Have you ever noticed you can talk to a client for hours about what you do, answer their questions and happily explain your ideas, then someone points a camera at you and suddenly your brain goes, “Blah, blah, blah... I have absolutely no idea what to say”?
Yep. That fear of showing up online can get even the most experienced business owner.
The thing is, showing up online doesn't need to feel like you're performing for the entire internet. You're there to help the person who needs what you know.
Stop Talking to the Internet
One of the things that makes showing up feel enormous is imagining thousands of people watching, reading or judging what we're doing.
Instead, think about one person. The client who has asked you that question before. The person who needs the tip you're about to share. Talk to them the same way you would if they were sitting across from you having a conversation.
Teach What You Already Know
Start with the questions you answer all the time. You know the ones. The questions clients ask, the conversations you have at networking events and the topics you could happily talk about without having to research them first.
You don't need a clever script either. I use a handful of talking points and talk from there. And yes, sometimes I stumble over my words. You'll see me do it in this video, and I left it in because nobody watching knows what you were supposed to say anyway.
Find Your Way of Showing Up
Showing up online doesn't automatically mean sitting perfectly in front of a camera recording a polished video.
You might start with a 60-second video, voiceover, podcast, blog, written post or a great headshot with one of your expert tips. Find somewhere comfortable to start, then build from there.
I would still encourage you to get your face out there when you can because people connect with people, but you don't have to go from hiding behind the keyboard to producing a television show overnight.
Useful Beats Perfect
There has never been a perfect marketing campaign, and I can promise you there isn't a perfect video either.
I still look back at things I've recorded and think, “Oh, I said that,” or “Why did I do that?” That's part of showing up.
Perfectly imperfect and useful gives people something they can connect with. So rather than asking whether your video, email or post is perfect, ask whether it helps the person you're creating it for.
Practice Builds Confidence
The more you show up, the easier it becomes.
Your first videos might feel awkward. You might talk too fast. You might record five and delete four of them. That's okay.
Go back and look at some of my early videos and you'll see that I wasn't magically comfortable from day one either. Confidence comes from doing the thing, learning from it and doing it again.
So if fear has been keeping you from showing up online, don't start by trying to impress the internet. Start with one person, one useful thing you know and one way of sharing it that feels doable.
Then press publish.
Resources
A practical guide to help you feel more prepared when recording video, from setup and orientation through to creating footage that's easier to edit.
If showing up, creating content or working out what to share is getting in the way of your marketing, we can work through it together.
Highlights
- 00:00 Why Showing Up Online Can Feel So Uncomfortable
- 01:00 Stop Thinking About the Whole Internet
- 02:00 Talk to the One Person Who Needs Your Message
- 02:20 Teach the Things You Already Know
- 03:00 You Don't Need a Perfect Script
- 03:25 Find a Way of Showing Up That Works for You
- 04:15 Why Showing Your Face Helps People Connect
- 04:35 Focus on Being Useful, Not Perfect
- 05:10 Practice Builds Confidence
- 05:45 Start Showing Up and Sharing What You Know
