by Lisa Cybaniak
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It’s imperative to use video to get visible in this day and age, don’t you think? It might surprise you then to learn to that many small and large business alike are either not using video or are not using it well.
Today we’re talking about how you can shift your mindset to build your confidence and get comfortable on camera so you can harness the power video has to offer. This is so crucial in our digital world. It’s how we build rapport with our audience, who then become engaged customers or clients that we can help on a deeper level.
Tom Stanhope is a video for business expert, who loves to work with coaches, speakers, trainers and entrepreneur experts. He knows that video content, both live and pre-recorded, is one the most powerful ways to get seen and grow your personal brand and business.
Meet Tom Stanhope
Tom also knows that many business owners that know they need to be using video, actually hang back from stepping into the limelight because of their own self-limiting beliefs.
And like all our guests, he knows what this is like from personal experience – he’s been there too!
Fears, doubts and anxieties about being in front of the camera can get in the way of your true desire to spread your message and grow your business. Smashing these beliefs, alongside a tried and tested content strategy and creation process, helps take you from nervous novice to confident creator. And that’s exactly why today’s episode is focusing on mindset over technology. You can always learn about the tech, but all that knowledge won’t change your mindset. So, let’s start there.
Are you ready to learn Tom’s mindset tricks to get visible in your business using both pre-recorded and live video? Me too!
So, let’s dive right in!
Have a clear plan
Tom says that having a bullet list of talking points for your live video will help your confidence levels and allow you to be more comfortable on camera. This is far different from using a tele prompter app and reading word for word from a script.
The latter adds a layer between you and your audience, and if you want to get visible, you need to remove as many of those layers as possible.
Bullet points allow you to think about what you want to say and how, without the rigidity of reading directly from your notes. It’s the roadmap for your live that allows for a natural flow – something your audience is looking for.
Tom believes that 90% of your concerns are dealt with simply by having such a roadmap.
Understand your audience to get visible
Your audience and your ideal customer may be very similar, but chances are, they are not identical. Taking the time to really get to know what your video audience wants means you’ll have more engagement, which will boost your confidence.
Therefore, in order to truly get visible to the right people, you want to really understand them, what they need, what they like, and what will make them engage with you.
Practise makes perfect
There are a lot of people who just don’t feel comfortable when they make a video, recorded or live. Part of that comes down to being nervous about how it all works.
Tom suggests you create a private Facebook group, with just you in it, and commit to practising creating 5 live videos. The key here is to eventually practise with people! The same is true when practising creating recorded videos. Commit to creating 5 videos that you know will only be seen by you, and perhaps your support network and coach, before beginning to publish your videos.
Become comfortable with your face
This seems laughable at first – of course you’re comfortable with your face! But Tom points out the research that’s been done on this, and there’s a lot to be said for this piece of advice.
One of the main reasons we don’t like to see our own picture or videos of ourselves is because the face we’re familiar with is our mirrored reflection. Our image in videos and pictures is not mirrored, so while it is mostly familiar, it looks a bit odd to us.
And of course, if you’re thinking about how much you hate seeing yourself on camera while you’re creating your video, you’re likely to lose confidence while getting more and more uncomfortable.
So, Tom recommends a simple solution: Print out a picture of yourself and put it somewhere you’ll see it. This allows your brain to get more and more comfortable with your image as you see it in pictures and, ultimately, video.
Be kind to yourself while working to get visible
This is not an overnight success. You’re not going to get visible and gain a huge audience overnight. You’re also not going to magically become super confident overnight.
Tom says it takes between 6-18 months of consistent effort to get visible in your business using video. While this can seem like an eternity when you’re excitedly trying to promote yourself, your business and your offer, the wait is worth it. Not only will you build a large following, but your core audience will be an engaged audience.
Let’s face it, you don’t need millions of people watching your videos to be successful. What you really need to get visible is an audience that loves what you have to offer them. They are the ones who are engaged with your content, who will become customers, and who will build your confidence in the process.
So, take small steps, settle in for the long haul so you do this right, and be kind to yourself every step of the way.
More from this episode
Tom and I talk about so much more in this episode, such as why focusing on our mindset will always beat learning about all the tech, the value in researching what your competition are doing with video, and why it’s important to go live AND post pre-recorded videos in order to get visible.
Press play on the episode above to get all the details!
Follow Tom Stanhope
Find out more about what Tom offers, through his website. Join his “Grow Your Business with Video” Facebook group, and follow him on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.
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Voice over credit: Shari Vandermolen. Shari is offering a free download of one of her songs to the fans of the Life Like You Mean It podcast! Just visit www.GiftFromShari.com and tell her where to send it. Shari’s debut album is available for streaming on all the major platforms including Spotify and iTunes.
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