3 tips to instantly feel more confident on camera

You’re constantly being told that to grow your audience you need to be ‘front and centre’ of your brand. This means that, as the person behind your business, to build relationships, your audience needs to see you. 

During my career, whenever I heard the words ‘will you say that on camera?’ I would shudder. I spent twenty years working behind the camera, purposefully to avoid appearing on it. This is something, however, I have had to work on as I know the key to building a successful business is to be ‘seen.’ 

What if I go wrong? 

What if I can’t remember what to say? 

What if I’m judged by others?

What if it looks terrible? 

Appearing on screen can be a very daunting (and scary) prospect, but with small steps, you can come across confidently. 

When starting out, you don’t need fancy equipment or any sort of qualification to get going, but these three simple tips will help you come across with confidence, clarity and credibility.

It’s all in the lighting

When delivering a video, you don’t want your audience to be distracted by poor lighting, as it can come across as unprofessional. When starting out, you don’t need fancy top lights or a ring light to make the shot instantly brighter, although you may want to invest in these down the line. Use what you have, and in this case a window is the most attractive and flattering use of natural light. 

Record your video in front of a window, so the window is facing you. It really is the best way to capture great lighting when you need to create videos on a budget.

Keep your talking points simple 

We can easily become overwhelmed when trying to relay too much information in one go. Make things simple, by thinking about one message you want to share with your audience and having that as your ‘key talking point.’ Don’t write a script and read off that as it will look and sound unauthentic. Speak from the heart and know that your audience needs to know the information you are sharing. 

Before you press record, gain clarity on the one message you are looking to share with your audience. Knowing this inside out will then help the video flow.

Nail down your non verbal body language 

From the tone of your voice, to your posture, presenting yourself credibly through your non verbal body language is a great way to instantly come across as confident. Make sure you maintain eye contact with the camera lens and stand or sit up so you have good posture. Be aware of your facial expressions and speak slower and clearer than you would normally. Don’t be afraid to pause for effect also. 

Shift your focus from you to your audience. Rather than worry about how you come across, remind yourself that what you have to say is inspiring and motivating others. 

Keep practicing the steps above and you’ll soon start feeling more confident. With anything, the more you do it, the more comfortable you’ll become. Start recording videos of yourself talking about the first thing that comes into your head. The more you see and hear yourself on screen, the more comfortable you’ll become appearing on camera. And don't forget, the most important thing is to just be yourself - flaws and all - your audience will love you for it.

Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay, Image by annmariephotography from Pixabay, Photo by Taan Huyn on Unsplash, Photo by Galina Kondratenko on Unsplash