Stop Letting Fear Block the Door to Opportunity. Here’s What to Do

Is fear standing between you and success?

It happens a lot.

And sometimes, it manifests in some pretty unexpected ways.

You might not even realize you're afraid of something until suddenly, you're faced with it.

With the recent rise of video as an essential part of content marketing, a lot of marketers have realized they're afraid of being on camera.

Some people love making videos of themselves.

Others, not so much.

If you're in the second category, the idea of sitting down in front of a camera is downright terrifying.

But you can't ignore video. Not in 2017.

There's a good chance you're going to have to start getting comfortable on camera if you want to share your message.

In a recent blog post, The Content Marketing Institute explains how taking small, gradual steps can help you gently ease your way into video.

On why conquering fear matters more than ever

The way we consume content is moving more and more toward video, motion graphics, and audio.

Of course, people have been saying this for years, but the growing sophistication of technologies like virtual reality, voice recognition (hello Alexa), and artificial intelligence means we will soon interact with screens very differently than we used to – and some screens will become obsolete.

Add to that, younger generations are gravitating to video-based content in a way that will define how we publish in another decade. (Video-based recipes were uncommon even five years ago, but 30-second GIF recipes litter the web today.)

Content marketers need to look beyond the blog post, e-book, and print magazine; they have to adapt to the ways people prefer to consume content.

And I have not even mentioned live video or live streaming. Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube have all added live-streaming capabilities — and the format has taken off in popularity.

In short: Any brand that isn’t embracing video internally and growing its expertise is going to fall further and further behind.

On the virtues of starting small

To begin, think of the smallest audience you can impact with a short video. We’re talking the “babiest” of baby steps.

For example, create a walk-through video of an internal tool you want your team to use. With such a small scope for your first video, the fear of rejection or being judged is low.

Just make sure it’s valuable to that audience and lets you experiment with new tools and techniques in video production. It’s the video equivalent of writing a paragraph vs. a 10-page essay to get you comfortable with the process.

Another idea: Film a customer case study. You only need a single camera setup and an external microphone. Stand the camera left or right and ask customers to talk about themselves. (Just about everybody can talk about themselves and the projects they are a part of.)

Cut up the clip, add motion graphics (you’ll find plenty of online tutorials), and show it to your sales reps. Ask them if it’s something they can use. If the answer is yes, you have another medium to jump on.