Being the Face of Your Brand
Showing up as the face of your brand on social media is one of the best things you can do to effectively market your business online. Not convinced? Studies show that posts with your face get 38% more likes, so put on a smile and show the world how excited you are to represent your brand!
People connect with other people much more than they do with a logo or graphics. By presenting yourself as the identifiable leader of your business, you're sending a message of authenticity, relatability, and trustworthiness. What’s more, people will remember you! This helps you establish a good reputation for your organization, making it easier for people to connect with your brand and feel good about engaging. Building a personal relationship with your audience can be the difference between a lead and a sale. I’ve learned this lesson first hand through my journey into entrepreneurship. People respond to character, so put yours on display! It can be intimidating to show up as the face of your brand, but you’ll quickly realize that it’s really no biggie. After you take some time getting comfortable in front of the camera, you’ll be able to tap into some major benefits.
Speaking from personal experience, I know this is easier said than done. It can be uncomfortable to record yourself and build the confidence to open up to strangers on social media. But in this case, the benefit outweighs the discomfort, and there are some useful tips you can use to overcome this challenge and show up as the face of your brand regularly. When I made my first video to be broadcast to my company’s audience, I felt a lot of pressure. I was stressing about every little detail, doing one take after another, trying to get everything perfect. It felt awkward and unnatural, and I kept asking myself if anyone even really wanted to hear what I had to say. With time, I began to loosen up and realize that it would never be 100% perfect. With that realization, came a follow up understanding that I don’t want to be perfect, I want to be authentic. The same is true for what my followers want to see. This ah-ha moment was huge, and it allowed me to finally get the video right. Through my exhaustive efforts, I’m now able to save you the time and trouble by sharing my main takeaways.
Most importantly, people want to see the real you, and you’ll be much more relaxed and confident when you accept that. Don’t wait for perfection, because it will never happen. Start by setting the intention to consistently show up as your brand and make a commitment to post a video of yourself on your stories regularly. Of course there are plenty of other key ingredients to making a great video. Find a spot with good lighting (never sit with a window or bright light source behind you!), or even buy a light ring tripod on Amazon for consistently good videos. Also make sure to have a simple backdrop, and stand a few feet away from the wall (not right up against it). Reduce distractions and background noise, which can be easily done with a heads up to the people you live with that you’ll be filming. To create the effect of eye contact with the viewer, place the camera at or slightly above eye level. Wear a nice top and more importantly, a smile! Most of all relax, take a deep breath, and be authentic.
For some, reading from a script works best. If that sounds like you, try a teleprompter app on your phone or laptop! Personally, I like to have a loose script that I read through a few times before shooting and then sort of wing it when I’m actually on camera. I find that reading while filming makes me stiff and as I said, relaxation is key. After you’ve made the video, I highly recommend adding subtitles. Nowadays, 92% of people watch videos with the sound off, so chances are if your video doesn’t have subtitles, people will miss out on what you have to say. The app I like to use for this is called AutoCap, just be sure to check over the text before saving/posting the video!
If you’re still feeling hesitant, don’t worry. We all feel shy sometimes, and we all experience self-doubt. Let’s talk about imposter syndrome. It’s a widespread problem that affects everyone, but especially women and people of color who have been historically kept out of industries despite their talents or qualifications. So how do we overcome this? The first trick that’s helped me personally is thinking about what I just said. It affects everyone, even the most successful people. For example, great poet and Nobel Laureate Maya Angelou once said in an interview “I have written 11 books, but each time I think, 'uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody, and they’re going to find me out.’” Think about that for a second… she was at the peak of her career and still felt that nagging doubt. If she’d let that uncertainty get the best of her, the world would never know her talent. Where would we be if people like her let doubt stop them from sharing their gifts with the world?
Successful people aren’t the people who don’t have doubt; successful people are the people who push past that doubt. Another tool to help is a support group where you can share your doubts with other creators or entrepreneurs and help each other dispel them. An open and supportive community is an incredible weapon against imposter syndrome.
You may feel insecure about showing your face or you may feel that it’s an action of vanity, but people want to get to know you! Just by putting yourself out there, you’ll be able to connect more deeply with your audience and eventually grow your business. Don’t be afraid to give it a shot — making the commitment to show up as the face of your brand is the hardest part.
