Putting yourself out there even if you are shy
Putting yourself out there is a great way to sell your product or services. Everyone wants to know the face behind the brands that they are supporting. Eventually, this will evolve into something beautiful — customers will trust your products or services more and you will stand out from the rest of your competitors. Remember, everyone is built differently… it is the way of life!
But, what if I am shy?
Fear not, there are many ways to put yourself out there without embarrassing yourself.
Let’s talk about faceless silent vlogs.
Filming yourself working on your product or services is interesting and engaging. Your actions will justify how authentic you are as a creator and how much effort you have put in every day to create your masterpieces. If you provide a service, silent vlogs can also act as educational videos — behind the scenes, the equipment you use, how you plan your sessions, how your clients react to your services, etc.
Now, the question is…
Why would I want to show everyone how I make my product or the services I provide?
Why would I want to expose my secrets and allow my competitors to steal my ideas?
Let me share with you my personal experiences and stories.
When I started as a solo filmmaker and photographer. I was all about producing excellent high-quality visual content for my clients. I was a self-taught filmmaker and photographer hence, I wasn’t well equipped with the right equipment or skillset for certain projects. Most of my ways were non-conventional but I still managed to get the job done. My clients were happy with my work and I continued to evolve throughout the years.
Then, COVID came and killed most of my client’s businesses. They had no more budget to create content and were desperate to put their products and services on social media. They needed help, period. Ironically, because of how simple my equipment and methods were, I was able to educate them on content creation — the easy way.
- Use your phone, and set it to this
- Use stacks of books as a tripod
- Shoot your products near the window for the light source
- Use this free app to edit your videos
- How to frame your products
- A list of equipment that cost below $100
With this in play, there were still setbacks. I needed to create more “relatable” and “applicable” content. Teaching them how to shoot their products with iPhones wasn’t enough — They had to visualise themselves doing it. I started documenting all of my behind-the-scenes. I showed everyone all my simple techniques that were wrong in the production world but I couldn’t care less. At the end of the day, I’m all about helping my clients.
Being transparent has advantages. You are killing 2 birds with one stone.
Let’s picture a scenario.
Today, you run a hand-made plush toy business and here is your vlog.
- You start the day waking up fresh, working out and eating a healthy breakfast
- You clear up your desk and start to work
- You gather your fabrics and sewing kit
- You make yourself a nice cup of tea
- You start to stitch pieces of cloth together
- Your dog randomly appears and chews on the toy
- You worked on colouring your toys, mixing dyes
- You narrate every step with text or voiceovers
”Every morning, I will put on my sports attire and do cardio exercises to get my blood pumping.”
- Oh, I love your sports attire, where can I get them from?
- How many sets of jumping jacks do you do? and Why?
”After working out, I will make myself a bowl of salad with fresh fruits and vegetables.”
- Do you use organic fruits and vegetables only?
- I like the way you toss your salads, I am going to try it later!
- Where did you get that bag of tomatoes?
”I only order fabrics from this country or this vendor because I love the work and texture of them.”
- How can you tell the fabric is old?
- Have you tried ordering fabric from this country instead?
- Where did you get your sewing kit?
As you can see. This simple silent vlog of yours is alive. It engages your audience’s curiosity and keeps them intrigued.
Sometimes, sponsors might even engage you to use their products as advertisements.
Sometimes, you may also get invites to collaborate with bigger creatives.
Endless possibilities!
Don’t be afraid to put yourself in front of your brand.
Don’t force yourself to do styles that you are not comfortable with — speaking in front of the camera, TikTok trends, etc.
Take it slow and always remember to be yourself.
Be true to yourself and your audience will follow.
Thanks for reading!
- Alfred Twj
