How To Leverage Video When You Hate Doing Video

A lot of entrepreneurs treat video like it is a dentist appointment that talks back. You know it is important, you know everyone keeps telling you it is the future of marketing, yet your brain still whispers please no.

The funny thing is that most people do not actually hate video, they hate the pressure of feeling like they must perform and that others are judging them. The good news is that you do not need to be a natural on camera to win with video, you just need a smarter way to approach it.

The growth shift happens when you stop thinking about performing and start thinking about documenting. You do not need studio lighting or a ten-step script. You need real moments. People trust business owners who feel human. That means short clips (I teach a three-part talk), natural language, and quick answers to questions your audience already has. If staring into the camera makes you freeze, treat the phone like a curious intern. Let it capture what you are already doing for thirty seconds and move on.

Here is the real win for people who hate being on camera. You can still leverage video without starring in anything to get yourself started. Make tours of the inside of local businesses, film a customer (or have one of the staff stand in as an employee) shopping at a local store with their permission, feature your favorite product going from on the shelf to in your home journey, or capture behind-the-scenes moments where only your voice is heard. Show your process instead of your face. Turn written advice into narrated screen recordings.

When you highlight your community and your work, the pressure disappears and your brand becomes far more approachable. But do note that when YOU are on camera and people can see and relate to you, your business will grow.

If you need help taking that first step, here are three simple hacks to make video less intimidating and more doable right now.

Checklist: Three Simple Hacks For People Who Do Not Want To Do Video Yet 

• Film for sixty seconds and stop. Limit the pressure and lower the stakes, if you find yourself talking longer than that then you have a series on your hands so break up the content into 60 second sections.

• Batch film once a week so you only need courage one time. Bring several shirts to switch into, so the content looks fresh, but recording three at one time makes it easier to catch a rhythm.

• Flip the phone around so you cannot watch yourself while you record. You will relax instantly.

Here is your challenge. Make one short clip today where you are not the star of the show. Maybe a process shot, maybe a quick voice-over, maybe a highlight of a local business owner. The goal is not perfection. The goal is momentum.