Visibility online is a necessity for almost any business. People like a personal connection with the businesses they buy from. Video is one of the best ways to help make that personal connection. And that means you might need to stand in front of a video camera. And this is where the dreaded video camera problem comes in.
These days, when many small businesses are forced to work from home, business owners need to find creative ways to get their message out to prospective customers. There is no networking, or meetings, or events and no coffee catch-ups to fall back on.
This is where short videos offering helpful tips, useful information and clever ideas become really useful. And often people would prefer to watch a video than to read a blog post. These videos also help to keep each business connected to their contact list.
Does presenting to a video camera make you want to run away and hide?
Don’t be concerned – you’re not the only one. Many small business owners agree – they feel very uncomfortable with the idea of presenting to a video camera. Yet it looks easy enough and most find that it’s simple.
But some small business owners feel acute embarrassment, a sudden lack of confidence in their own ability and a dread that leads to putting off the whole video experience.
This sample is my first attempt at presenting to a video camera. I was hesitant, kept forgetting what I was going to say and wasn’t all that helpful. But I will try again and with practice I should get better at it.
Some tips for overcoming the video camera problem
So here are some tips that might help to make your first video presentation less of an ordeal.
You don’t need a script
But you do need to know what to say. Make a few dot points to remind you to refer to if necessary. But you are familiar with your topic, so you really do know what you are going to say.
Plan your video on a single topic. For instance, a café owner might announce a new service, such as home delivery with instructions on how to order. An online store could announce a new product and show with video how it works.
The video should be short, around one minute is good. Knowing what you are going to say will help to make a confident presentation.
Practice brings confidence
Practice your script in front of a mirror. Imagine you are speaking to another business owner at a networking event. Then have a go.
Your first video might be awful, but that’s okay. Your next one will be better and you will become more comfortable with each new video posted.
My first effort on video was quite awful. I am more used to being behind the camera than in front of it and I am easily distracted and forget what I am going to say. I think I needed more practice. Take a look and see what you think.
Always offer useful content in your videos
As with your blog posts, your video tips should be informative and helpful. If you need inspiration, have a look back through your other blog posts and produce videos of hits and tips from your best ones.
For example, you might have written a post of 7 helpful tips. You could repurpose each tip into a video presentation and post these as a series over a period of time.
Post your videos often and consistently
Remember to produce your videos often and the more often you do produce videos the more comfortable in front of a video camera you will become. I know I will be practising so that my video presentation skills improve.
We offer a full range of business video applications. Go to our Business videos page to see some samples. Or you can contact us if you would like advice on setting up your own small business video studio.
