Hey y’all,
Since the onset of the coronavirus craziness and the shelter-in-place orders, the No. 1 question I’ve been asked as a former journalist, university instructor and media professional is:
“How do I be real, shake the nerves and have fun while recording myself for videos and live web streams?”
People have told me, “You seem so authentic and make it look so easy.” While it’s true I’ve made a career from talking and storytelling, there are some ninja multimedia and on-camera presentation tips that will have anyone free-flowing authentically with some practice.
So let’s get to it.
Here’s an impromptu Instagram LIVE video I created that breaks down how to DO YOU BOO, unabashedly!
Take action and recap: How do you be in the flow?
PREPARE, BUT DO NOT OVERPREPARE
Organize your talking points with the age-old structure that every good story includes a beginning, middle and end.
BEGINNING: Start strong. What do you want your audience and peeps to know? Hook them by sharing the overarching lesson or action items of your message. Remember, what you are sharing has immense value. If it’s just to have fun, no worries. Just say so and carry on.
MIDDLE: Think of three bullet points, talk off of them and don’t memorize. If you try to memorize, you’ll freeze when you forget words. This also works when you’re giving speeches on stage. Trust that you know what you’re talking about. If you forget a point, no worries, chances are your audience won’t notice.
END: Finish strong! Say bye, ask them to take action — follow, like, donate, etc.
BE REAL AND IN THE FLOW
It’s OK to mess up! We are all human beings. What isn’t OK is to freeze and make it all awkward. Use nervous energy to your advantage:
–Admit it, laugh it off and go with the flow
–You have control over what others feel. You have the power
–Be you. Authenticity comes from within. If you’re geeky, quirky, fabulous — be you!
You do you, boo!
PUSH OUT A STEADY STREAM OF CONTENT REGULARLY
Consistency is the key. Think of it as hidden treasure you’re planting for the audience to discover on the interwebs.
–Having an accountability partner to check in with you regularly is critical and psychologically keeps you committed and on your toes.
–Create a content calendar. Depending on your business or brand, you may want to schedule, for example, two video or blog posts weekly. But let the inspiration flow in and make room for spontaneous posts when you are inspired and in the moment.
I recently told a client to schedule posts each Monday and Wednesday, then do more casual, off-the-cuff posts on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Only you know your schedule and what you can handle before burning out. The key is to keep it flowing, baby!
VIBRATIONS
What lights you up? Talk about it. You may want to make sure it’s aligned with your brand. For example, my brand is inspiring the best in people and helping them discover and use their power to help others. So you’ll see that I have an everyday heroes section on GO INSPIRE GO.
I also love interior design, so you’ll see this content on my STYLE YOUR SPIRIT series. We are multidimensional people, so it’s completely OK to have different topics, but think about the thread that holds your brand together so you don’t confuse your audience. Start by being clear on what excites you. What lights you up?
I’m excited to see you shine, boo. If you have any questions or want to work with me on a one-on-one basis for media training, brand building or speaker training, DM me @toanlamtv on all platforms.
The biggest gift you can give the world is the gift of you (and that thing that excites you!)
Shine onward!
Toan