How to Master The Art of the Selfie Video for Your Small Business

You’ve seen these videos all over the internet - an influencer, celebrity, media personality or business owner recording themselves via their smartphone’s camera, saying, “Hey guys, I’m back! Just wanted to check in and tell you about…” Do you want to learn some tips to increasing engagement on your small business’ social media platforms and even driving leads, just by taking video of yourself? Read on to find out how you, too, can master the art of the selfie video for your small business.

The Selfie Video - an Elusive Enigma of the Internet

The question I have heard frequently since the inception of our business and since we began advising clients on how to boost their business’ social media engagement through the Selfie Video is, “how on earth do I talk into the camera?!” Well, if you want the answer to that question, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, I’m going to give you a few tips on how to do this very well, and more importantly, make you feel comfortable in doing so.

Tip 1: How to Feel Comfortable on Camera with a Super Simple, Proven Technique

“Hello, Friends.”

When I was studying Journalism in college, I needed to be on camera quite frequently. I had some experience behind the camera previously, by way of my high school’s daily video announcements, but this was an entirely new level. What do I say? How do I look and feel comfortable? In the words of Ron Burgundy, “what do I do with my hands?”

I sought guidance from one of my favorite television broadcasters, someone who I believe is among the greatest sportscasters of all time, CBS Sports’ Jim Nantz. Mr. Nantz once said in an interview, “When I look into that camera, I picture my father. I imagine I’m looking at him, telling him about whatever is going on that day at the event I’m covering. This relaxes me, and is why I begin all of my broadcasts with the tagline, ‘Hello, friends.’ In that moment, just for a split second, I’m collecting myself and talking directly to my father, and also to all the viewers, who are now my friends.”

I thought, “Well, if the great Jim Nantz does this and it works for him, I could and probably SHOULD follow suit, right?” So, I did.

Every time I looked into a camera when I was delivering a report or story, I pictured someone I love. One of my grandparents (God rest all of their souls), my mom, my dad, my aunt, my best friend since I was 11 years old - anyone of that nature that came to mind. I got quite comfortable doing this, and it became relatively easy. Now, I can whip out my iPhone and record a Selfie Video without a problem. This is because I learned and honed the value of this very important skill. You might not need or want to say, “Hello, friends” when you start YOUR Selfie Video, but you could sure be thinking of them as you press record.

Tip 2: Be Direct & Deliver Value With Ease

“Say What You Need to Say”

I am, proudly, one of the world’s biggest fans of modern music legend, John Mayer. He has a song called “Say”, which was written for the 2007 film, The Bucket List, and the lyrics to the chorus are simply, “Say what you need to say.”

This simple doctrine holds true to mastering the art of the Selfie Video, because you never want your viewers to think that your message is too long-winded, which might force them to click away from your content. Simply put, say only what you need to say in that specific video, and nothing else. People, especially those consuming social media, have an insanely short attention span. If you can’t get your message out in 10-20 seconds, they’re gone.

Have a plan, even outline your Selfie Video if you need to. Know exactly what your message is and WHY you are spreading that message. Always give your viewers a call to action, or somewhere to go after they consume your content. It is honestly better to have three or four 20-second videos than one 60-second video if you have a bit longer of a message at one time, especially if you’re recording a Facebook or Instagram story, because if they want to skip around (and they will), you’re giving your viewers that many more opportunities to see your face and engage with your content.

Tip 3: Practice Your Video Technique Frequently

“If At First You Don’t Succeed, Try, Try Again!”

One of the pressures of live television is that reporters and anchors only get one take to get something right. Often, this is in front of a large audience. If they fumble their words or forget to mention one little thing, the window of opportunity to correct that is very limited and occasionally, non-existent. Fear not, your window of opportunity is wide open. Your smartphone’s camera has “unlimited film” - if you don’t get it quite right the first time, don’t be discouraged or upset. Watch your video back and see where (and when) you could improve. Then, simply click the “X” button in the top left corner of your screen and try, try again. You will improve vastly with each take, and along the way, you’ll get inherently more comfortable with being on-camera in general. Practice makes perfect - don’t be too hard on yourself and NEVER give up!

Wrap-Up

Thanks for joining me on this quick course of Selfie Video 101. I hope you can take any and all of these tips and apply them to your Selfie Video making process. Your audience wants to hear what you have to say, and they’re waiting for you. They are there only to support you and listen to you, please remember that.

Go give them all something to talk about and react to! You have all the tools in your toolbox to make the perfect Selfie Video for them.

I can’t wait to see what you will produce!

If you want more information on making Selfie Videos for your business or need some help, please let us know below: