You know the feeling.
You can get up on stage and rock the audience with your content.
You can do a live stream or a webinar and have no issue talking about your passion.
At networking events or at conferences it’s really easy to talk about what you do.
But sit down in front of a camera and a lens…
And you completely freeze up.
It’s like you forgot how to speak. The words won’t flow. Your mind goes completely blank.
“What am I wearing? Did that come out right? Was that a good enough hook? What are people going to think of that line? Does my breath smell? Wait… does that even matter? People can’t smell my breath on video… or can they?”
Your mind starts racing to everything you can possible think of, and it starts thinking about anything and everything BUT…
The message you’re trying to share.
The Curse of the Camera
I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about sitting in front of a camera and staring at a lens that just freaks people out.
And by the way, not just beginners.
I’ve worked with people who have millions of followers, who have made millions of dollars online, who you would think were just the most natural, most charismatic people in the world…
And they struggle too.
Truth is, this was always hard for me too (I mean, it still is, to an extent, but it’s way easier now).
Most people who watch my videos now just assume that I’m an extroverted person and that it’s just natural for me to be on camera.
Haha. Think again.
Just ask my wife. I can be painfully introverted sometimes.
But I learned how to do it anyway.
You see, speaking and communicating on camera is a skill just like anything else. And with a little practice it can be developed.
You don’t have to be born with it. You just need a few tips and a little bit of practice.
So with that being said, here are my top 3 tips for learning how to be more natural on camera:
1. Practice off camera
It’s amazing what a few practice runs will do to get you warmed up.
Practice going through the content without hitting record. Speak the content out loud, teach the principle, and just talk about what you know.
Since you’re not recording there’s no pressure. And when there’s no pressure it will allow you to find new ideas and angles and ways to tackle the same principle.
At least for me, talking out an idea or teaching it to somebody else is the best way for me to get clarity on what I say.
Run through it a few times, again not recording, and share the ideas that come to your head.
Then when it’s time to do the real thing, all of your best ideas will be at the forefront of your mind.
The important thing is though, when you actually do record the content, don’t try to say it the same way you did when you were practicing.
Let it flow the way it comes out. Just teach the principle. And it will be awesome.
2. Get an editor
I guarantee you that most of the people you follow online who seem to be so well spoken and natural in front of the camera… probably aren’t.
What they do have is a good editor.
It’s still amazing to me what good editing will do to a video. There are times when it takes me 10 minutes to record a 60 second video, because there’s so many moments where I need to pause and think about what I’m going to say.
But then when I get the final edited video back, it makes me look like I’m just completely easy and effortless on camera.
Now let me be clear, I’m not saying that editing replaces the need to get better at this. A good editor can make a bad video good. But it will make a good video GREAT.
The better you get at showing up naturally on camera, the more your real personality will shine through and the more genuine your content will feel.
Add some good editing to that, and you’ve got a winning combo.
3. Have someone interview you
This is my favorite hack that has produced some of my best content.
Simply, have someone interview you and ask you questions. You answer those questions and just have a conversation with that person, and then edit the video to find the best stuff.
This will put you at ease because you’re not talking to a camera anymore. You’re talking to a person.
And so often you’ll find that your best stuff will come out this way. Plus, it will come out more naturally because it sounds conversational.
And these videos perform very well.
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So there you go, 3 tips to help you be more natural on camera.
And as a final P.S., If you want me to coach you on all of my best tips and mindset hacks for being confident on camera, knowing what to talk about, and making shooting videos easy…
Jump into my Crush Your Content Challenge starting on Monday.
I’ll be personal coaching you through everything that I’ve learned from years of producing consistent content that grows my business.
By following this formula, it will make it effortless for you.
Hope to see you in there.
