5 Tips to Conquer Your Fear of Doing Live Video
Do you want to start creating live video content but fear being on camera? Or maybe you don’t know where to start?
We know that video content is a massive asset to businesses in three key ways:
Video has a higher chance of being seen by more people.
Ex: Facebook is more likely to feature videos that users watch beyond the 3-minute mark
Allows you to go in-depth and solidify your expertise more than just text and photos.
Accelerates the Know, Like, Trust Factor to convert followers into customers. People can tell quickly via video if they like your personality and communication style.
LIVE video in particular has certain advantages over pre-recorded video:
Live broadcasts are FREE and can be done via your phone or laptop. This is a great option if you don’t yet have the budget for paid ads or boosting posts.
You’re less likely to be caught up in being perfect. Lives can be more raw or spontaneous.
There’s a higher rate of engagement on lives since it enables a real-time conversation with your audience. Viewers are more likely to comment and react when they see you directly responding to their actions.
Tip #1 - Know WHY you're making the video in the first place to help conquer your fears of being on camera
For any video project, start by writing down your goal, and then list at least 3 key take-aways you want the viewer to remember. Knowing your key points lessens the chance you’ll ramble and go off on tangents during a livestream.
For example:
My goal in a recent Facebook Live was to help people overcome common fears about being on camera so they can consistently use live video to grow their business.
Each of the tips I share are my key takeaways, which I recap at the end of the vid so viewers remember them better.
Tip #2 - Imagine you're having a 1-on-1 conversation to get over your fears
Identifying a specific person you want to talk to takes away the pressure of going live to hundreds of viewers - or zero viewers.
Even if no one's watching your live at first, still imagine how connecting with just one person would make it all worth it. It's helpful to give that person a name - for me, I use Willow, a name from one of my favorite TV shows. (Can you guess which one? It was created by Joss Whedon.)
Also, don't assume you're reaching no one just because viewers aren't joining your live in real-time. Remember, lots of people watch replays of lives, so always keep that in mind when live streaming. #doitforthereplay
Tip #3 - Shift the focus from yourself to how you can serve others to get over your fears of doing live video
Too often we get caught up on our own fears and insecurities that we forget that we have a chance to empower others with our message.
When you shift your focus to doing whatever you can to help someone else, your camera fears become secondary.
Remember the one person you're speaking to back in Tip #2?
Imagine approaching live video with her in mind:
“Willow, I know you’ve been really struggling with self-esteem and anxiety issues after losing your job. I have some information I think can really help you get back on track.”
You're more willing to put aside your own nervousness when it's in service for someone else.
Tip #4 - Know that high quality content trumps production value
That means you don't need a fancy set, fancy camera, or fancy wardrobe to show up and deliver something your audience will enjoy. Because if what you share is truly helpful or entertaining, people overlook all of that because they like you and are genuinely interested in what you have to say.
That's why it's a no-brainer to use live videos because it's FREE to use and platforms like Facebook and Youtube have made it easy to go live on your phone or laptop.
Plus, with live video there's less expectation for it to look super polished anyway because people know when you're going live from your phone.
Tip #5 - Build up your confidence & consistency first, instead of obsessing over video stats and views
When you're first starting out, give yourself at least a dozen videos to get comfortable and hone your style. Success for you just means showing up when you planned to show up. Analyzing stats and metrics can come later once you have a small library of video content to review.
Here are 2 main methods to ensure you're consistent When Trying to Conquer Your Fear of Being on Camera:
Commit to a schedule of going live so you build a habit
Start out by going live once a month or bi-weekly, then later decide to do it once a week or even every day.
Block time off in your calendar to go live. When it's visible like that, it's more real.
Use your first dozen videos as a testing period to see how frequently your audience wants to hear from you and which timeframe works best.
Start with a video snippet
If the idea of speaking on a livestream for 30 minutes seems overwhelming, then instead focus on doing a quick video snippet to talk about one very specific idea or topic.
Instagram Stories are a great way to segue into lives because you can share 60 second video clips of yourself talking to the camera. You can take this time to answer a Frequently Asked Question or share a quick tip.
In Conclusion
So there you have it! Here again are the 5 tips to get over your fear of live video:
Know WHY you're making the video in the first place
Imagine you're having a 1-on-1 conversation
Shift the focus from yourself to how you can serve others
Know that high quality content trumps production value
Build up your confidence & consistency first - worry about stats and views later
Know someone who may need an extra push to get them started on live video?
Share this article to anyone who needs that confidence boost!
And if you have other tips that you'd like to share, leave them in the comments below.
Thanks for reading,
Klara
