How to Feel More Confident in Front of the Social Media Camera

Here at Social Puffin, we are big believers in putting the social back into social media.

And by that we mean putting the personal back in the platforms we all use to feel connected every day.

Because that’s what social media is, it’s social.

However, as businesses, we often forget this and think of social media only as a tool to raise our company profile and grow our sales.

But social media is also excellent at showcasing brand integrity and getting customers to trust and remain loyal to your company.

And at the heart of this, is the human story, the human face, and we can’t urge you enough to employ both as tools in your content production.

However, we also understand that many people are terrified of getting their face in front of the social media camera, especially if it’s not their natural territory.

So, to help you feel more confident in this area, and to show you why it’s so important you do, we’ve compiled our top tips to help you get more comfortable about sharing yourself more on social.

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Why It’s Important to Bring the Personal Back

As we’ve outlined in the introduction, here at Social puffin we think putting the human side back into business social media practices is absolutely crucial.

This is especially critical, in our opinion, for small businesss, where personally connections, networks and communities often act as the foundations of your marketing and business development.

Yes we really are all about putting the social back in social media and the personal back in the platform when it comes to small business content production.

Time to disrupt the strong sales pitches and brand awareness pieces, personal stories, faces, unique views and insights can really help disrupt the expected content flow and make your social media strategy more enjoyable, more original and more engaging.

Because, of course, whilst getting your face in front of the social media camera (or that of your teammates or colleagues) might not seem like an obvious way to market your business, that’s simply not true.

People respond to seeing and learning about other people, so whether that’s through “behind the scenes” shots of your working day, the story of how your business grew, or revealing your own personal passions or pursuits, these topics will pique interest when someone is scrolling on social, and it will do this a lot more than a regular product shot or pitch.

As potential customer and clients get to see more of the human side of your business, they’re also more likely to develop a relationship with you and your company.

In turn, this leads to a greater degree of trust, as customers build up a personal relationship with your brand and, by creating content that demonstrates company culture, you have an innate ability to showcase the integrity of your business too.

All this can certainly lead to growth and sustained engagement which, in turn, can really put you ahead of your competitors on social media.

So whether it’s via IGTV, Instagram Stories, Facebook Live or TikTok, it’s time to make sure you’re getting some faces in front of the social media cameras asap.

Know Your Aim & Subject

So now that we’ve established how important putting your face in front of the social media camera is, it’s time to discuss building the confidence to do this.

Because, we get it, being on camera can be a very daunting thing for many people at first.

Having been daunted ourselves at the beginning, we also know that it’s totally possible to overcome these fears and concerns and really move quickly to a point where you feel happy and comfortable doing this.

So the first tip we have for progressing on this journey is to ensure you really know your subject well.

And by this we mean not only exactly what area you are going to discuss in your caption, video or image, but also exactly how you are going to communicate the information stemming from that area of expertise.

As an example of this, you must be sure, in advance, on the objective of the content piece and why you are posting it – remembering that delivering value to your audience is the most important point.

When it comes to social media, quality or quantity wins every time.

If you’re giving a tutorial, tips or advice, then you’ll also want to ensure you know everything around the subject you are wishing to share with others.

Don’t get caught out if there’s any blank areas in your mind and make sure you do a comprehensive period of research in advance of producing your content if there are any gaps.

Knowing what you are going to talk about, what the aim of the content is and everything about that subject will help you present it more professionally too.

If you know where you’re going with a piece of content, then it’s less likely you’ll stumble over words or get stuck at any point – 2 key factors when it comes to presenting well on social media.

Knowing your subject, and the aim of the content piece, will also help you feel more confident, so you’ll come across as more relaxed and self-assured, which is paramount to the performance being a successful one too.

Practice Makes Perfect

And this leads us nicely onto our third point about getting in front of the social media camera, because one of the most important things to ensure when you do this, is to remain assured and relaxed!

And one of the key ways to ensure this happens, is to practice!

Yes, whether you’re taking still images or shooting a video, practice, practice, practice makes perfect, perfect, perfect.

If it helps, use mirrors to test looks and presentation styles – you don’t have to practise with others around if you don’t feel confident enough.

Or you can run trials on your phone or camera too.

There’s literally no shame rehearsing poses, angles or presentations multiple times and if this will help you grow in confidence more, then it’s of even greater value.

After all, you’d always rehearse a speech or regular presentation you were going to make wouldn’t you? So why should social be any different?

A key strategy we employ here at Social Puffin, especially when it comes to our weekly IGTV tip-sharing tutorials, is to make a bullet point list of everything we are going to discuss in the correct, chronological order.

This guides our tutorials, almost like a map, as each point effectively builds on the previous one.

Having a bulleted script is also a great way to ensure we stay focused and to the point, rather than deviating into tangents which can often happen when people are thrust in front of a camera.

We always film solo too, just using a tripod and camera, which means we can keep rehearsing for as long as we need without feeling under pressure from others.

Although the journey may seem slow, if you keep practising, you’ll find that confidence builds and you’ll soon feel much more able to freestyle.

Confidence is Key

Because there’s no doubt that the more you rehearse being in front of the social media camera, the more relaxed you’ll feel about the whole thing.

In the start though, that probably will not be the case, so here’s a few pointers, especially when it comes to featuring in video content:

Always remember to make direct eye contact with the camera
Speak slowly and clearly
Stick to the bullet point plan (don’t ramble)
Believe in yourself and that what you are sharing has value
Act with authority – research in advance so you know exactly what you are talking about
Be careful of the crazy and excessive arm movements (we are the worst at this and still struggle!)
Be enthusiastic and animated

This last point is absolutely crucial because, even if you have lots of useful, helpful and excellent information to share, if you don’t engage people in the first few seconds of your video on social, they are highly likely to keep scrolling.

Grabbing attention through an energetic and open presentation style is crucial to presenting well on social media and giving a strong sense of confidence, even if you don’t feel the same inside, is paramount.

You know the old adage – fake it till you make it!

Strive for Authenticity, Not Perfection

And finally, the last and perhaps most important tip we have when it comes to feeling confident in front of the social media camera, is to remember to strive for authenticity, not perfection.

But that we mean you should strive to show your unique traits and talents, rather than trying to copy others or act in ways you think work on social media, but you aren’t really feeling.

And yes, it’s ok to make mistakes and not be perfect.

In fact, this can be a great advantage, so embrace it!

As humans we connect more when we see others being real, exposing their mistakes and showing their “behind the scenes” thoughts and feelings more.

And this is no different on social media, so don’t be afraid to inhabit that more personal space on these platforms too.

Keep any mistakes you make, or any humans errors, in; they can often be gifts in disguise.

Because the more real you are, the more people are likely to form a connection with you and trust you – which is absolute gold as a business!

So relax, get out there and do your best – the more you practice, the more you’ll see this approach benefitting your brand.

PIN IT TO PINTEREST!

We hope you’ve enjoyed these tips about to feel more confident in front of the social media camera and that you’ll find them really useful going forward.

As specialists in marketing for small business, Social Puffin is passionate about getting you up to speed on social, so don’t forget to drop us an email, if you want to discuss anything about how to grow and improve your presence online.