by Abigail Klopper

As everyone is adjusting to their new normal, many solopreneurs are looking to introduce an online business income stream. For many entrepreneurs, this is not a new idea, but rather the urgency to actually get it done is new.

As lock down is preventing traditional brick and mortar businesses from selling their products and services, online business is currently the only means for many to still earn an income and serve their clients.

I’m in exactly the same boat – my scheduled photo shoots and video shoots are postponed until further notice and enquiries have all but dried up. Physically I’m just not able to offer that service right now, which is why I shared the ways in which I’m pivoting those business offerings..

Fortunately though, when it comes to the online space, I’ve got some experience, thanks to my online membership site, the Cafinnate Academy.

Since lockdown started, I’ve had many friends and clients ask me how they can go about creating and selling their first online course because they know I’ve been doing this for several years already. So, before I give them the steps, they need to follow to get their course created, setup and ready to sell, I ask them if they’re comfortable talking on video…invariably they’re NOT!

This has always been a bit of a strange one for me – I’ve experienced it myself as well. What makes us freeze in front of the camera when we’re quite able to have a conversation with someone who sees and hears us exactly as we are, exactly as the camera records us.

Over the years, I’ve seen even the most experienced, seemingly confident professionals develop a quivering upper lip as soon as they’re faced with a recording camera.

So, here’s 3 tips to help you start getting comfortable and confidence on video…

1. Breathe

Even when I’m doing stills photography for a client, I find that most people forget this very basic bodily function – they forget to breathe. When we hold our breathes, or only shallow breathe, our pulse starts racing, we become flushed – because that’s the body’s natural response to lack of oxygen. But then our heads get in on the action and we start analysing those reactions and convince ourselves it’s because of the camera recording us, but in fact it’s because we’re not breathing properly.

2. Speak to the Person

Do your best to speak to the person, not the camera. Whether it’s the person behind the camera hitting the record button, or it’s the person you’re hoping to help or teach. Speaking directly to another human being, or imagining that you are, usually helps ground you back into the familiar, conversational state that you’ve practiced your entire life.

3. Remember: It’s not about you

This has been my saving grace for many years – whether I’m about to hit record on my video camera, or I’m about to walk out on stage and address an audience. I remind myself of this mantra, and it immediately shifts my perspective, grounds me, and gives me the confidence to get on with it. That mantra is

“It’s not about me, it’s about the message.

This reminds me that my ego can take a chill pill, because what I’m about to do has nothing to do with it, and everything to do with the people that I’m serving.

So those are my 3 tips to help you get confident on video today…

Bonus Tip

A bonus tip I would add is….

BONUS TIP: Do the prep work and get your technical set up to the best you possibly can with the resources you have, so that you feel as confident as possible from the outset, before you hit record!

If you’d like some help with that, check out my Camera Confidence Course.

If you’ve ever wanted to make video a part of your online marketing strategy but have struggled with how to get started with the tech, the setup, and the delivery of your video content, then this masterclass is exactly what you need to start building your camera confidence.

It takes you through the planning and prep for a photo shoot and a video shoot, how to find a professional camera person to work with (for when the lock down lifts), and how you can do your own DIY video setup, along with all the mindset work to go with it.

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Abigail K is a specialist women’s portrait photographer, speaker, course creator and all round Confidence Crusader. She believes that every woman has an obligation to themselves & to the women in their lives to show up as their most confident self. This world needs more feminine input, influence & impact, & confidence is the key to helping women show up in a more significant way. Abigail hopes if nothing else, that a single confident women standing tall offers proof & permission for a wave of women to begin their own confidence crusade.