on your channel and follow through with that intention in each video; don’t
make the viewer guess what you, your channel, or any video is about. Title
your channel and each video appropriately and tell your audience up front
what you will cover in the video.
E. Prepare Your Talk!
If you aren’t an experienced public speaker or presenter (or even if you are)
preparation is your friend. Before you shoot a video, prepare an outline with
the following:
- The topic of the video.
- What do you want people to gain/learn/understand/experience.
- If it’s a how-to or instructional video, create an outline of the points
you want to cover. It’s ok to refer to notes while you shot your video. - If it’s a Vlog, what’s your message or purpose? Yes, every video needs
to have a purpose, even if you’re just vlogging your day or a walk in the
park! What do you hope your audience will walk away feeling, thinking or
learning?
F. Practice! Practice! Practice!
Some of the feedback I get most on my YouTube channel is that people
watch my videos, partly, because of how comfortable, inviting and warm I
am in front of the camera. If you’re camera shy, self-conscious,
uncomfortable, unsure of yourself or your purpose or are unprepared, it will
show. Humans pick up subconscious signals from others in nanoseconds, if
you aren’t at ease in front of the camera, your audience won’t be at ease
watching you. They may not even consciously be aware of their unease, but
their subconscious will tell them something isn’t right, and they’ll click away.
Possibly never to return.
When I began my sales career the company, I worked for sent me to a three-
day class to learn how to create presentations and speak in public. They
video-taped me more than ten times over three days and critiqued me, both
one-on-one and in front of the group for three straight days. Yes, it was
brutal, but I came away from that class a much better speaker and I honed my