084 - Conquer Your Camera Anxiety Now: 5 Proven Strategies!

If you're uncomfortable being on camera, I get it; I've been there too. 

In this solo episode, I share 5 strategies you can use to help you get comfortable (or more comfortable) on camera. 

Some of the things I highlighted:

🔹Many people feel uncomfortable on camera, which can hinder video creation.

🔹Lazy videos allow for content creation without being the focus.

🔹Power poses can significantly boost confidence before recording.

🔹Suspension of disbelief helps in feeling comfortable on camera.

🔹Shadowing confident speakers can improve delivery and engagement.

🔹The BOCA strategy encourages daily practice to reduce anxiety.

🔹Repetition and simple techniques are key to improvement.

🔹Viewers are interested in the message not your appearance.

🔹Creating videos should feel like a conversation, not a performance.

🔷If you're listening to this podcast, video feels way harder than it should.  If you're ready to make video a priority, and not spend hours making a 60-sec video visit BlackDogMarketingStrategies.com

 Join me in The Lab on Substack, my space to test, tweak, and share smart ideas worth chasing, especially around video, content strategy, and showing up online without burning out (or wasting your weekends) Click Here

📌 When you’re ready to make creating engaging social media videos a priority, I offer 1:1 coaching and done-with-you video services. 😉 Click Here

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➡️ Need more? Check out the 300+ videos on my YouTube channel Click here for my YouTube channel 

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For additional insights, connect with Annette Richmond and Black Dog Marketing Strategies on social media.
Substack: https://substack.com/@annetterichmond
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annetterichmond/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com...

Transcript

Annette Richmond (00:29.934)
Thanks for joining me for this episode. Now, one of the biggest challenges people tell me they have when it comes to video is being uncomfortable on camera. It prevents some people from creating videos at all and causes others to hesitate sharing the videos that they do create. Now, I get it. I've been there too. I hate having my picture taken. There are... No, shit.

Annette Richmond (01:21.358)
Thanks for joining me for this episode. Now, one of the biggest challenges people tell me they have when it comes to video is being uncomfortable on camera. It prevents some people from creating videos at all, and it causes others to hesitate sharing the videos that they do create. Now, I get it. I've been there too. I actually hate having my picture taken. There aren't a lot of photo...

There aren't a lot of photos of me anywhere. I had to be talked into putting my photo on my book cover when I published last year, but I'm slowly getting over that. But today isn't about photos, it's about creating videos. And I'll be sharing five strategies to help you get comfortable creating more videos. Now I know from experience that you can get over the cringe of being on video just like I did.

So let's dive in.

Annette Richmond (02:32.588)
Now, if talking on camera feels overwhelming, lazy videos are the perfect way to ease in. They let you create video content while taking the pressure off being the focus. A lot of people say they hate being on camera. This generally means that they are uncomfortable talking on camera. They're afraid of flubbing their lines, sounding bad, or being judged for their presence. This is why I recommend starting with lazy videos.

It's a term that I heard a few years ago on TikTok, think. This is something that I also talk about a lot and recommend for people who are just getting started with video. And here's how to do it. It's very simple. Record B-roll footage or raw footage. Something interesting to viewers that might be scenery, your desk set up, your dogs playing. Maybe if you're driving the car, you might have your camera set up to record the scenery.

going by, then you simply overlay some text, a tip or an explanation or an inspiring message, whatever you want, or add a voiceover, then add some music and you're done. Finished. Ready to post. The next step would be to start doing what I'll call lazy videos 2.0. That means getting comfortable on camera without

talking.

Annette Richmond (04:12.814)
For this, B-roll footage might be you working at your desk, reading a book, or having a cup of coffee. Then overlay text and add some music. You can even try recording yourself from the side while talking to a client on Zoom or creating a video on your desktop. Then simply overlay the text, add some music, and you're done and ready to post. This way, you can be on the video

but not the focus of the video. Now this method will help you ease into video creation until you're ready to create videos where you're actually talking on camera.

Annette Richmond (04:57.422)
Thank

Annette Richmond (05:03.16)
The next strategy is using power poses to build your confidence before you start recording. If you watch Grey's Anatomy, you might remember this scene from a few years ago. Dr. Amelia Shepard, sister of Derek Shepard, AKA McDreamy, is about to perform a high-stakes surgery on Dr. Nicole Herman. Now, that's when the character was played by Gina Davis.

who, before she starts, she stands in a power pose, feet planted, hands on her hips, just like a superhero. And then when another doctor joins her and asks what she's doing, she explains that standing in power poses boosts confidence and reduces stress. The scene closes with the two doctors standing side by side, just like Wonder Woman.

And the truth is science backs this up. This is an example of how standing in power poses in high pressure situations like recording video, if you hate being on camera, can help you feel more confident before you hit record. So what are power poses? They're open, expansive stances that actually shift how you feel in your body and in your mind.

And here are the two most popular to try. The Superman slash Wonder Woman pose, where you're standing tall, hands on your hips, feet shoulder width apart, chin up, like you can take on the world. Your brain instantly thinks, I've got this.

Annette Richmond (06:52.078)
The second pose is the victory pose. Now this is where you're both arms in a V shape, open, open, we're extending both arms in a V shape above your head and take some deep breaths. This is a universal pose of success. Your body associates it with confidence and winning. And studies have shown that even blind athletes when winning exhibit similar victory poses.

Now that suggests that it's an innate human response. Now I first learned about power poses from Amy Cuddy in her Ted Talk. Your body language may shape who you are. I'll put a link to the Ted Talk in the comments. The third strategy is suspension of disbelief. You trick your brain into feeling comfortable on camera.

Annette Richmond (07:54.604)
Now you may know I minored in media studies in college. So as well as studying writing, I studied filmmaking and video. And one of the concepts that I learned was suspension of disbelief. You may not have heard this term, but you've heard of this. This is what allows us to immerse ourselves in a movie, whether it's Barbie, Jurassic Park, World Domination.

or the new Star Trek, Section 31. Now we all know that Margot Robbie isn't actually Barbie, that dinosaurs aren't roaming the earth and that space travel hasn't really, and that space travel hasn't reached Starfleet levels. But for the duration of the film, we choose to believe that it's real. The same mental shift can help you feel comfortable on camera. Now, right now, your brain sees a camera lens.

or if you're on a smartphone, you likely see yourself on the screen. And that can feel weird. At least it did to me. It still kind of does sometimes. But I finally did get used to it. But just like watching a movie, you can suspend your disbelief and mentally replace the camera with someone or something that makes you feel like you're talking to someone.

Annette Richmond (09:20.494)
Applying this to video can be as simple as putting a post-it under your camera lens if you're using a webcam. Other options are a photo of a friend or your pet. You know, looking at our girls always makes me smile. You can try actually talking to your dog. Some people talk to a stuffed animal.

Annette Richmond (09:43.244)
The key is shifting from I'm talking to a camera to I'm sharing something valuable with someone who wants to hear it.

Annette Richmond (09:56.674)
and that can help you feel more comfortable on video. I still have a sticky note with a smiley face under my webcam to help me stay focused.

Annette Richmond (10:15.864)
The next strategy is shadowing. Now it's a popular language learning technique used in audio-based learning programs like Babbel, but you can use this technique to get comfortable on video too.

Annette Richmond (10:33.912)
We've all seen speakers who just kind of own the room. They sound natural, engaging, and confident. But here's the thing, you can train yourself to sound that way too. That's where shadowing comes in. Find a confident speaker and mimic their tone and pacing.

Try to pick a short clip of a confident speaker, maybe someone like Oprah Winfrey or whoever inspires you. Listen and repeat. Mirror their tone, pacing, and energy. And then make it yours. Record yourself saying a similar message in your own words. Watch your videos and adjust your delivery.

This method can help prevent falling into that robotic speech pattern by training you to sound more natural and engaging. To make it easier to remember, I refer to it as the Mirror Method.

Annette Richmond (11:43.34)
You

Annette Richmond (11:51.31)
The last strategy that I'm sharing today is one that I've used with clients. Banish on-camera anxiety or BOCA. Erase camera jitters in 14 days. Now, based on my experience as someone who hated being on camera, the best and fastest way to get comfortable on camera is to record videos without any pressure, without worrying about what other people think. That's what BOCA is all about.

a 14-day private video challenge to build confidence without the stress of posting.

Annette Richmond (12:33.528)
So here's how it works. Every day record a one to two minute video. It might be a quick thought, maybe a tip you'd share with a client, or even a random update about your day. Don't post the videos. Just save them in your camera or on an app. No one sees these videos but you. Then at the end of the 14 days, watch your first and last video.

And at the end of this time, I guarantee that you will see a difference. Now this method helps you get comfortable in front of the camera to see it for what it is. Just a conversation between you and your viewer instead of a big scary performance that you're putting on. No pressure, no audience, just you getting better every single day. So that's it. The five strategies to help you get comfortable on camera. Lazy videos,

2.0, from off camera to on camera but not speaking. Practicing some power poses before you record. Build your confidence before you start. Suspension of disbelief, where you trick your brain into talking, where you trick your brain into thinking you're talking to a real person. The mirror method, where you train your voice to sound confident and natural.

And of course, my BOCA strategy, vanish on camera anxiety in 14 days. The key to getting better on camera, it isn't magic. It's really just repetition, simple techniques, and in my experience, just getting over yourself. Because the truth is, nobody cares what you look like or sound like. They only care about themselves. Is your message relevant to them?

Now which one of these are you going to try first? Let me know.

Annette Richmond (14:33.994)
And thanks again for being here today. If you found this episode helpful,

Please share it with a friend.