How to Get Started with Video (Or Get Better than You are Now!)

Updated: Jan 10, 2020

So, maybe you are amazing at social media, blogging, and speaking face to face.

Perhaps, you have either thought about video for your own business or the business you work for.

Maybe, you simply haven't gotten to it or maybe it overwhelms and you are avoiding it all together.

I get it I once had those feelings. I joke my first "keynote speeches" were in kindergarten, show and tell in middle school, organizations and events in college. I then grew to giving over 1000 face to face speeches and keynotes in Corporate, and over 7 industries. At the same time, when I first started doing video in 2016 I was terrified! It became easier when Ashley, @heyashleyrenne told me "pretend you are talking to your best friend!"

So, how do you get started with video, and why does it matter?

Video matters because people may connect with you face to face, get to know you, and build a relationship anytime and anywhere. Based on an article with DreamGrow and related statistics, over 63% of businesses are using video marketing, and some conversions are as high as 80% in sales because of video.

Did you realize it was that high?

Perhaps, now you are curious on how to keep it. simple with all the noise out there.

So glad you asked!

How to Get Started with Video

(Or Get Better than You are Now!)

1. Start With What You Have Now

What do you currently have? An iPhone? An Android? Start with that. Keep it simple. You don't want to stop yourself before you even start by overcomplicating it. Make a decision to start or grow simply with lives, stories, or perhaps launching your YouTube channel. If you are already doing this consistently, think about creating your first online course.

I filmed our first two online courses including our mastermind on my iPhone! I continued to film on an IPhone 8 and 10 until 2018.

I just upgraded to a Canon EOS M100 in September of 2018.

Do the best you can with what you have initially, and make a plan step by step to elevate.

2. Talk Like You Do to Your "Best Friend"

The words that Ashley, @heyashleyrenne said of "pretend you are talking to your best friend" stick with me all the time now. She said those words to me during our Cuba Retreat in 2016 and I still repeat them to myself. When you follow this, it will feel natural. and your personality shines through. What I also find humbling and amazing is that I am and we are now teaching others how to do video for social, lifestyle entrepreneurship, and brands.

Oh, and practice makes perfect. Practice. Practice. Practice.

3. Learn from Those That Inspire You

You want to learn from those that inspire you. Ashley, Brendon, and Chalene were only the beginning! I immerse myself in learning from those that inspire me in anything! I have also learned from numerous Herbalife Leaders like Garrain Jones, Celeste Richmond, Style Bell, Disney De La Concepcion, Carlos Perez, and countless others. I intentionally and purposefully observe at least 2-5 speakers each week in various industries. I believe it gives you a different perspective and will help inspire you to be a better communicator in general, not simply for video.

I want to also point out to never stop learning in general.

Be proud of each step you make, and keep going and growing.

4. Determine the Intention for the Video

You want to create and cultivate a community, and you want them to come back. At the same time, you want to be authentic and relatable. In general, that means sharing your story. If you are sharing stories on social media, it may be simply sharing behind the scenes, or How To's. In comparison, if you are wanting to create online courses, whether now or in the future, you may follow a more structured approach for videos for online courses. I share more on this in the videos below, and in How to Create Videos.

5. Sharing Not Selling

Like many of us, I don't like to follow a hard sale approach. I don't believe anyone truly likes this even though many of us have allowed ourselves to "be sold". I think we all can agree though we love to share. We love to share about our favorite experience, someone that impacted us, or a trip we just took! I think you can agree that when you think about sharing what you love and simply inviting others to come with you, it is a completely different feeling.

When I create videos for our online courses, I follow a simple approach of:

1) Sharing a story

2) Pain points

3) How I overcame

4) Results

5) Invitation

6) Highlights

7) Learn more

I practice the same approach like when I talk to a best friend. I also recognize the value in what I or we offer as a community. I also realize it has the power to change their life like it has for others.

When you think about you offer in the same way, you realize that you are actually hurting someone if you don't create or share what you may offer in your voice, with your story, and in your way because there are people waiting just for you to show up.

How to Get Started with Video

(Or Get Better than You are Now!)

In summary, start with what you have now, act like you are talking to your best friend, learn from those that inspire you, determine the intention for the video, and share your story and solutions.

If you follow and practice this approach, getting started with video will be simple! If you have already started, you will get better than you are now!