Do you ever see people talking on Instagram stories and wonder how the hell they do it so naturally without an ounce of visible fear? Do you feel like it’s genuinely impossible for you because of debilitating nerves, self-doubt, and a deep-seated paranoia about you being the laughing stock among people from your high school and ex-boyfriends?
Believe me when I tell you I FEEL THIS. I was that person. Now? I regularly open up the stories tab and post myself waffling about content marketing with zero fear or paranoia. And if I can achieve this turnaround, so can you.
First of all, let’s explore why it’s a great idea to challenge yourself to speak on Instagram stories.
What are the benefits of filming myself for social media?
There are so many compelling reasons to swallow the nerves and be more visible on your social media, and Insta talkies are the best way to reach people if that’s where your audience hangs out.
Here are five huge benefits of filming yourself for social media.
1. It’s authentic
To connect with your ideal customer, you have to show up as yourself in all your flawed and imperfect glory.
There’s nowhere to hide on Insta stories (well, aside from the filters), so it’s a great way to be your authentic self for all to see.
We want to hear your voice, see how you look, talk, and act behind the gloss of any professional images you use.
2. It invites connection
Following on from the authenticity point, THIS is what invites true connections.
By showing up as your real self, people can see themselves in you, and warm to aspects of your character and personality that wouldn’t be visible otherwise.
When I started talking on stories, I got so many messages from people saying they felt like they would be friends with me and I was someone they’d love to work with – this simply hadn’t come across in the same way via graphics and written captions.
Are your audience members getting that opportunity to get to know the real you? If not, talking on your Instagram stories is the fastest way to rectify that.
3. It directs people to your content
The algorithm might not be showing your great feed posts to the right people, so showing up on your stories gives you another bite of the cherry.
Tell them about your latest post then link to it, or simply speak out the caption and share the message an alternative way for people who prefer story tapping to feed scrolling.
4. It’s less permanent than other social content
Instagram stories disappear after 24 hours, so I see them as a fun way to play around with different ideas without committing to them being accessible online forever.
Doesn’t that take the pressure off when you compare it to a video on your website homepage?
Use it in this way to develop your confidence and see what sort of content your audience responds well to, then you can extend your content marketing strategy to incorporate more permanent forms of video that feature the things that worked well on stories.
5. It’s quick!
Ever spent ages writing a caption, then analysed it to death and talked yourself out of posting it? You could open up your Instagram app right now and have a story video filmed, captioned, and posted within 5 minutes. Isn’t that an appealing prospect?
We all want more time to spend on things we love and want to explore more deeply. Talking on Instagram stories is one of the fastest types of content creation, so don’t overlook it if you’re keen to save time on creating content.
9 tips to overcome your fear and start talking on Instagram stories
It took me 18 months of running my own business before I plucked up the courage to start talking on Instagram stories.
(See stills from my first ever attempt here).
🤦🏻♀️ I know it feels like a level of bravery you do NOT possess right now.
😬 And there’s always an excuse not to – feeding the cat, doing your hair, or finding your phone (this one made me laugh).
But trust me also when I say you will NOT regret it and the response will be so positive – leading to an inbox bursting with warm leads and friendly support 🫂
So I’ve put together nine tips to coax you onto camera 🎥
1️⃣ Find a place you feel most comfortable – for me that’s in the car or on a walk (as long as there’s no one nearby).
2️⃣ Make a few bullet point notes so you have a clear plan, then place them behind your phone to glance at.
3️⃣ Practise a little to get used to the weirdness that is talking to your phone.
4️⃣ Start bold – don’t “just jump on” (I’m still guilty of this and working on it!). Prepare a strong opener that jumps into what you’re going to say to grab attention.
5️⃣ Post it right away before you can overthink and talk yourself out of it!
(Nobody is paying as much attention as you think – in a nice way).
6️⃣ Do it regularly once you start – it honestly becomes second nature before long.
7️⃣ If you’re feeling in the zone after, batch record and save several as phone videos to use another day.
8️⃣ Talk like you normally do – be yourself! Swear words, slang, accent – make sure it’s authentic or you’ll struggle to maintain someone else’s voice.
9️⃣ Smile! 😃 (nerves made me look SO miserable on my first attempt looking back! #rbf)
Get support with content marketing for your business
Talking on your Instagram stories is one important element of your content marketing strategy. But, all the elements must work together towards a common goal for your content to be effective. And when I say effective, I mean attracting the right people, engaging them, and turning them into clients.
If you need help gaining the confidence and direction to talk on Instagram or video, this is something I help with.
A good content mentor covers every aspect of your content marketing. From creating a strategy to growing your confidence, I’m your one-woman cheerleader and hype squad for all things content.
Fancy a chat to see if we vibe? Book a discovery call – it’s free and we’ll explore where you’re at and how I can support you to be where you want to be.
