7 Tips for a Seamless, Authentic On-Camera Video (Tips for Being on Camera)

Worrying about appearing on camera? Here are seven tips to being on camera for a seamless, authentic result.

Being on camera can be confronting the first time… and even the second and the third. People worry about what to wear, how to act and whether or not they’ll make a fool of themselves. These worries are universal… everyone has them. Until you get the right tricks and tips for being on camera that gives you that deisrable seamless, but totally authentic result.

7 Tips for Being on Camera for a Seamless, Authentic Video

Tip 1: Smile

Smiling isn’t just nice to do, smiling also makes us look good to other people. A Penn State University study showed that when we smile we appear more likeable and nicer. But importantly, we’re also considered more competent.

Another A/B split test by Alwin Hoogerdijk showed that smiling increases profit by 10.7%. A smile is also known to be contagious, so when you smile everyone in the room becomes a little happier.

So, your first tip for being on camera is simply to smile. Smiling is one of the easiest tricks to demonstrate confidence and build rapport with your audience. If you find it hard, you can practice smiling in front of the mirror. Or just imagine that you’re talking to one person that you feel really comfortable with.

Tip 2: Make Eye Contact

The second tip for being on camera is to make eye contact. Making eye contact when you’re talking to someone in person is extremely important. But it’s equally important when you’re on camera. Though you may not have an ‘eye’ to look to directly, you will want to look straight into the camera’s lens as much as possible.

In the book, The Body Language Advantage, body language expert Lillian Glass demonstrates how maintaining eye contact (even through a camera lens) signifies confidence, presence, self-esteem and assertiveness. On the other hand, breaking eye contact can imply submissiveness.

Tip 3: Be an Attention Seeker

Video is not the time to be self-effacing or demure. Research by Microsoft discussed by Time shows you have only eight seconds to capture the viewer’s attention. That means you need to be interesting, engaging and grab that attention immediately or risk the dreaded click away.

So, your third tip for being on camera is to make your first eight seconds your best. Come up with something of value straight away – something that compels the listener to stay. Don’t waste time on basic or background information. If you have to, you can work your way back around to that later.

Be bold. Make your strongest statements first. Then back them up.

Tip 4: K.I.S.S.

No, this doesn’t mean blowing kisses into the camera. K.I.S.S. stands for that old acronym, ‘keep it simple stupid’. Video isn’t the place for complicated, jargon-ladened soliloquies. Instead, video is the perfect medium for simple, straight-to-the-point, quick and clear messages. So, our fourth tip for being on camera is K.I.S.S.

To do this, first remember, you’re the expert in your niche, and that’s why people are listening to you. If they were experts as well, they’d probably be doing something else. Keep your topic easy to understand. Then keep it actionable. Think about what the viewer can take away and actually do. Success, even small ones, will keep them coming back for more.

Tip 5: Appearance Matters

Tip five for being on camera is that your appearance matters. That doesn’t mean you have to be model handsome, or have your hair and makeup done perfectly every time. But it does mean thinking about what you’re wearing and how you look.

Be comfortable but tidy, and wear clothes that are on-brand. So, if you’re a highly regarded lawyer who’s an expert on US political matters, you might want to stick to the more traditional ‘business’ type attire. But if you’re a yoga instructor, active wear would be much more acceptable.

For everyone, be sure to wear clothing that isn’t going to distract from you getting your message out (and heard). That means clothes that aren’t too revealing or distracting are best.

Tip 6: Slow and Steady

We can pretty much guarantee that once the camera starts rolling you’re going to speak faster than you think you are. So, our sixth tip is for being on camera is to take a breath and slow down.

When you speak too quickly, it doesn’t matter how amazing your script is, or insightful your thoughts – the listener might miss out on your information. And speaking too fast makes people perceive you as uncomfortable and uneasy, and diminishes your leadership presence. Finally, it can also make you look impatient, aggressive or even unsympathetic.

Tip 7: Prepare

We once had a client tell us they were just going to ‘wing it’ when it came time to deliver their message. But it’s important to remember that just because you’re an expert in your business, doesn’t mean you’re an expert at explaining it. Our seventh (and last) tip for being on camera is to spend adequate time preparing will help you look more natural, confident and boost the perception that you’re an expert to be trusted.

Write a script, edit it, then edit it some more. Practice it in front of the mirror, your partner and your kids. Practice until they ask you to stop.

Next Steps

It might be hard to implement every one of these tips for being on camera today. But make it a goal to master one or two before your next on-camera video, and then another one or two after that. Keep going until being on camera feels just as easy as speaking to a client one-on-one. It might never be 100% comfortable, but you will be authentically you, while still presenting a professional, seamless video.

If you’re ready to be on camera, we’d love to help you. Get in touch to get started!