We’ve all watched that video or interview and saw someone that just seemed a little bit off. You know, like their message just didn’t seem to be aligned with them.
Just like you picked up on this before – your audience is also just as smart. They can smell inauthenticity from a mile away, and if you don’t make space for your authentic self in your content strategy, you’re doing a disservice to your message.
It’s so tempting these days to mimic what you see on social media, but by mimicking or regurgitating others, you’re only limiting your reach. If you’re a chill person then don’t try to turn into Gary Vaynerchuk when the camera comes on, take your energy from a 7 to a 15, and start cursing on every other word – people will notice that something is not right.
Let me clarify this – it’s perfectly fine to be influenced by people (and it’s hard not to be). There’re some really great examples of successful and powerful entrepreneurs out there, and you know the saying, “you can stand on the shoulders of giants to go further in your journey”.
But it’s one thing to be inspired by someone else’s marketing strategies, tactics, and niche, and it’s another to take on someone else’s personality and put on a show for your audience.
If you’re not being authentic, it really boils down to fear.
Most of the time it’s fear of the camera.
They’re afraid of judgment. They’re afraid of stepping out of their comfort zone and they put up this facade because being authentic and vulnerable on camera scares a lot of people or there’s fear that you’re not good enough or qualified enough to speak openly on a topic. They’re comparing themselves to other people who are doing it.
If fears like these are getting in the way of your content strategy, first of all, I want to tell you to not be so hard on yourself, especially if you’re just starting your content or your YouTube channel and you feel like you haven’t found your groove yet. These things take practice and you will improve.
I’ll use myself as an example here.
If you scroll to the bottom of my YouTube channel, you can see how the quality of my content has changed. I often look back at the previous shoots, cringe, and think about all the things I would do differently if I could reshoot that video today.
So be patient with yourself and do your best in the moment.
Done is better than perfect.
I want you to know that your real authentic message deserves to be heard and you deserve an audience that engages with your content, not because it’s a replica of someone else’s, but because it accurately represents your amazing business and your message. So stay tuned as in this episode, I walk you through the steps to being authentic.
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Transcript:
00:00 The truth is, your audience is smart. They can smell inauthenticity from a mile away, and if you don’t make space for your authentic self in your content strategy, you’re doing a disservice to your message. It’s so tempting these days to mimic what you see on social media, but by mimicking or regurgitating others, you’re only setting limits for your own risks.
00:24 You’ve probably been told that content is key to growing your business, right? There are so many experts who spend a ton of time cranking out incredible content consistently and yet they are broke. See, there’s a huge difference in growing your following and growing your income. How do you create content in a way that actually gets you paid over and over again, like turning every video into an army of salesmen that deliver your perfectly crafted message around the world, around the clock, perpetually for ever? I’m Marley Baird, and you’re listening to The VIP Code.
01:00 Hi everybody. I’m Marley Baird, and welcome to The VIP Code podcast. Today’s episode is brought to you by authenticity, which is a concept that I don’t hear about often enough in the world of entrepreneurship. Before we get into it be sure to stick around to the end of this episode to hear about the Infinite Video Impact challenge that we recently launched, and how you can drive massive impact through video. But let’s get into this episode. Just a few years ago, social media and online video were still being somewhat debated. Some people didn’t believe that these platforms were going to stick around. We’re here to stay and look at us now, they’ve just about consumed our entire life. Actually funny, in the 90s, there were like newspaper headlines stating that the Internet wouldn’t last, that it wouldn’t stick around, thinking that there’s a quote like “Most things that succeed don’t require retraining 250 million people.”
01:50 Well, they sure didn’t know what we were in for. So it’s safe to say that social media is sticking around and presents marketing opportunities that you can’t afford to overlook. It’s, by far, one of the best ways to invest your time and your marketing dollars if you’re trying to grow your business. We’ve watched influencers, agency owners, entrepreneurs earn enough success on social media to become household names. And when you’re looking to emulate that kind of success, it’s hard not to also emulate that influencer’s personality as well. Like, have you ever met someone that they sounded like they took a big bite out of Gary Vaynerchuck’s content and took on the same voice in their own? Like you look at these influencers and you can think like they got to this point in their journey by following this formula and showcasing their medic magnetic personality. So if you copy it, it’s bound to work in your favor, right?
02:40 Well, it’s great to be influenced by people and it’s hard not to be. There are some really great examples of successful and powerful entrepreneurs out there and they say that you can stand on the shoulders of giants to go further in your journey, but it’s one thing to be inspired by someone else’s marketing strategies and tactics and niche and it’s another to take on someone else’s personality and put on a show for your audience. Let me give you this one piece of advice. Don’t try to be someone else on social media. How many Gary Vaynerchuk wannabes have you seen out there? If you can’t present your message from an honest and authentic perspective, your audience will not fall for it. This is like the foundation of many other entree issues for entrepreneurship. If you’re not being authentic, it really boils down to fear. They’re afraid of the camera and an Ottoman object.
03:30 Let’s be real. They’re afraid of judgment. They’re afraid of stepping out of their comfort zone and they put up this facade because being authentic and vulnerable on camera scares a lot of people or there’s fear that you’re not good enough or qualified enough to speak openly on a topic like, why would I write a book? Cause Oprah already has one already. Does that sound silly? But it’s really, it’s the reality of what people think. They’re comparing themselves to other people who are doing it. So then you hide behind a persona that someone else has already built. If fears like these are getting in the way of your content strategy. First of all, I want to tell you to not be so hard on yourself, especially if you’re just starting your content or your YouTube channel and you feel like you haven’t found your groove yet.
04:12 These things take practice and you will improve after years of making videos, and let’s be real. If you scroll to the bottom of my YouTube channel, you can see how the quality of my content has changed. I often look back at the previous shoots and think to myself about all the things I would do differently if I could reshoot that video today. So be patient with yourself and do your best in the moment and done is better than perfect. Listen to me. Done is better than perfect. Write that down if you need that reminder. I want you to know that your real authentic message deserves to be heard and you deserve an audience that engages with your content, not because it’s a replica of someone else’s, but because it accurately represents your amazing business and your message. I used to feel like my YouTube videos weren’t unique enough.
04:54 I thought that I had to reinvent the wheel with a new editing style, a brand new personality, completely fresh ideas in order to be successful on the platform. I didn’t realize until much later that I already had my own style without even knowing it. My audience would comment on certain aspects of my videos saying they liked my montage is or the music I chose or the editing style, my message. And it was so validating to hear that kind of positive feedback when I was still ironing out my strategy. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel to be successful on YouTube or any social media platform. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the latest features or maybe you feel like your editing skills aren’t up to par, keep going as long as you are being authentic and sharing your message, you have just as good of a chance as anyone else.
05:40 And even more so if you are being authentic because often that’s kinda hard to find. And I also want to talk about camera shine is here because I can’t tell you how many entrepreneurs I have spoken to who’ve dealt with extreme camera shyness that gets in the way of their authenticity. So many people are afraid to be in front of a camera when they’ve never done it before or even when they have tons of camera time. It’s still like that moment you step out on stage. It’s a, you’re still nervous every time like any other experience. You don’t know what to expect and you’re doing something that most people aren’t willing to do. You’re giving a big part of yourself and to making an impact on others and with that you’re really putting yourself out there to be judged. But just know that every successful content creator or entrepreneur or agency owner or influencer who’s ever posted a video has felt that way.
06:28 At some point, if you’re feeling really overwhelmed and camera-shy, but really want to make an impact and make these profit-focused video assets, try recording a few videos just for yourself to get used to the process of filming. You’ll be surprised how quickly it starts to feel natural. We actually do this as an exercise with our clients and our students to get them in front of the camera as much as possible to get them comfortable with it and start to observe like what happens. Even physiologically, my husband too, as someone who makes magic behind the camera and the first time he got in front of the camera was like, Whoa, this is harder than it looks and now it’s become an exercise in director empathy for when we work with videographers or marketers who provide video services to be aware of what it’s like to be in front of the camera so they can coach their clients through it from experience.
07:15 It might sound like I’m making light of camera shyness or similar fears that so many people experience, but it’s only because I’ve been there and I understand how it feels and I also know how rewarding it is. When you can work through these fears and portray your authentic self on camera. Think about where you could be six months from now if you started today, how much more confident you would become and how many more audience members you could influence. So how do you know when you’re being authentic? Well, I mean, it’s safe to say that, you know, but there are some ways that I’m gonna share it with you to make sure that you’re on the right track. First step to being authentic is to have a clear picture of your brand, your message, and your movement. You should know the exact purpose of this piece of content and why you’re delivering it today.
08:03 The second step is to know who your audience is. Your method of portraying authenticity to a young demographic might be represented differently than if your target audience is executives or lawyers. So know who you’re talking to and adjust your message accordingly. But that said, once, knowing who that person is, speak to them as if you actually know them. Put a face on the name to them. Pretend it’s someone you know. Pretend it’s your best friend. How would you communicate with them? Guess who I’m talking to as I’m recording these podcasts because it’s literally me sitting in a room by myself, but I have a picture in my mind of exactly who I’m talking to. Seriously. Guess who it is. You can message me on Instagram if you have a good guest and you want to take a stab at it. Anyway, the third step, especially if it’s the camera itself that’s tripping you up, is to practice, practice filming.
08:49 Give your script or run through and practice talking to a camera and go back to step two in remembering who you’re talking to cause you’re not just talking to a camera, you’re talking to the person who is watching what you film on that camera. The camera is just the medium. Depending on what industry you’re in, you can expect to have at least some competition. If you’re in a red ocean, it’s easy to feel compelled to follow the ways of the leaders that are in that industry. If you’re in a bluer ocean, you might feel more shy to speak up because there are fewer voices to look up to in that space. Regardless, own your authenticity, own your message and don’t over-analyze how it might compare to the others in your niche at this stage because your excuse for why you’re not writing that book shouldn’t be because Oprah already has one.
09:33 When you’re being authentic, you have your own stories and messages unique from everyone else that people are going to resonate with and that’s your moral obligation to speak it. I’ve found as I’ve grown my online persona, I’m now confident not only showcasing my ideas as far as video marketing and social media, but also love to show my audience a lot of the behind-the-scenes and lifestyle-focused content. I do the highly produced sit-down scripted style videos and I also make blogs and Instagram stories that reflect the other less scripted natural parts of my life. And it’s really cool when I hear feedback very often from people saying, “I love your stories, you’re so real. And my first reaction is to think, “Well, of course, I don’t know how to be anything else, and I really think that this level of authenticity is part of why I’ve gotten to work with such amazing entrepreneurs and agency owners over the year.” If you’re looking to take the next step in your content marketing, run, don’t walk, to the challenge that I just launched. It’s called Infinite Video Impact – driving profit with massive impact through video, and it’s packed with over $3,000 worth of strategies to help you position content in the way that indoctrinates and generates leads for your business over and over on autopilot.
10:46 Thanks for listening to this episode of The VIP Code. If you got any value from this episode, do me a huge favor. Pull out your phone, screenshot the podcast app, and text it to a friend who might also get some value. If you want to shout out, share it on Instagram, tag me at Marley_Baird and I will repost it. Thanks for listening and join us next time on The VIP Code podcast.