Becoming camera confident
Time to start with a little home truth
Part of the reason I work behind the camera is because I decided a long time ago that I wasn’t cut out to be in front of it. Or at least, I’d told myself I wasn’t cut out for it.
There. I said it. And I realise that now makes me a bit of a hypocrite since this blog is all about trying to dispel the obstacles many people experience when they’re about to put themselves in one of the most vulnerable situations they may ever have to face, by sitting down and delivering on camera.
But as Brené Brown shared in her book Daring Greatly:
“Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it's having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. Vulnerability is not weakness; it's our greatest measure of courage.”
Some common obstacles that can get in the way
We all have that stuff that stops us from doing those things we think we ‘should’. And when it comes to building the confidence to take on that stuff, for me it starts by addressing the obstacle(s) that are getting in our way.
So let’s look at some of the most common camera confidence obstacles we’ve encountered in our video production experience over the years, along with a few simple suggestions to help you feel able to overcome them:
1. The stories we tell ourselves
One of the hardest obstacles people often encounter when they consider speaking on camera, is in standing up to the mind talk they subject themselves to. I know because I’ve seen it in almost every shoot I've produced. And I’ve experienced it myself as well.
We ask ourselves ‘do I really have anything valuable to share’, and we start to doubt our own credibility. Sometimes it's referred to as imposter syndrome. Other times a lack of self-belief. Whatever label you want to put on it, it’s a common theme that I’m convinced even the professionals experience at times as well.
Whilst I’m not qualified to coach you out of that mind talk, what I can do is reassure you that you’re not alone. Trust me! I’ve interviewed board level leaders who’ve frozen the moment that camera starts rolling. I’ve worked hard to help them untangle their words, easing them into a seamless and cohesive stream of narrative. Because that’s what we’re trying to achieve on every shoot, open and honest content delivered from the heart.
“We love seeing raw truth and openness in other people, but we’re afraid to let them see it in us.” – Brené Brown, Daring Greatly.
If the thought of overcoming your mind talk and becoming vulnerable makes you want to run and hide, I’d wholeheartedly recommend starting this journey by reading or listening to some of Brené Brown’s work in her book Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead. I've found it incredibly insightful and it might just light that spark of courage you need.
2. Feeling a lack of technical video ability and/or skills
Being brutally honest, this obstacle is quite frankly a cop out. It’s too easy to see a lack of the ‘right’ technology or skills as the reason behind a lack of camera confidence. We’ve all got incredible technology at our fingertips, we carry it round in our pockets and bags every day. What you can achieve with that device is more than adequate to get you started. And that’s the most important thing to do here; Just. Get. Started.
Maybe once you’re a few months down the line and you’re gaining some momentum with this content you might start looking for a few nifty upgrades. But honestly, that phone or webcam of yours is absolutely where you should begin. Because it’s a simple, point and shoot setup that will give you good enough results as a beginner without over complicating matters.
And if a sense of not having the right skills is what’s holding you back, then we've got a couple of blog posts that might help alleviate those concerns:
3. Not enough time to create good video content
This is often one of the most common obstacles we hear people share. And in reality there’s not a whole lot we can do about time. You can either make time to create video content for yourself or you can’t.
And if you can’t - but you really really really recognise the value of video content – then it’s time to start looking for external support. Ther are many experts out there who can come in and create for you in a far more effective and efficient way than you could ever achieve by yourself as a beginner.
If you are able to commit to the time and intent to create video content, but the obstacle for you is in justifying the investment of your time, then it’s time to start weighing up the purpose and benefits of creating video content for your business. Then perhaps time will become less of an obstacle and you’ll get one step closer to accomplishing camera confidence.
What's in it for us?
Weighing up the cost versus return of any investment is clearly incredibly important for every business decision. An early question we often ask in all our video projects, is what form you’re hoping that return will take. After all, there are more than just financial returns possible with video content, and every business will have its own unique goals and priorities.
Sales is often the ultimate end goal for any video content
But perhaps your video content is initially working to alleviate customer care calls, streamline staff induction or training, or simply to raise awareness and increase traffic to a landing page. It’s really important get clear about your own targets and ambitions, because that will help you make good decisions about what kind of video content will be most effective in helping you to achieve those goals.
But for now, we’re going to look at some of the most common and unified benefits that any type of video content can achieve for businesses. Because we reckon that understanding and believing in the purpose and benefits of stepping on camera in the first place, will work wonders in helping to boost your confidence.
1. Video nurtures relationship & engagement
So it goes without saying that video content works incredibly well to build relationships and engagement on your social channels. Assuming you’re not just filming, posting and then hiding in an internet black hole of course!
Sharing your face and personality through video content helps to break down corporate barriers, giving your business and brand a sense of humanity. Bots may well help processes become more efficient. But we’re humans. And we need connection. And video content is an amazingly effective way to build that connection.
Audiences start to get to know you. Will you appeal to everybody? Absolutely not! But don’t let that put you off. Instead see it as a way to avoid wasting time on potentially negative client relationships. By simply being your marvellous self, you're naturally going to attract an audience or people with whom you’re likely to be a good fit.
And remember to keep the engagement flowing. Be there to respond to comments or questions. That’ll help fast track those relationships even further.
2. Video generates exposure & credibility
Bonus benefit, geography is no longer an issue! Once you’ve posted your video content it’s available for every person on the earth who speaks your language to consume. I’m aware how that thought may terrify the living daylights out of you. But instead, try to see it an opportunity to scale your reach.
At the same time, by sharing valuable content you’re reinforcing your credibility. The more you give snippets of insightful and helpful information the stronger you solidify your position as the expert in your audience's mind. Then when they encounter a problem or challenge that’s relevant to your expertise, you’re immediately front of mind when they’re seeking help.
3. Creating video increases your confidence
This one may seem oddly placed as a benefit. But trust me, it’s like riding a bike. The more you do it the easier it becomes. And equally the more confident you become too. It’s self-perpetuating. So, if achieving camera confidence is something you’re seriously striving for, then taking the first step with the tools you’ve already got to hand will go a long way towards nurturing that confidence.
So what are you waiting for?
Becoming confident in any skill takes time and practice. You may well know that you probably should be creating and sharing video content. But until you really want to - until you’ve overcome whatever fear or obstacle you have in place right now - then there’s not a huge amount I can share that will nudge you into action.
I’ll leave you with one last book recommendation
This is a book that I share with all our members of staff as part of their Majestical induction. ‘Who Moved My Cheese? An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life’, published on September 8, 1998. It’s a bestselling seminal work and motivational business fable by Spencer Johnson. And in it, Johnson asks one simple question that I often ask myself and others in both my personal and professional life:
“What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”
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