If you’re looking to up your social media game, filming yourself with your phone is a great way to do it. Videos are an engaging and eye-catching way to share content on platforms like LinkedIn. But filming yourself can be intimidating, so we’ve gathered our top ten tips for getting it right the first time and making sure your video looks professional.
“If you want to create a powerful and lasting impression, get in front of the camera.” – Richard Branson
1. Lights, Camera, Action!
Lighting is key when filming a video with your phone. Natural lighting is always best if you can find it, but if not, then artificial lighting will work just fine. Keep your light source in front of you and avoid having lights behind you as this will create shadows that won’t look good on camera.
2. Get the Right Angle
You want to make sure that the viewer can see your face clearly, so make sure that the camera is at eye level or slightly higher when you’re filming yourself with your phone. This ensures that the angle of the camera captures all your facial features without any awkward angles or distorted views.
3. Invest in a Selfie Stick
A selfie stick helps keep your phone steady while filming and allows you to move around more freely when shooting footage from different angles. Plus, if you’re recording something long-form like an interview or a tutorial, a selfie stick will allow you to show more of what’s around you and include a guest if you’re interviewing someone.
4. Change your Backgrounds
If possible, take advantage of different backgrounds to prevent the viewer from thinking they have already seen your video as they scroll. Make sure to check what’s behind you as well to make sure it supports your professional business message!
5. Sound Check
Make sure that there isn’t too much noise coming through on camera by doing a sound check before beginning filming; background noise can be distracting for viewers and could cause them to click away from your video quickly rather than staying engaged until its conclusion.
“If your selfie video is longer than 60 seconds, it better be good or you may be the only one watching it!” – Rick Lambert, Sales Performance Coach selltowin.com
6. Nix the Script
If you’re feeling a bit anxious about appearing in a video, some basic preparation is all that’s needed! Resist the urge to write out your full thoughts in advance. Rely instead on having some brief reminders of what you want to say, so that your words come across naturally when the camera rolls.
7. Look into the Camera Lens
Don’t let yourself be tempted to look at the screen on your phone while recording a video – it’s much more important to make direct eye contact with the camera lens. This simple step will make your videos much more engaging. If you need a reminder, try placing a post-it covering the screen and pointing to the lens!
8. Keep it Educational – Not Promotional
People will be more engaged in learning from you than listening to you promote your product or service. To make your videos educational, try answering common questions your customers ask you on a regular basis!
9. Be Patient with Yourself
Filming yourself with your phone doesn’t have to be perfect every time—just keep practicing! The more comfortable you become speaking into the camera the easier it will be over time—and don’t forget to take breaks throughout each session so that fatigue doesn’t negatively impact performance either mentally or physically!
10. Have Fun with It!
Lastly, remember that filmmaking should be fun! Don’t let perfectionism get in the way; have fun playing around with angles and perspectives as well as experimenting with different editing techniques once all filming has been completed.
Filming yourself with your phone is a great way to create videos that engage viewers on social media platforms—just make sure to keep these tips in mind before pressing record! With practice comes confidence—so take some deep breaths before you start, relax into it, enjoy experimenting with different angles and perspectives along the way…and before long you’ll find yourself becoming an expert at creating captivating smartphone videos for social media! Best of luck!
Need help with your video strategy?
Engage us at IN2communications.com. We’ve coached hundreds of North America’s top B2B professionals on how to unleash the power of video to showcase their personal brand.
About IN2communications
IN2communications is an award-winning digital marketing and web design agency helping hundreds of B2B organizations create awareness, boost consideration rates and generate sales leads.
Our awesome team provides experienced expertise in the following areas: Creative Strategy, B2B Campaigns, Web Development, Video Production, Social Media, Paid Advertising, SEO, Email Campaigns, Blogging, Presentations, Webinars and remarkable Content Creation.
