This post is part of THE DEEP STUFF - reflective answers to the questions senior creatives ask.
I write these pieces as a coach and a former creative director. I work with experienced creatives who are navigating confidence loss, change and the pressure to stay relevant. No platitudes. No fridge magnet philosophy, just picking up on conversations that are hopefully useful to share.
This particular piece follows on from a previous post around the discomfort of sharing work publicly. I really wanted to write something that addresses perhaps the most discussed and divisive channel. Video. Do creatives need to make video content to showcase their talent? What is scary about being on camera? What are the questions to ask to find out if video is the right channel for you? Hope you find it useful.
‘You should get your face out there - it’s the best way to engage’. How often do you hear that? If it’s as much as I do, then you are right to give it some serious consideration. But first, let’s drop the ‘should’. There’s plenty of data that might tip in favour of video in terms of grabbing attention, BUT the results are negligible when it comes to actual meaningful engagement. Hold that thought.
As a senior creative, I have no doubt you have opinions worth sharing, you’ve probably thought about starting a YouTube channel many times. But as you start to imagine yourself front of camera, talking to an audience who may or may not be there, the whole thing might start to feel a bit, you know. Tough. You might tell yourself you're not a natural presenter. You're not comfortable being the centre of attention. You don't want to become one of ‘those’ people who seem to spend their lives performing their expertise online. All good and valid reactions. But here’s my starter question. Are you uncomfortable with the idea of being on camera, or with what being visible might mean?
Do you actually need to show your face?
If you want to build an audience on say, YouTube, you don’t have to become ‘the face’ of your own channel. You can easily adopt the role of the Voiceover, or the Interviewer, The main thing is being clear about why you are doing it.
1. You want people to connect with you, not just your ideas. Seeing and hearing you is a direct way for people to establish a sense of who you are. Your personality, humour and way of explaining things become part of the experience.
2. Your subject benefits from your personality. Some ideas are simply better communicated through conversation. Your enthusiasm, frustration, curiosity and conviction can bring something to a subject that it’ harder to do in written or visual form.
3. You want to build trust over time. A regular video series can help people become familiar with how you think - a gateway to deep relationships.
4. You enjoy it. This is often overlooked, but If you are someone who finds talking through ideas energising, video might be a natural extension of how you already work.
Good reasons for doing it, don’t necessarily make it the right choice.
Before investing, I'd suggest getting honest about what you're actually trying to achieve through video. You know how this works for your clients, so apply the same criteria to yourself and think about the purpose.
1. What do you want your video to do for you? Be specific. Is it to attract potential clients? Share your expertise? Build a reputation around a particular area? Create a body of work? Develop a community?.
2. Would showing your face help you achieve that purpose? Make the audience's experience the starting point. Imagine your ideal viewer watching your content. Would they benefit from seeing you explain something? Does your personality add to the experience? Or would they be just as well served by a voiceover, demonstration or visual presentation?
3. What exactly are you afraid of? Try to get beyond the general feeling of discomfort. Are you worried about:
Looking awkward or sounding unnatural?
Being judged?
Saying something that gets taken out of context?
Being criticised by strangers?
Appearing as though you're trying too hard?
Losing control of how people perceive you?
Each concern needs different responses. If you're worried about looking awkward, practice may help. If you're worried about professional judgement, put some strict guides around the subjects you're prepared to discuss. If you're worried about how people interpret you, remember that this can happen with anything you publish.
4. Are you really interested in making videos, or just the idea of it ? Having a channel sounds quite cool, but it’s not easy work. Making videos takes time - researching, preparing, recording, editing, publishing and responding to an audience. Which parts of that process appeals to you? Which parts make your heart sink? You don't need to love every stage, but you do need a format and workflow you can sustain.
5. If nobody you knew ever saw your videos, would you still want to make them? This is an interesting test. Sometimes the fear isn't really about the audience you're hoping to reach. It's about the people who already know you: former colleagues, clients, friends, family or industry peers. Imagine that they weren't watching. Would you feel differently? If the answer is yes, it might be worth exploring whose opinion you're giving so much weight to.
Experiment with the camera.
You can find out quite a lot by running a small experiment that will cost nothing. (I’m personally right in the middle of this process right now, about this very subject!)
These are the steps I am taking, I’ve given myself two weeks…
Step 1. Choose one subject you know well. We’re not talking your life's work or your big philosophy. Just pick one specific question that you could talk about for five minutes without having to do much research, something you have a genuine point of view on, like…
What makes a good creative brief?
What do younger creatives misunderstand about experience?
How do you know when an idea has run its course?
Step 2. Record three versions. Use your phone. You don't need a camera, microphone or lighting setup to begin.
Version A: Talk directly to camera for three to five minutes.
Version B: Record your voice over a few images, examples or slides.
Version C: Record yourself explaining the idea to another person, as though you're having a conversation.
Don't publish anything yet.
Step 3. Watch them back. Don't start by asking whether you look good. That's likely to send you down a right old unhelpful rabbit hole. Instead ask;
Which version communicated my idea most clearly?
In which version did I sound most like myself?
Which felt most engaging to make?
Which would I be happy to repeat every fortnight?
Did being on camera actually improve the content?
Notice the difference between feeling awkward because it's unfamiliar and feeling uncomfortable because the format genuinely doesn't suit you.
Step 4. Show someone you trust. Choose someone who will give you useful feedback rather than simply tell you that you're brilliant. Ask them what they found engaging, where they lost interest and which format made them most want to hear more. Don't ask whether they think you should become a YouTuber. Ask what they experienced as a viewer.
Step 5. Decide on a small next step. You might decide to make three more videos. You might try a voice-led format. You might experiment with interviews. Or you might decide that video isn't where you want to put your energy right now.
How do you know if it's really not for you?
I'd be careful about making that decision based on your first experience in front of a camera. It’s natural to feel self-conscious. Watching yourself back can be really brutal, you are aware of every little mannerism. ( I personally say, ‘You know’ ALOT. Which is a classic sign of not being confident on camera.)
The discomfort doesn’t necessarily mean you're bad at it, it might just take a bit more practise.
The win, win is that you tested the video approach and now you have an informed idea of what a good fit feels like for you, and more importantly for your audience.
If you like this mini series and have a question you don’t mind being answered publicly (no names obvs) get in touch by email
Discover more thinking from THE DEEP STUFF — the real questions senior creatives ask.
Some of these reflections first appear in longer form through external coaching and industry platforms before being adapted and expanded here.