How to Be Comfortable in Online Video

By Graham Jones

The Internet is awash with video. At any one moment in time, every single second of the day or night, 308 videos are being watched on YouTube - and YouTube only has just over 50% of the online video market... ! If you sat down in front of your computer and watched only the videos which were uploaded to the Internet today it would take you 22 years of non-stop watching... ! Online video is MASSIVE... !

And that means individuals are now the video stars. The world over, ordinary folk are becoming presenters, doing "pieces to camera" in instruction videos, business videos and promotional videos. Anyone and everyone can appear on video; no longer is it the domain of "the professional".

But with this massive outpouring of video creativity comes a problem. Millions of people lack confidence in front of the camera. The problem for business owners is that if you don't do video you are seen as out-dated and old-fashioned. You can no longer hide behind the camera, you have to come in front of it. And for millions of business people that's a real issue. They can not really promote their products and services online very well because they don't have the confidence to appear on camera.

Simple steps to boost confidence

Confidence is a biological issue. It is associated with hormonal changes in your body which are triggered by fears and anxieties. Thankfully, because those hormonal changes are based on biological triggers, they can be switched off with other biological triggers, thereby helping to restore confidence.

The number one biological switch to boost confidence as a result of changing hormone levels in your body is:

MUSCULAR ACTVITY

Exercise changes your hormonal balance, removing the anxiety provoking, negative hormones and helping to restore your confidence. So, you can achieve this biological switch by making sure you get some exercise prior to any video recording you are involved with. You might like a work out in the gym, or a swim, but for many people all you need is a brisk 20-minute walk and your body relaxes and changes. Whatever your favourite muscle-using activity might be, that's the one to try. Yes, even sex can help..!

Other ways of improving video confidence

Another issue to address is the anxiety you might have before facing the camera. This in itself can trigger the hormonal changes which impact upon confidence. So, addressing your fears and concerns in the first place can be worthwhile. For some people the thought of appearing on video is so terrifying that they need therapy, such as CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). Thankfully, such treatment is not required for most people. Most of us who are concerned about being on video can simply change the way we think. One way of doing that is with self-hypnosis audio recordings which help you get your mind into the right frame.

Practice helps

One of the reasons we become anxious is lack of familiarity with things. The more you do something, the more confident you become. So, one of the reasons why people lack confidence with online video is because they do not do it often enough. Instead of doing one video every now and then, save them up and do a batch. The first one may be a little shaky, but as you go through the day your confidence will improve and you can then go back to the first one and re-record it full of happiness.

You may look at many business videos online and wish you could be as confident and anxiety-free as some of the presenters. With these simple steps, you can.

Graham Jones is a psychologist who investigates the way people use the Internet and how people shop online. His research can help you make the most of the Internet, particularly if you are hoping to make money online.

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