In the past, exemplifying confidence in your career and the workplace focused primarily on the relationships you had with your co-workers, employers and customers. Holding your head up high, speaking clearly, and standing up for yourself and your ideas were some of the most important measures of confidence in the workplace. While this still stands true, in today’s world where everything you say and do has the potential of showing up online, the idea of confidence takes on a whole new meaning.
While some professionals attempt to control their online exposure by abstaining from social media, others are embracing the new age of communication and shared information with confidence. While you don’t want your potential clients or new employers coming across that Amy Schumer Train Wreck-style photo of you finishing off a beer at your best friend’s bachelorette party, the right kind of content can work to your benefit. Articles written by you and – sometimes even more effective – videos starring you can be a great way to highlight your expertise and help you build an online reputation for yourself as an expert in your niche.
Why video? Because video is the most engaging online content available today. It is shared more often on social media than any other kind of content, and video outperforms any other kind of content when it comes to search engine results. Google serves up a variety of styles of content for any given search, including websites, photos, articles and video. Because fewer people currently are making videos than are writing articles, it makes sense that your video has the potential to rank higher in search engine results. Sure, it takes more technical effort to create a video than it does to write an article, but the online results can be worth it. When you create a video starring yourself, sharing your expertise and knowledge with the world, it tells your potential employers, customers and colleagues that you are confident as an expert in your niche.
This pushes the idea of confidence to a whole new level. Not only are you sharing your ideas and opinions with the world but, with video, you’re sharing your voice and moving image as well. For some, this can be a confidence killer. So how does one master the confidence to participate in this new-age medium of communication?
Here are some tips:
1. Realize that you are not perfect, but that you are “The Perfect You.” Remember, people love and respect you for who you are despite all your quirks and imperfections. Just ask your friends!
2. Stop Being Your Own Worst Critic. Often we are much more critical of ourselves than anyone else would be. We see ourselves on camera, and we pick apart our speech, hair, smile, mannerisms and our voice – things most people don’t pay nearly as much attention to as we do.
3. Be Patient with Your Feelings. Most of us are not used to seeing ourselves on video, and it’s natural to feel uncomfortable in the beginning. It takes time to accept this new version of you.
4. Focus on your message, and relax into your delivery.
5. Work with a professional video marketing team that can help remove the technical stress associated with producing a video and help you get the result you are looking for.
Step up in front of the camera with confidence, and start making videos. You can do this!
About Your Columnist
Melissa Ladaire is a featured columnist for Women Taking Charge, the official blog of Connected Women of Influence, where she writes about video production. She is the owner of Gain Crowd Media, which produces videos for businesses and individuals, including B2B lead generation, sales funnel campaigns and search engine optimization to drive sales.
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