125 - Overcome Camera Anxiety: 5 Simple Strategies to Get Comfortable

Hate being on camera? Being uncomfortable on camera is what stops many people from creating video content. 

We're going to fix that today. In this solo episode, I share 5 simple techniques to help you get more comfortable on camera. Including my Banish On Camera Anxiety or BOCA that works in 14 days. 

Top Takeaways

🔹Lazy videos, on camera or off,  can help you ease into video creation

🔹Standing in power poses to boost your confidence before recording.

🔹Bring in some movie magic with "suspension of disbelief." 

🔹Learn from top speakers using the "shadowing" or mirror method.

🔹Use the Banish On Camera Anxiety strategy to cure jitters in 14-days

🔷My 2-week LIVE Smarter, Faster, Fun Video Bootcamp starts again on Monday, January 26th. Learn more and sign up Click Here
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For additional insights, connect with Annette Richmond and Black Dog Marketing Strategies on social media.
Substack: https://substack.com/@annetterichmond
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Transcript

Annette Richmond 
Hi, I'm Annette Richmond. Thanks for joining me for this episode. When it comes to video, the biggest challenge for many is that they just hate being on camera. It stops some people from creating videos at all. And for some, they just hesitate before sharing the videos that they do create.


Annette Richmond 
Now I get it, I've been there too. I hate having my picture taken. I'm the one hiding when it's time for group photos. I had to be talked into putting my photo on my book cover when I published Mastering Short Form Video Content. And while people often tell me that I'm a natural on video, I'm really not. And I have the early videos to prove it. So to help you look like a natural on video,

I'll be sharing five strategies to help you get more comfortable with being on camera.

Annette Richmond 
because you can get over that awkwardness just like I did. So let's dive in. Number one, lazy videos. 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.

Annette Richmond 
When people say they hate being on camera, they generally mean they're uncomfortable talking on camera. They're afraid of flubbing their lines, sounding bad, or just being judged for their presence, how they look and how they sound. And this is why I recommend starting with lazy videos, a term that I heard a few years ago on TikTok.

Annette Richmond 
Simply follow these steps. Record B-roll footage or raw footage. It might be scenery, it might be your dogs, anything that might be interesting to a viewer. Then just overlay some text, maybe a tip or a technique you'd share with a client. Then add a bit of music and you're done, ready to post. The next step after that is Lazy Videos 2.0. And that's getting comfortable being on camera without talking.

So this might be B-roll footage of you working at your desk or reading a book or having a cup of coffee. Other options are recording yourself from the side while you're talking to a client on Zoom. I sometimes record myself while recording my podcast. And as before, just overlay some text and music.

Annette Richmond
And as before, just overlay some text, add music, and you're done. This way you're in the video, but you're not the focus. And this will help you ease into being comfortable on camera so you can start speaking on camera.

Annette Richmond 
Now the next strategy is using power poses to build your confidence before you start recording. If you watch Grey's Anatomy like I have for years, you might remember the scene where Dr. Amelia Shepard is about to perform a high-stakes surgery. Before she begins, she stands in a power pose, feet planted, hands on her hips, just like a superhero. Now when another doctor joins her, she explains that standing in power poses boosts her confidence and reduces her stress. And the scene closes with the two doctors standing side by side, standing in the power pose, just like Wonder Woman.

Annette Richmond 
Power poses can help you feel more confident in high stakes, pressure situations, including recording a video. So what are power poses? They're often expansive stances that shift how you feel in your body and in your mind. The two most popular are the Superman Wonder Woman pose, which is standing tall, hands on your hips, feet shoulder apart, chin up, you know, and your brain thinks, you know what, I've got this.

The second pose is the victory pose where you stand with your arms extended in a V shape over your head. And this is actually a universal pose of success. Even blind athletes do it to celebrate.

Annette Richmond 
Now I first learned about power poses from Amy Cuddy in her TED Talk. Your body language may shape who you are. If you get a chance to watch it, it's well worth the time.

The third strategy is suspension of disbelief, tricking your brain into feeling comfortable on camera, even if you're not. I often mention that as well as studying writing, I also made films and videos in college. And that's where I learned that term, suspension of disbelief. Now you may not have heard the term before, but you know exactly what I'm talking about. Suspension of disbelief is what lets us immerse ourselves in movies like The Martian or Barbie.

Now, we all know that Matt Damon isn't stuck on Mars and Margot Robbie isn't actually Barbie, but for the duration of the film, we choose to believe that it's true.

Annette Richmond 
You can apply this same strategy, this mental shift to video. Right now your brain sees you on your phone screen and it feels weird. It did for me too. But you can suspend your disbelief and mentally replace the camera with someone or something that makes you feel like you're talking to a real person.

Applying this can be as simple as pretending you're talking to a friend, your pet, or even a potential client.

You can also try positioning a photo of your pet or even a stuffed animal behind your phone. 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 
The next strategy is shadowing. It's a popular learning language technique that you can adapt for video. Now we've all seen speakers who own the room. They sound natural, engaging, and confident. Shadowing can help you develop those same skills. And here's how you do that. Find a confident speaker, someone who inspires you. For me, that might be watching a video of Michelle Obama, who I greatly admire.

For you, it might be.

For you, it might be Gary Vaynerchuk or Brene Brown. Pick a short clip of your favorite speaker, 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 video and adjust your delivery. This can help you sound natural and engaging rather than slipping into that monotonous robotic speech pattern.

To make it easier to remember, I call it the mirror method.

Annette Richmond 
The last strategy that I'm sharing today is one that I talk about all the time. It's my BOCA or Banish On Camera Anxiety strategy that helps you ease those camera jitters in just 14 days. In my experience, as someone who hated being on camera myself, the best and fastest way to get comfortable is as Nike says, just do it. Now, what makes BOCA easy is that there's no pressure, no worrying about what people think about you.


Annette Richmond 
Here's how it works. Every day record a one to two minute video. It might be a quick thought, a tip you'd share with a client, or a random update about your day. Don't post the videos. Don't even look at them. Just save them in your camera. And at the end of 14 days, review the videos oldest to newest, and you will see and likely feel a difference. This process helps you get over being uncomfortable on the camera without any pressure So you can begin to see video as just something you do. I create video rather than a chore that you dread.

Annette Richmond 
So for a quick recap, I've shared five strategies to help you get comfortable on camera today. Lazy videos, not being on camera. Lazy videos 2.0, you on camera but not speaking. Power poses, superhero and victory. Suspension of disbelief where you trick your brain. The mirror method practiced by mimicking other speakers. And of course, the BOCA strategy. Banish On Camera Anxiety in 14 days.

Annette Richmond 
The key to getting better on camera isn't magic. It's repetition, simple techniques, and in my experience, just getting out of your own head. Because the truth is, nobody cares what you look like or sound like. They only care if your message is relevant to them.

Annette Richmond 
And if you need help with video, join me for my two week live video bootcamp. Find details in the show notes. It starts on Monday.

Annette Richmond 
Thanks again for being here today. Thanks again for spending your time with me today. If you found this episode helpful, please share it with a friend. I bet they'll thank you.