As we come to the end of the year, it’s natural to reflect – both in life and in business. I’ve added many new followers and increased my audience this year, so I thought it would be a good time to share part of my story, my “why”, if you will.
HIDDEN, BEHIND THE CAMERA, OFF THE SCREEN
When I founded UFocus, I didn’t have a website. I had plenty of examples of my work, but they were spread around. Of course, I knew all the reasons that it was necessary to have a website, but somehow, I believed it made my work more credible when it was on other people’s websites.
I had so many reasons to avoid creating a website:
- It’s so much work
- I don’t have time to build one right now.
- What if people don’t like what they see?
- I have so many examples elsewhere to add credibility, I don’t need it.
I could invent excuses for every moment of the day. Truthfully, it was my own psychological barriers preventing me from just getting a website up, and when you run a visual business, letting people see you is vital.
I knew that I was good at producing videos, I was just scared of putting myself out there. I’m sure many of you can relate; in fact, I’ve even heard some of you say that.
It came down to whether I wanted to stay hidden and just find a job working for someone else, or run my own business and be visible.
So, I did it. I consulted a web designer and had a website created for my business.
It was fantastic! I got brilliant feedback, it definitely converted more leads and people seemed to really like it.
A NEW PHASE OF VIDEO MARKETING
In December 2014, Facebook began allowing businesses to pin a “Feature” video on their pages, recognising that videos were a key part of the customer journey. As platforms made video easier to share, and smartphones became ubiquitous, video marketing began to change.
I had studied video professionally. My standards aligned with some of the top broadcasters in the country. When smaller businesses began producing video; they naturally cut corners, because they wanted to save money.
At first, I was horrified to see all these shoddy videos that businesses were producing online. Budgets had always been tight, but now I wondered how I could adapt what I do to the new demands of businesses?
THE JOURNEY TO SHOWING MYSELF ON CAMERA
People began getting used to seeing the “face” of a business. This new era of digital marketing demanded it, and I knew that it built trust with the audience. Video is a brilliant medium for communicating with your audience when you’re not afraid to present on camera.
However, I was. Afraid, that is.
I was afraid to show myself on camera.
I’d always been the one behind the camera; I didn’t have dreams of presenting or being an actor. I was concerned that people would judge the way I speak.
More psychological barriers.
I thought that it was impossible to produce brilliant content for social media because I’d need to hire someone else to film me; to assist; to nail those professional production values that I strive for.
Then, I began doing talks and presentations on video marketing, and discovered that people loved how I delivered the information. I realised that I gain most of my business through meeting people.
I had been interested in the psychology of documentary-making since before I began my studies. I had learned how to make others comfortable on camera. I knew how to draw out their emotional stories. It was about creating a safe space for them to share.
I had to develop that safe space for myself. I created some videos where I really focused on making myself comfortable and shared them online.
At networking events, I received wonderful feedback. People I had never met already felt like they knew me from my videos; they responded to me.
OVERCOMING BARRIERS
Videos help people know, like and trust you. It was the same for me.
This is why I created my course, Visibility Matters. I know how important that visibility is, and not just through my professional training. This is my WHY, it’s not simply about helping people create better videos, it’s about creating the right impression of your business online and overcoming the psychological blocks we have in relation to video and how to really connect with our audiences.
If you’d like to learn more about my approach to video before you jump onto the online course, you can find plenty of tips on my Instagram and LinkedIn pages. Always feel free to reach out – I love to chat!