Top 5 Tips to ACE Video Calls & Clips
WFH? Working from home? You need to start smiling for the camera TODAY.
Suddenly you need to be like a pro TV presenter from the comfort of your own kitchen table.
For the last couple of years, clients have been asking me about “looking good on camera” because video clips were coming into fashion.
Now EVERYONE has is trying to film themselves in a panic as they are working remotely. And turning the lens onto yourself, quite frankly, can be a bit of a horror show if you don’t know the basics.
The good news? You can learn the basics, very quickly, and I can help you.
Have you ever tried creating a video clip? Even if you are a TV presenter or a YouTuber, it’s not that easy. Put it this way, it’s easy to get it wrong. From the quality of shot and audio to the content of what you are actually saying and doing (beware of the non-verbals). Videos can be BAD for business.
So as a quick C-19-WFH fix here are my top 5 tips for video conferencing & filming clips for social media.
For both, you need to be camera-ready and many people tell me they feel REALLY embarrassed when they are faced with that dreaded video camera lens.
One of my clients confessed to leaving the video running in the corner of the meeting room and completely ignoring it for hours on end. That’s not a good strategy if you want to win over your audience.
Video calls are not a version of CCTV – if you ignore the audience watching on camera you will literally have NO engagement and you are more likely to annoy them. Is that good for business? No.
Likewise, if you film badly shot videos for LinkedIn it will irritate the audience and you’ll be a turn-off. Even though everyone keeps telling you to make more videos because they are more engaging than text, you don’t want to be a turn-off, do you?
So here are my TOP 5 TIPS to help you ACE your Video Calls and Film Clips…..
1 – SMILE SMILE SMILE – Eyes and teeth! Is the number one best tip of all tips. It transforms the way you come across, it warms you up, it relaxes your jaw (good for the voice). Oh yes, don’t forget to look straight into the camera or the little green light!
2 – Have a decent shot & quiet spot. My goodness, the number of times I’ve been on a video call with a window behind my guest! That’s a no-no.
Find the LIGHT – it must be in front of you, as much light as possible, please!
Rule of thumb - EYES - one-third of the way down the screen! (see above)
Sound –avoid background noise – no traffic, barking or drills, please
3 – Plan Ice breakers – how do you hook your audience in before you start? Think of something to make the audience relax before you get into the meaty bit. One of my clients confessed to being silent with mics down until all participants had arrived on his conference calls. AWKS! Is that good for business? No.
I suggest what I call “small talk coffee time”. Make conversation. Idol chit chat is a must before the call ‘starts’. The tip here is to stick to an easy convo, starting with the here and now. For example, are you working from home? How do you find that? Or where are you sitting right now, are you kids and pets free?
4 – Keep it short – (Note Instagram only allows clips that are less than 1 minute long). Keep answers short, keep calls short, 1 minute is a lot of airtime. Plan for punchy & powerful videos with clear messages. Curb the wafflers and help them get to the point quickly. Best way to stop a waffler is suggest taking the conversation offline! (Catch up with them in a one to one call afterwards)
5 – GOLDEN RULE for video calls – FOLLOW-UP IMMEDIATELY and preferably with a screenshot of everyone on the video smiling and waving. Remember to ask your participants to look into the camera! (This worked seriously well for my client who told me this was fantastic for internal publicity - her boss was very happy at her VC success)
There are 100s of tips to help you ace your video clips and we haven’t even covered hair, make-up and the power of the jacket! So if you’d like my help with your video content from what to say to what not to wear, I have years of experience producing shows at the BBC & helping people look, sound and feel good on camera, so do get in touch…..3….2……1…..action!
My ‘How to Ace Remote Meetings’ webinars are getting completely booked up with the new WFH (working from home) regime so don’t be wooden on camera, get in touch for a free chat now