Ep 34. Lessons from finally starting talking to camera videos so far

In episode 32, I said I wanted to try and talk on camera more…I’ve started doing it!

I wanted to share how it’s feeling and what’s coming up in case it helps you too.

If you’re new here, hello, and a very warm welcome to Quiet Confidence with myself, Anita Popat. This podcast is for introverted entrepreneurs who want to market their thing without feeling like you need to perform or be someone that you’re not.

Today I wanna talk about something I’ve been avoiding for way too long, which is talking to camera videos.

I know, the irony is not lost on me. I’m a marketing strategist who literally helps people show up authentically online and yet I’ve been hiding behind B-roll and text posts and I guess the podcast for ages because talking to camera felt like it would be so cringe.

But I finally started doing it, guys, and I’ve even started a little series on socials called Getting Over the Camera Cringe.

The interesting thing is, I dunno if I want to admit it, is that now I’ve started it, it obviously doesn’t feel cringe at all. It was just all in my head.

I was making out that it was gonna be this uncomfortable, awkward thing, but once I just did it and took all the pressure off, it actually feels really natural.

I’ve only done two so far, but I thought I’d talk about the feelings that are coming up and also why this year is the perfect year to start showing your face more, especially if you’ve been avoiding it.

If there’s one thing I’m seeing people talk about already this year, it’s that people are craving more unpolished real human content.

And talking to camera is a really quick way to build connection with people who are new to your world, but also build that deeper connection of people feeling like they know you if they’ve been in your audience for a long time.

To be honest, I’m just embracing that messy action and seeing what happens with no pressure and you can start like that too.

So let’s get into it.

First things first, I need to be honest with you.

For so long I’ve been saying “I can’t do these talking to camera videos” out loud.

I’ve been saying it to myself, to clients, when I’ve been networking, to anyone who would listen really. And I’ve been in business long enough now to know that what you think matters, because what you think becomes what you believe and what you believe ultimately shows up in your actions.

So if I kept telling myself I can’t do this, guess what? I won’t do it.

I realised I needed to flip that. So instead of saying, I can’t do this, this year, I’m saying I can, even if I don’t fully believe that, because I know that cringe or icky feeling mostly comes from it being new and because I’ve been telling myself for so long that I can’t do it, I basically trained my brain to reject it before even trying.

But the thing is, and I know you know this as well, the more you do something, the easier it gets, right? And that’s what gives you the confidence in the long run.

I was the same when it was time to launch this podcast. I had the idea in my head for months and I was talking to everyone about it, and it took me ages to actually publish it because I had all those negative thoughts in my head.

When it came to video, I think the things that were holding me back were things like, I don’t look like the people I see on my feed, what if what I’m saying isn’t good enough? what if people don’t find it valuable? what if I sound boring? all the things, right?

But eventually I just did it and the first few episodes felt weird and then they didn’t, and now here we are, 34 episodes in, and honestly, it’s my favorite thing I do in my business.

So I know from experience that that scary, cringey feeling doesn’t last forever.

You have to push through that until it becomes normal. But knowing that and then actually doing it, I know are two very different things, which is why your purpose needs to be bigger than your excuses.

OK, so let me tell you what I’ve learned from actually doing these videos instead of just thinking about them.

Firstly, the anticipation was way worse than doing the actual thing.

Obviously I’ve been telling myself for so long that I can’t do them, that they’re gonna feel awkward, that I don’t like the way I look, and what if people don’t find them interesting.

But what happened was I was sitting at my desk one day and I literally said, Anita, quit with the excuses.

I picked up my phone, put it on the tripod, pressed record, and started talking.

I had no idea what was gonna come outta my mouth, but I think I just took all the pressure off and thought, right, this is an experiment.

I’m not trying to make these videos look perfect, I just wanna start. I’m literally just picking my phone up and talking like I would to a friend or a client on Zoom. So there’s no script. I’m not gonna overthink anything. I’m just gonna turn up as I would in those situations.

I that think really helped because I wasn’t trying to be anyone that I’m not.

I was just being how I am in real life.

So take the pressure off and go in with an experimental mindset and see what happens, because that’s literally what I’m doing.

I started off with filming in my office. The first video was using my front camera so I could see myself, and my latest one is using my back camera, so I couldn’t see myself, which I have to say felt better because I wasn’t constantly thinking about how I’m looking.

And to mix it up. I might film somewhere different in the house, or if I’m feeling brave enough, I might try filming while I’m on my walks or in the car before I go somewhere, maybe even in a coffee shop.

We’ll see. Let’s take it slow.

What I’m saying is one step at a time, we don’t wanna jump in at the deep end. Let’s just keep it easy and simple for now, and then we can build on it once your confidence grows.

I’ve seen some people say treat it like you’re having a video call with your family, and I love that reframe.

I mean, I’m usually on calls with my nieces, so I get a lot of forehead and ceiling, but that’s cool. I just like it ’cause it’s really raw and you’re not thinking about the lighting or the background or whether you look perfect.

You’re just talking to someone that you care about. So I’m trying to bring that energy to these videos.

I’m just thinking about having a conversation with someone I know and not creating content for the internet.

The point is I’m not locking myself into one way of doing things. I’m giving myself permission to try different approaches and see what works and I think that experimental mindset is part of what makes it feel less cringe, because I’m not trying to get it perfect and I’m creating a series to document it.

And thirdly, like I said before, I’m keeping them really unpolished. Apart from some really light editing, I’m not even planning what I’m seeing most of the time.

I literally just pick up my phone, hold my mic if I’ve got it, and start talking about whatever’s on my mind, and you know what, people are actually responding to them really well.

I think it feels real and it feels human, and it doesn’t feel like I’m trying to impress anyone or put on a show because I’m genuinely not.

It’s just me talking like I normally do. And the main aim for me is to try and build a habit, and then I’ll put a strategy into it once I feel more comfortable doing it.

You can do the same thing too.

Yes, I’m big on strategy, but not every single piece of content has to have a purpose. It’s okay to play once in a while.

To be honest, in a world that’s becoming really, really full of AI generated content, people are craving more unpolished real content.

We wanna see actual humans being actual humans and I think talking to camera is one of the best ways to show that, which is why I’ve added it to my marketing this year, because yes, I can create connection through the podcast with my voice, or through B roll and text posts, but there’s something about seeing someone talk that builds that connection even faster.

When you see me talking, you get to see my expressions, my mannerisms, how I move my hands (I move them a lot), how I talk, all of it. You get a fuller sense of who I am.

Even though some people use AI to generate videos of themselves, one thing you can’t replicate is your specific humanness. Like the way you talk, the way you move, the way you think, your specific personality – AI can’t replace that no matter how amazing you think your clone is, there’s just something soulless about those videos.

Let’s make content human again.

Okay, so if this has inspired you to do some talking to camera videos, then let me give you some specific things that have made it easier for me in case you wanna try it too.

1. Treat it like you’re doing a video call with someone that you care about.

2. Use your back camera if you feel self-conscious.

This really helped me because when you use the front camera, you start noticing things like, oh, my hair’s doing something weird, or Why am I making that face? When I used a back camera I couldn’t see myself, so I was just talking like I would talk to someone in front of me. Also with your back camera, the video quality is much better as well.

 3. Try different locations to see what feels comfortable for you.

I’ve started in my office, obviously because everything’s here and it’s a safe space for me. I’ve also seen a lot of people filming in their car or on their walks. So try out different locations in different settings and you’ll figure out what feels comfortable and what doesn’t.

4. I’m not committing to any sort of schedule.

I’m just doing them when I feel like it, when I’ve got something to say and I think that’s really took the pressure off and it’s actually made me want to pick my camera up and talk because I’m feeling inspired in the moment.

Because right now I’m just experimenting to get over the cringe and I don’t wanna add pressure by committing to something rigid so I’m literally going with the flow, which for me means going unscripted.

I’m literally just picking the phone up and talking about whatever’s on my mind, because the point isn’t to create a big polished piece of content. The point is just to show up and be myself and get okay with talking to the camera.

If that feels like, oh my God, I need script, maybe have a few points in front of you to jog your memory and just talk around it.

Obviously I can say this now that I’ve started, but remember that the anticipation is worse than doing the actual thing. You’re probably overthinking it and imagining it to be way more awkward than it actually is.

Once you just do it. Once you press record and start talking, you’ll realize it’s not really that bad and the more you do it, the easier it gets.

I know that’s easy for me to say, and obviously I’m gonna say that now I’m on the other side, but I guess what I’m trying to say is that I get it, but just start and I promise you, your audience will support you every step of the way.

You know you can do it. You’ve done hard things before. Imagine when you did your first social media post, your first email to your list, your first reel, your first talking to camera video (!)

But then you do it again and again and again and eventually it stops feeling weird, right? That’s just how it works.

You don’t wait until it feels comfortable to start.

You start and then it becomes comfortable.

I’m already seeing, because I’ve took the pressure off myself to show up in a certain way I can pick up my phone and record and post it and the world didn’t end.

And I bet it’ll be the same for you too.

So my challenge to you is just to try it. Pick up your phone, press record and talk about something that you care about.

You don’t even have to post it if you don’t want to. Just get used to seeing yourself on camera and hearing your voice.

If you wanna share what you create, feel free to tag me on socials. I would love to see them. 

Until then, keep embracing your quiet confidence so you can make that loud impact in the world and I shall see you next week. Speak soon.