Camera shy? The importance of video content and how to rock it!

Hate it or love it. Video content is here to stay. In fact, video is now the preferred medium for consuming information for a majority of internet users. And it’s only growing in popularity. Including dominating social media. You only have to look at the changes made across every major social network, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. There is a reason why they are incorporating videos in a BIG WAY in their algorithms. 

According to HubSpot's 2023 State of Marketing report, video is the most popular and effective media format for the fourth year in a row.

If you are not using video content in your marketing strategy yet, then it’s probably time.

Why is video content so important?

Videos are not only more engaging, people also remember information from videos more than any other medium. Studies have shown that the average viewer retains 95% of a message when they watch it, as opposed to a mere 10% retention rate when reading it. 

Videos are also great storytellers. They can get your audience to connect and communicate with you on a deeper emotional level. More so than words or pictures. They also help develop greater trust as people can see the intent and the face behind the brand. They can ‘see’ you, what you stand for, and really ‘connect’.

Still not convinced? Here are some stats about video content that will blow your mind.

• According to a report from Oberlo, 91% of consumers want to see more online video content from brands.

• 86% of marketing professionals use video as a marketing tool.

• 66% of consumers find short form videos to be the most engaging type of social media content.

• According to OptinMonster, video marketers get 66% more qualified leads per year (OptinMonster, 2019). 

• OptinMonster also concluded that video marketers achieve a 54% increase in brand awareness.

• It’s estimated that in 2022, 82% of the global internet traffic came from video streaming and downloads (Cisco, 2019). That’s an 88% increase in traffic share from 72.3% in 2017. 

• As much as 62% of people agreed to being more interested in a product after seeing it in a Facebook Story. (Marketing Land)

Video is shared 20 times more often than any other content formats in the LinkedIn feeds. (LinkedIn)

Video marketing is not for everyone, but it is certainly one of the most popular ways people engage on the internet.  And it’s a fairly easy way for people to experience you and get to know you on a different level. I used to cringe when anyone used to mention video marketing. Not anymore!

Here are some ways you can create video content even if you are camera shy.

#1: Create video content that doesn’t require you to BE on camera

There are other ways to create fun, informative videos without appearing on camera yourself. The key is to create videos that hold the attention of the audience with interesting story telling and eye catching visuals. Here are some of the MANY ways to do so.

• Use photographs You can share slides of eye-catching photos or showcase videos of your products while you narrate / tell a story about your product in the background. Add a nice music track to go with with your story and visuals and you’ve got gold.

• Make screenshare your best friend. You can use apps like loom to record your computer screen and create video tutorials or informative videos. Remember to think about what your audience needs to see to learn from your video content. 

• You can also use powerpoint, canva or a dozen other slide sharing apps out there to create an honest to goodness slideshow.

• Do a behind the scenes(BTS), inside look video, where you can film your videos from your perspective. That means filming with your phone or camera showing what you’re doing. Perhaps talk a bit about what you’re doing.

#2: Use animation as a mode of video content creation

If you don’t want to star in your video content, you can always create an animated version of yourself! Animation software can be used to create a talking head that will be the face of your narrator. Animation is a useful tool especially if you are a service oriented business and don’t have pretty product photos to showcase. 

However, you don’t need to spend all that time making talking heads and what not. You can definitely start small and use motion graphics to make that slight shift from a picture to a video. Using instagram reels is the best example for this. BigVU is the app I use for creating my video content. It allows captions, music, logo, and everything you need to create engaging video content whether you’re on the video or not.

Here are some scroll stopping ideas for motion graphics you can use.

#3: Try to gradually get over your fear of being on camera

I get it. Video marketing is not for everyone. But after you dip your toes in creating videos without showing your face, you’ll definitely gain more confidence. Then, you can start gradually showing your face. Here are some great tips on how to get over your fear of video marketing and take the Nike approach and just do it!

There is one more way to appear on camera without actually facing the camera!

Do a video interview and record it. Use a camera that’s physically pointed towards you or do a virtual video interview using apps like zoom and skype. Get someone to interview you about yourself, your product, your brand. About things your customer would like to know. That way you don’t have to actually face the camera. The camera is just on you and the person you are talking to. You can then use snippets from this interview to create your own engaging video clips.

My discomfort of being on camera didn’t stop me from being seen in this world. One of the easiest ways for me to show up was to do video podcast interviews, and then create short video clips from those episodes.. 

I hope this post inspires you to take that small step towards video content creation. I have a mission and so do you.

On a Mission Brands is dedicated to helping mission-driven entrepreneurs and organizations capture and captivate their target audience with beautiful, engaging, and memorable brands. Specializing in branding, copywriting and design, our team of heart-centered marketers goes above and beyond to build brand visibility for our clients. If you're ready to take your brand to new heights, let’s chat.