10 tips for talking to the camera with confidence
Building a personal brand on social media
If you’re a service-based business working directly with customers or clients, building a personal brand on social media is one of the best ways to differentiate yourself from the competition and connect with your future leads on your platforms.
Why you need to start showing your face on camera
Unless you are the pioneer of your niche, I can guarantee there are plenty of options at the fingertips of your dream customers, and whilst you and your competitors may offer very similar services or products, there is only one you in the world, which is why creating a personal brand can be such a powerful tool for your business.
Getting your face on camera and building up that reputation and familiarity with your audience is only going to be a good thing.
I can sense your eyerolls and groans already. Whenever I suggest a client starts to introduce personal branding in this way, I’m normally met with the following responses:
“Do I have to talk on camera?”
“I can’t do it, I feel silly.”
“I hate the sound of my own voice.”
“I don’t know what to say and stumble over my words every time I try.”
“I’m an introvert so I can’t put myself out there, it doesn’t come naturally to me.”
Why being an introvert is not an excuse - I’m talking from experience…
I’m coming to you as a total introvert (believe it or not). I had to force myself onto that camera, listening to my voice back was excruciating, it’d take me hours to film one talking-to-camera piece because I’d be worrying about how I looked, and I’d hover over the ‘publish’ button with the fear of judgement looming over me.
So trust me, I get your concerns.
But now, after a year of practice, I do confidently show up on camera in a way that is very authentic to my personality, and I can safely say without a shadow of a doubt, it has earned me business from clients who have gotten to know me through my content and built up trust in me.
So if you’re reading this and thinking, “okay great, but where do I start?” I have some tips and thoughts to share with you, that can help you dip your toe into building a personal brand on social media.
10 tips for building a personal brand on social media
Tip 1: Start small
Like with any new skill, you need to learn to walk before you can run. If you have never spoken on camera before, the chances are you aren’t going to want to film an in-depth face-to-camera interview or go live on TikTok.
You need to start with baby steps.
Could you post a photo of yourself on your stories? Set up a tripod next to your desk and record a 5 second time lapse of you working? Or introduce some recorded voiceover to add to your next reel?
Then, once your confidence starts to grow, you can dip your toe into some longer pieces of content where you start speaking on camera.
Tip 2: It’s okay to script
Some people are natural speakers, others need prompts. It will totally depend on the subject you’re talking about, but a lot of the time it is a great idea to write a script before you go to film your face-to-camera piece. Because stumbling over your words or trying to memorise all the points you want to land can make you feel even more nervous.
For voiceovers, I’d 100% script everything you want to say, because no one can see you reading your script. Try and deliver it as naturally as possible, and write the script how you would actually speak.
If you want to script your face-to-camera videos too, lots of editing apps like Instagram Edits and CapCut now offer a teleprompter that you can pop your script into and read off the screen as you go.
Tip 3: Show up as your authentic self
The clue is in the name - personal brand. It’s personal to you!
There is no need to show up online as a persona or copy someone else you think looks or sounds good. You don’t need to have a big, bold, or bright personality to shine online.
My advice would be to talk to the camera how you would a customer or client. Let your personality come through, just because you’re a business doesn’t mean you have to be smart and formal 24/7 on your social media.
On the other side of that coin, deciding early on what you will and won’t talk about on your business account is a great idea to set some boundaries in place. For example, you might feel comfortable to share a snippet of your life outside of work, but set a boundary not to overshare too much.
Tip 4: Have clear objectives in place
Setting objectives as to why you are showing up on camera in the first place can keep you on track when building a personal brand on social media. For each video, have one clear message that you want to convey. Whether you’re freestyling or you’ve scripted the piece, make sure you’re getting to the point and not wandering off topic.
Having a social media coach is a great way to get started if you’re coming at this as a complete beginner, so be sure to check out my online social media coaching and strategy package for more details.
Tip 5: You don’t need to film everything in one take
You don’t have to feel the pressure to film everything in one seamless take. Reduce the pressure by filming any talkative, face-to-camera videos in bitesize chunks that you can edit together later.
For voiceovers, take pauses between sentences if you need to catch your breath or before moving onto your next point. You can always edit out the lulls and pauses later on.
Tip 6: Hold a prop if it helps
If you’re talking to the camera and feeling a bit rigid or awkward, sometimes holding a prop can be quite comforting and provide an anchor for you to focus on whilst you chat. Depending on the nature of your video, a mini content microphone can be both practical and a great prop, or holding a mug of tea or coffee can help you to feel more relaxed and at ease.
Tip 7: Choose a space you feel comfortable to film in with minimal distractions
Don’t set yourself up for failure by trying to film in a chaotic environment. Choose a spot where you will have minimal distractions or interruptions, good lighting, and a backdrop that feels appropriate for your business.
As a social media manager, I film a lot of my content at my desk, but if you were a gardener, you might choose your greenhouse or a quiet spot in your garden to film your content.
Once you’ve got a go-to spot, keep things simple and film there most of the time. It will also build up familiarity with your audience.
Tip 8: Give it the bedside drawer treatment
Once you’ve filmed a piece of content or recorded a voiceover, it’s very easy to become instantly self-critical. When I find myself picking apart every sentence, feeling my skin crawl at the sound of my own voice because I think it sounds ‘too cringe’ or weird, I know it’s time to give it the bedside drawer treatment. Which means, quite simply, putting your phone down and looking at it later or the next day with fresh eyes.
Tip 9: Invest in the right kit
If you want to get really good at your social media marketing, it does help to have some of the basic pieces of equipment. For example, having your phone on a tripod so you can use your hands to gesture as you talk feels so much more natural than trying to awkwardly hold the phone in mid-air as you speak.
If you’re looking for some recommendations, I’ve compiled a list of the top 6 content creation gadgets and tools I could not live without, that I think every aspiring content creator should have, which you can read here.
Tip 10: No one cares as much as you think
I know how daunting putting yourself out there can be, but from my experience, people simply don’t care as much as you think they do.
The first time you share something online you might find people’s interest pique from natural curiosity, but keep showing up and over time everyone will come to get used to you and there won’t be any judgement. And if there is any judgement, from my experience it’s usually from the people who wouldn’t have the confidence themselves to try what you’re doing.
One of my all time favourite quotes from Brene Brown is:
“If you are not in the arena getting your ass kicked on occasion, I am not interested in or open to your feedback.”
So try not to overthink, have fun, and just hit post!
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