“It’s only logical” as a famous Vulcan once said.
Confidence building practice is necessary whether it is video, audio, or written content you want to produce.
Practice is just what it sounds like, practice.
If you are going to post regular video content, then shoot a few minutes every day – post to “only seen by me” on Facebook or just record to your own hard drive. The goal is to gain confidence. Remember, approach practice with the same mind set as you would have with a live presentation.
Here are a few things to evaluate when you review it:
Am I looking at the camera?
Yes – fantastic
No – what is preventing it? Are you reading notes, is the camera not positioned so you can easily keep your eyes on it? Determine what is the issue and fix it, eye contact with your audience is critical, it is the only source of contact with your audience.
Is the lighting reasonable? Position yourself so you are not backlit by a window it is far better to be facing the window if it is too bright the window light can always be diffused or softened with curtains. Fortunately, if you cannot get enough natural light or enough ambient light from the lights in the room lighting can normally be made more than adequate for a small investment.
Is the audio track clean or is there background noise or a hollow sound like you are in a cave? It may only take repositioning your microphone and if you are using your device’s built-in mic it may require sourcing a mic which again can be a very reasonable investment.
What does your “set” look like?
Does your desk or office look cluttered or disorganized?
Is there anything distracting in the background?
Is it appealing? Moving to a different room for your livestream is often a good solution.
Do I look and sound confident? This cannot be overstated – your audience must get the feeling that you have a level of mastery of your subject.
Confidence is the key to building a loyal audience and the key to confidence is practice.
Do not hesitate to go live.