Build your confidence on camera
Wouldn't it be nice if your services could do all the talking for you? You wouldn't have to post photos of yourself on social media nor would you have to talk to the camera. Having confidence on camera wouldn’t be something you would have to worry about. You could just stay in your zone of genius happy as a clam as your offers sold themselves.
Hate to burst your bubble, but your dream customer wants to know who’s behind the brand they want to love and support. If you haven’t heard it before, people buy from people, not products or services. So, showing your face adds that human touch our digitally obsessed society craves. Not ready to embrace the makeup free hair not done close up?! Don’t worry, I wasn’t either when I first started showing up on camera. I hated:
Being on social media
Showing my work
Showing my face, and most of all
Talking about ME
I wasn’t confident to show up on camera right away but I did have the courage to take the leap. And you know what...I was surprised how quickly I got comfortable being on camera. Check out these 5 tips to build your business owner confidence on camera.
Tip #1: Post a photo of you on social media
Before you run in the other direction hear me out. It DOES NOT need to be a close up of you nor does every post need to be a photo of you. You want your dream customer to get to know the person behind the brand. So, mixing in your photo along with your other content will make your brand feel more well rounded. The photo of you could be:
A really zoomed out one where your dream customer will be able to tell it is you while removing the “look at me, look at me” feeling
From when you were a baby. Your dream customer will automatically say “awww how cute” and want to read more about the story that relates to that photo in the caption
One with text layered on top of it. Your dream customer is more likely to be focusing on the value you’re providing in the copy and not your face
Zoomed out photo of you.
Baby photo of you.
Photo of you with text on top.
Tip #2: Try the 1 minute IG stories selfie challenge
Now this is an ABSOLUTE GAME CHANGER. Open up stories on Instagram, on the right hand side click on the "hands-free" option, and press record. Basically, you want to film a video of yourself talking for at least one minute. The recording will automatically stop after one minute. You can talk about:
You
How you helped your client overcome a challenge they were facing
A key takeaway from your day, or
Even whatever you had for lunch lol
Seems simple enough, no?! This is a great way to flex your on camera muscle because there's no one on the other side. It's just you and your phone...and no one sees it until you hit post. And in case you didn't know, IG stories only last for 24 hours. It's not like a feed post which stays on your profile forever unless you delete or archive it.
My initial selfie challenge goal was to start showing my face in my stories 3x per week which quickly (about 2.5 weeks) increased to 5x per week because I got so comfortable. Honestly, I could probably show up everyday in stories but I like to disconnect from social media on the weekends.
The biggest benefit with the 1 minute selfie challenge was an increase of sales calls. My followers loved how authentic and passionate I was that they wanted to continue the conversation outside of Instagram and see how I could potentially help their business. Who knew that could be a result?!?
Click on the hands-free option on IG stories to film a 1 minute selfie video on Instagram.
Tip #3: Take up 2/3s of the screen
This may seem irrelevant to building your confidence on camera but thinking about where you are on the screen whenever you’re on a Zoom call or IG stories will give off the idea that you're more confident than not. You want your body to fill up 2/3s of the screen with space above your head and both shoulders.
Too little will look like you're hiding and too close will feel like you're invading your dream customer’s personal space. Turn on the camera grid to help show you how to break the shot into thirds. On an iPhone, go settings > camera > scroll to composition > toggle on grid. On an android, launch camera app > tap settings > toggle on grid lines.
When I'm doing an IG story or a talking head reel (talking head is a style of video where you talk straight to the camera), I actually prefer being up close and personal like I'm FaceTime-ing my family and friends. It makes sense for my brand since it matches how I want to be seen...big sister energy vibes alllll day long.
Too low on the screen make you feel like you are hiding.
Centered on the screen with space above your head and both shoulders showing.
Too close to the screen feels like your invading your dream customer’s personal space.
Tip #4: Make eye contact
You want to grab your dream customer’s attention by looking into the camera instead of staring at your face. I bet you make eye contact when meeting someone new in real life. So what’s the difference in the online space? To me, making eye contact in the online space is like having a firm handshake. It shows confidence and creates connection. Without it, it's a dead give away that you don’t want to be there.
Now, I’m not saying you can’t look away from the camera nor am I saying to look like you're having a “don’t blink” contest. But by looking into the camera on your phone or computer, you will make your dream customer feel like you’re talking directly to them. Because they feel connected, they’ll want to give you their undivided attention…which then keeps them more engaged with your content!
Making eye contact with the camera.
Looking at your face and NOT making eye contact with the camera.
Tip #5: Get clear on how you want to be seen
Let's say you're adding a new photo of you to your website. You could choose a casual shot, a candid/action shot, or a basic corporate headshot...so which one do you choose? You want the one that best represents exactly how you want to be seen.
When your dream customer comes to your website, they'll be able to figure out if you're a good fit for them. If you have a stuffy, corporate headshot on your website but your service is more fun and full of personality...there's a misalignment. It doesn't authentically feel like you.
Getting clear on how you want to be seen gives you a goal to strive for, a standard to uphold, and consistency in all your brand's visuals. To get clarity, ask yourself these questions:
What are the top 3 words you would use to describe your brand’s personality?
What do you want to be known for/how do you want to be seen by your dream customer?
How do your current clients describe you and your business?
Why are each of these responses important to how you show up in your business?
Brand strategy may not seem like an obvious way to build business owner confidence on camera, but it is. Having a solid foundation and clear brand messaging influences all aspects of your business. With all that clarity, you'll feel beyond confident and excited to talk about your business on camera and in real life.
