When we hear the word “video”, we can’t help it, we tense up.

It’s a word that puts us on the spot, can make us immediately feel like an imposter and honestly, start running for the hills!

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Growing up on film sets, video was always a very natural way-of-life for me… but when I was fourteen, a very well-known actress at the time told me I was too overweight and unattractive to ever be in front of the camera.

The biggest bummer?

I listened to her.

I spent the next ten years as a stand in, instead of an actress.

That way, I was still in front of the camera, but not when it was rolling!

It was just a “little bit” off from what I really wanted to do, so it was okay, right?

WRONG.

And you are possibly making my same mistake.

Let me show you how to get out of it.

You have a beautiful business.

Whether you’re an artist, blogger, crafter or overall creative, you have an incredibly special gift.

Creating crafty how-to videos and tutorials are educational and highly entertaining. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to market your business.

It can feel crazy overwhelming

When we take our biz online, it can feel crazy overwhelming because, all of a sudden, there are hundreds of other creatives there too…seeking out your same customers!

That has definitely made me hide under my covers a time or two.

“Why would my work stand out?”

“How can I compete?”

“I don’t think I’m really an expert, should I just quit?”

Sound familiar?

I thought so.

We forget why we started

We forget about that child-like heart we possess that’s always wanted to express ourselves artistically.

We forget that we are uniquely qualified.

You, my dear, are uniquely qualified because no one else has your level of experience.

And I’m not talking about technical training.

I’m talking about your parents, your childhood, your tragedies and traumas.

The ups and meaningful downs that have led you to this point.

No one else has had them!

No one else has fought those battles and most importantly, no one else has won those victories.

It’s just you.

Therefore, you are uniquely and gorgeously qualified.

Are you hearing me?

Good.

So let’s get you started down this path of video

Why?

Because video is the best and most inexpensive way for you to be seen.

It’s not enough anymore to simply write your wonderful words… people need to see your pretty face.

They need to know you.

They need to connect with you.

That’s just where the world has moved, and it’s not going away anytime soon!

It’s time for you to move into videos to showcase those unique qualifications, to build that loyal tribe and to sell more of your expertise.

Step One: Define your market

• Who are you talking to?
• Who is that perfect ideal client of yours?
• What do they type into the Google search bar?
• Write down your exact person so you know exactly who you’re talking to.

{i.e. If I am selling home-made children’s crafts for ages 5-8 years old, then I am going to target stay-at-home moms and teachers for ages kindergarten through third grade}

Step Two: Identify your gifts

• Figure out what knowledge people crave from you.
• What topics are your tribe always asking about?
• What questions do your friends or Facebook friends ask you over and over in regards to your expertise?

{i.e. Using the example above, maybe my friends always ask me about summer crafts or easy crafts for when the kids have to stay indoors}

Step Three: Perfect your pitch

• This is where the planner in you needs to come out!
• Sit down and write out your topics.
• In each video, you’ll be giving your audience 1-3 action steps to complete whatever topic you’re speaking about.

{i.e. For our crafts example, I might write out 5 video topics that would walk a craft newbie through some helpful steps: “3 Beginners Steps For Getting Into Crafting”, “How To: Making A Simple Crafting Station”, “The #1 Easy Craft My Kids Love”, “4 Animal Crafts that Any Kindergartner Will Absolutely Adore” + “2 Summer Crafts For Active Kids”.}

Step Four: Social Sends

• I know, I know, but we have to! Now is the time to send out those fantastic videos to the social world.
• Cross-platforming is key! That one video can be utilized across many, many different social media channels. That way it gets the most views, likes, comments and ultimately gets people to your website = the big win!

{i.e. Posting my video on YouTube, embedding it at the top of a blog post on that same topic, posting it on my Facebook personal + business page, etc}

Remember, the average audience has about a 2-minute attention span, so make those babies short and sweet!

The greatest arsenal you have are your creative ideas, so your videos can literally become a never-ending sea of traffic…isn’t that amazing?

You are enough

But it all starts with knowing that you are enough, you are qualified and you are unique.

Having confidence on camera has nothing to do with how many posts you’ve published or how many followers you have.

It comes from that daily, and sometimes frustrating, inner work that we do on a each day to release all of our old garbage.

Then, when we push “record”, all of those past fears melt away – letting that ideal client on the other side of the lens see us for exactly who we are.

After all, the entire reason why we’re here is to help and inspire others, right?

The absolute least we can do is believe in that mission, and keep moving one step forward into video to up our visibility, together.

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Michelle Lewis is a visibility expert and podcast host who specializes in giving gorgeous vides, powerful livestreams and epic courses to launching ladypreneurs. Michelle helps her clients set up chic systems, brand themselves like a badass and absolutely rock their videos through her online courses and Facebook Group “Visibility Vixens”.

Michelle has a film/tv background, working both in front of and behind the camera on shows like “Paycheck”, “Pretty Little Liars” + “Chuck”.

She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and protective pug, Olliver. In her spare time she visits coffee shops, rides horses and writes music.

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