Have you recorded a little video with your phone to post on Facebook or Instagram and thought, “NO WAY am I posting that on the internet!”  I know it happens to me ALL THE TIME. Or are you afraid to even try to record and post a video on the internet?  Not only does an unflattering video take the wind out of your sails, it also eats up a bunch of time! When I record videos, I first spend time planning what I’m going to say, then it takes me a few tries to actually get all my words out right, and THEN, when I look at the final version, I realize, I hate the way I look in the video! Can you relate? Today we’re going to go over the do’s and don’ts of the technical aspects of shooting a video for social media.  Next week’s episode will be all about content and what you should actually say in your Facebook and Instagram videos. That’s right, a special two-part episode that’s going to walk you step by step for shooting your next video or going live on social media, so you can avoid frustration and feel confident. In part one of this series, I’m sharing a few tips and tricks on some of the technical things I’ve learned in the past year about lighting, angles, and all those things that can make or break a video. I’m going to help you avoid the stumbling blocks I’ve encountered, so you can get your beautiful self out there to talk to your audience through video and feel good about it! If you follow me on Facebook and Instagram, you know that while I do love posting video, I am certainly no Steven Spielberg when it comes to camera work. And you don’t have to be either!  I’m going to share with you what I HAVE learned and give you realistic, tangible advice that you can put into action right away, so you can deliver your content in a way that is entertaining and appealing to your audience. Recent research shows that video is quickly becoming the most popular and effective way to get a message out on social media, so we all need to be working on our video skills.  Here are some quick facts about social media video: - Social media posts featuring video have 48% more views. (HubSpot)  - Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video, as opposed to 10% when reading it in text. (Insivia) - Facebook has more than 8 billion video views per day. (TechCrunch) - 72% of customers would rather learn about a product or service by way of video. (HubSpot) So, you see why it’s important to get on the social media video stage, right? Let’s start with three important things to remember BEFORE you get started filming or going live on Facebook and Instagram: Pick ONE TOPIC and think about what you’re going to say about it. Ask yourself, what’s the point? What do you want your viewers to learn? Writing out what you want to say can help you retain the information in an organized fashion more easily. Insider tip: Write 3 bullet points on a post-it note and attach it to your phone near the lens so you can sneak a quick peek while you’re recording if you need to. Practice, practice, practice out loud. Try to speak aloud what you want to say in your video before you start recording. This will help you feel more confident when you do start recording, help you identify anything you should leave out, and your mouth and vocal cords will be warmed up as well. Insider tip: A great time to record is right after you’ve had a lively conversation with another person. It’s even better if you’ve just talked about a topic related to your video. Choose the right time. Try not to record when you are pressed for time. Knowing you have to get your video finished in only a few minutes can add stress to the situation and make it harder to succeed. You’ll feel even more frustrated if it takes multiple tries, so try to record when you have time to spare.Insider tip: Are you a morning person? At your best in the afternoon or evening? Try to record when you feel at your best. I just want to remind you, we’ll talk more about what to say in your videos next week