be as simple as using a theme, like us talking about video during the month of July, We’re writing this blog post, we’re recording live video, we’re using excerpts and spin-offs of both in our social media, and so on. We’re even using it as part of our list building and social engagement techniques. Simply sign up for our free “21 Easy-to-Follow Social Media Automation Tips” guide on our homepage, share it on social media, and watch what happens! Simply by having one theme makes all of our content much easier to develop and execute. (We actually teach our members a system for this technique in our membership.)

#BeRawBeYou

Our hashtag is #BeRawBeYou, and we use it because it’s effective, especially in video. I once cried on a Facebook Live, but the point of the video was being ok with not just fear of failure, but with fear of success. Check out the number of views…and it’s still growing. The point is that people tend to be drawn toward what is real. They’re tired of being lied to, they’re tired of being promised more than what can be delivered, they’re tired of being sold to. People want honesty, so give it to them…especially in video.

Final thoughts

You don’t have to be an actor or actress to do video. You don’t have to be model thin or sexy gorgeous to do video. You don’t have to own the most expensive equipment to do video. What you DO have to have for video is compelling, contextual content. (And don’t forget a tripod and a microphone.) If you share engaging content, the flub at 0:37 won’t matter, and neither will the fact that you repeated yourself at 0:56. Good content makes the video. So it’s time to stop worrying about these little things and actually start making videos.

It's not gonna get done if you don't make the time to do it.

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