Be honest, how many times have you been told: “You SHOULD make videos of you talking about your offerings for your website and/or social media”(this month)? This nugget of wisdom couldn’t be any more obvious and yet it couldn’t be further down the list of things you want to do this week. Right?

We hear success stories about women that started a business or even passion projects that exploded in popularity because they produced videos consistently. There are so many urban legends out there about how entrepreneurs doubled their profits within a year just by speaking directly to their online viewers.

So, WHY can’t WE get around to making videos ourselves?

You know your service or product can changes lives, and yet you want to throw up at the thought of having to make one of these videos…much less a series of them. Video production can definitely be intimidating but often times I think the shut down happens because we don’t know HOW to do it, WHAT to say, or WHERE to event start.

Online marketing videos can be a great way to reach more people with less effort. You make a video once and then it lives online making itself available to people looking for your specific brand of expertise. But unless we overcome our fear of putting ourselves on camera and producing videos that genuinely educate others on what we are all about, we won’t be able to reach that larger audience.

Here 3 things that I have found stop most entrepreneurs from consistently creating quality videos that genuinely express their love for what they do and how they help others:

1) Some Entrepreneurs are afraid of being the FACE of their business:

I have clients telling me every week how scared they are of putting themselves out there in videos because the medium makes them feel way too exposed and vulnerable. Creating content that lives online with one’s likeness can make many people feel extremely uneasy because they’re not sure who is going to be watching the video and what they might write in the comment section. I totally get that.

The good news is that you can disable the comment section at first until you grow more comfortable with the medium. The key to feeling confident with being the face of your company is focusing on your absolute favorite part of your business and HOW YOU HELP OTHERS.

What is it you love doing more than anything when it comes to the work you do?

Once you connect to that joyous feeling you can begin to speak more freely on camera which takes the pressure off of the perception that your face (or how many times you say “like” and “um”) is the only thing your viewer is considering. Instead, if you’re talking about things that spark your passion and brilliance and they just so happen to solve a problem for the person watching, the rest of the technical stuff will disappear. You will feel just as in charge and in control as you do when you’re working with a client in real time.

Another thing to keep in mind is that your audience wants you to solve their problem by providing SOLUTIONS that helps them with their issues. That’s the reason they’re looking at your videos in the first place. Speak to their pain points and concerns, your face will be the same face you’ve always had. A face of resolution and hope broadcast in a different medium. You are who you’ve always been…someone who genuinely and authentically finds results!

You ARE the face of your company because you do what you do, better than anyone and you love it! You started this business for a reason, and you’re the amazing person that helps so many. Don’t forget that.

2) Fear of coming off awkward or dumb:

Have you ever had that nightmare in which you have to stand up in front of a classroom full of bored students to give a presentation without knowing anything about the topic or having read the book? That’s the worst, isn’t it? Do you remember what you did in the dream? Did you go blank or mumble anything that resembled a coherent thought? Maybe you ran out of the room desperately, hoping that you’ll eventually wake up. Either way, I’m sure you felt awkward and dumb when you woke up, right? The good news is that we’ve all been there.

I’ve given so many bad presentations that make that dream feel like a paradise vacation. Every time I said or did something embarrassing on stage, I realized that audiences want me to succeed. I was the only one standing in the way of them getting what they want because of my own insecurities and doubts. I would get so self-conscious that I would crack bad jokes, or go down pointless rabbit holes that had nothing to do with what I was originally hired to talk about. It wasn’t the way I presented that made me look silly, it was not being clear about the message and veering off topic.

An audience will disengage if you say something that is not helpful to them but they may conversely be easy going if you provide valuable information that is full of rich substance. If you start second guessing yourself and going down a rabbit hole of nonsensical stories that always end with “yeah, I’m dumb” then they might reject you. However, if you are clear about your message and how your main points address the viewers concerns, you’ll be surprised at how forgiving they will be. This is especially true when creating online marketing videos.

Again, you’re viewers NEED what offer because it makes THEIR lives better. They are waiting for your solutions. If someone wants to know how to sleep train a toddler and that is your area of expertise, they won’t care how you look on camera or how expensive your sound equipment is. They might even overlook the fact that you said “like” and “um” a few times (keep it to only a few though if possible).

Instead, they will be extremely interested in what tips and techniques you can give them to get their little one to sleep alone the whole night.

By being clear about WHO you are talking to and WHAT their needs are you will be that much more likely to appear confident and conversational because you’ll have the viewer in mind. This focus will ensure that you’re having a sincere conversation with them (even though they aren’t there during the taping of the video) as opposed to that robotic attempt at a radio announcer voice that we often see when people make Youtube videos.

The more energy you put into creating solid content and speaking truthfully to your ideal client, the more powerful you’ll come off in your videos. That’s what people want to see! When you show up with that mindset to your taping, the results will be positively engaging every time. The viewer will feel that you are speaking to them and that you have a deep understanding of what they are going through… just as if they were working with you in person.

Help them with something and they won’t care how you look or sound!

3) What the F#$* do I even say in this thing?

That’s a great question. This section will be short as I will answer your question with some questions of my own.

What are you most excited about sharing?

What do you think are the top 3 things you’re clients are not sure about?

What are the top 5 things your clients always ask you?

I suggest using these questions to inform what you say in your videos and ultimately how you say it. You might even be surprised at how easy it is to come up with video topics based on what questions you find yourself repeatedly answering, or the things that you catch yourself saying on a daily basis to clients.

Many of the women I work with initially come to me for coaching on how to deliver their material, but once we get clear about WHAT they want to say, WHO they want to say it to, and HOW it benefits that person the delivery automatically becomes authentic and natural (check out my other blogs for more info about those things).

Bottom line, you are the face of your business. You deserve to connect with as many people as possible. Instead of letting the fear of how you appear on camera stop you from reaching those that need you, I invite you to truly connect with the fact that you are a solution provider and as a result should be the FACE of your company. Celebrate it and try to view online marketing videos as a way of sharing your gifts with as many souls as possible without driving around the country answering the same questions over and over again. Articulate for yourself what questions and concerns your clients have consistently and speak directly to them. The rest will fall into place. I promise!