How to create an outline for your next live video
Here’s a comment I recently received in an email. Sharon (not her real name) is a high achiever in all other areas of her business, yet she is truly terrified of doing live video. She said, "I don’t want to do social media, I don’t want to do video, and I certainly don’t want to do live video, what if I mess up and look stupid in front of my audience!”
Her fear is keeping her stuck in her business which is totally frustrating her. She has a message she needs to share and it’s not getting out to the people who would benefit from it the most.
Sharon is like a lot of people I work with. They are used to achieving what they set out to do. Video can be a huge stumbling block because it’s not something all of us grew up doing.
Live video is something we all need to do for our businesses and it can be intimidating when you haven’t done it before. We see others doing it well and we start comparing ourselves to them and forget that they too had to take the first step.
I hear from so many of you that you feel paralyzed because you don’t know where to get started, or you don’t feel like you have anything to say or that you can remember what you want to share.
You are not alone!
In today’s post I will give you a simple process to follow that will help you get over feeling that way.
I love live video because there’s a certain energy that comes from being in the moment and knowing you’ll just adapt to whatever the circumstances are. Your viewers have a different expectation too when they know you’re live.
One thing's for sure, it’s easier to recover when something doesn’t go the way you planned when you have a simple outline to help you regain your footing.
I remember the first time I went live on television and I was a rookie working with some seasoned pros. We were live in the field and I was the assistant director for a really big live awards show. To say I was scared was an understatement.
Did I make mistakes? You bet. But you know what? I had a script, I had practiced what I needed to do and everything turned out fine, even when it didn’t go perfectly.
Actually, those were my biggest learning moments.
And a big part of that is when you’re live, you just go with the flow, don’t panic and recover and you will learn a lot about yourself.
Viewers are forgiving, especially when they can see you’re showing up authentically to share your message to help them, because after all, isn’t that why you’re doing this?
I’m keeping this post brief so you can take what you learn here and practice right away.
If you’re ready, let’s get started.
It's not about you...
The first thing I want you to remember is that when you’re going live it’s not about you, it’s about your audience and the value you are delivering through your message.
Once you get over worrying about what other people think and focus on the message you want to share, you’ll see a big shift in your energy.
Next, you need to get to the point, don’t waste your viewer's time with irrelevant information. They tuned in to learn, so teach and deliver your message.
Here’s a quick outline, (you can think of it as a mini plan) to use to help you shape your video: I created a worksheet you can download to use when you create your outline.
1. Grab your viewers attention in the first 7- 10 seconds. Do this by naming the problem you are going to solve and the framework you will teach, or share a story (be sure it’s relevant and compelling) or maybe you have big news to share.
Keep your energy high (your on camera presence) because the camera makes you look and sound less energetic than you are. It should almost feel like you're over the top when you are recording for your energy to be engaging to your viewers. I like to listen to music or take a walk at the beach. Move your body and take a few deep breaths before you get ready to record. It will boost your energy and your viewers feel that and engage with you.
2. Introduce yourself and share your your expertise. Be enthusiastic, authentic and brief. For example I say: Hi I'm Val Brown and in my more than 30 years working as a producer, writer and director, I've learned a thing or two about going live on television, and today I'm here to share my behind the scenes secrets with you, so you can save time and frustration and feel confident on camera.
3. Encourage your viewers to stay tuned in to the whole video by letting them know you’ll share a bonus tip or a special download or gift at the end of your video. “Be sure to watch till the end of this video because I have a special bonus link for everyone who stays till the end.”
4. Give a brief overview of what you are going to tell them. For example when I teach my video framework I say: “Today I’m going to cover the 3 Ps to looking, feeling and sounding your best on camera. You’ll learn the importance of knowing the purpose of your video, how to create a plan and why that matters to your on camera presence.”
5. Build in opportunities for your viewers to participate and comment. Encourage everyone say hi in the chat the first few minutes and share ask where they are from. Plan to ask questions throughout your video (every 2-3 minutes) to keep viewers engaged. Create some questions ahead of time. And if you’re just getting started and are worried no one will ask, you can have a few on hand to get things rolling. Asking questions lets you know if your viewers are still engaged and learning what you want them to know. It’s also a great way to get feedback for future videos. If you're feeling good about how it's going, ask them to share your video with friends.
6. Create a call to action and deliver the bonus you promised. It can be a download, an opportunity for a 1:1 call with you or to be entered into a drawing. This is only limited by your imagination. Be sure to have a simple url to give viewers and be very clear about what you want them to do next.
When you are creating your outline, start with your call to action and work backwards to make sure everything supports your goal for the video.
7. Review and practice out loud to make sure your idea flows and your message supports the outcome you’re looking for. Walk through your call to action to make sure you are sending your viewers to the right location and you have the url or lead magnet you need.
Pretty simple, huh? Once you do this a few times it will become automatic for you to think this way before you go live for your next video.
Summing it up
When you create an outline for your next live video, follow these steps:
Grab your viewer’s attention within the first 7-10 seconds with a strong opening statement
Create a quick intro and share your expertise
Encourage your viewers to stay tuned in to the whole video by letting them know you’ll share a bonus tip or a special download or gift at the end of your video
Tell your viewers what they are going to learn and teach it
Provide opportunities for viewers to comment, ask questions and share your video
Deliver your call to action and share the bonus you promised in the beginning of your video
Practice out loud before you "go live"
And that’s all there is to it. Your challenge this week is to take one topic you’ve wanted to share and create an outline for a live video. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just get it done. Please don't let perfection stand in your way of progress.
In my next post, I’m going to share 7 little known hacks to taking the fear out of going live on Facebook and make sure you’re not talking to the crickets.
Okay, that’s all for today. Thanks for stopping by and if you know someone who could benefit from this post, I’d be honored if you’d share it. And as always, if you have any questions, please feel free to comment below.
Until then, remember, when you know your purpose, you can create a plan and show up with presence on camera, every time.
Val Brown is an Emmy Award winning television producer, story, visual and personal brand consultant, coach, and speaker. She shows high performing business professionals and entrepreneurs the skills they need to be confident on video to grow their business, influence and authority. Learn more about how Val can help you.
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