Attract New Followers with Talk to Camera Reels - Good Content with Shannon McKinstrie

Summary

Summary of "Attract New Followers with Talk to Camera Reels"

Podcast Information:

Title: Good Content with Shannon McKinstry
Host: Shannon McKinstry
Episode: Attract New Followers with Talk to Camera Reels
Release Date: October 8, 2024

Introduction

In the episode titled "Attract New Followers with Talk to Camera Reels," Shannon McKinstry delves into effective strategies for using talk-to-camera reels to grow social media followings. Aimed at content creators who experience anxiety when facing the camera or those already comfortable with it, Shannon provides actionable tips and real-life examples to enhance engagement and attract new followers through authentic video content.

Overcoming Camera Anxiety

Shannon opens by addressing the common fear associated with talking to the camera. She empathizes with listeners who panic before recording and reassures them that overcoming this anxiety is achievable.

“If you have ever felt like panicking when you're about to hit that record button and talk to the camera, you're going to love this episode.” [00:00]

Practical Tips to Get Comfortable:

Change Your Environment:
- Suggestion: Record in a private space, like a quiet car where interruptions are unlikely.
- Quote: “Get in your car and put your sunglasses on because you do not have to worry about if you're looking in the right spot on your camera.” [04:30]
Embrace the Awkwardness:
- Advice: Accept that talking to a digital device feels strange initially.
- Quote: “You need to embrace the cringe.” [06:15]
- Tip: Pretend you're on a casual FaceTime call to reduce awkwardness.
Storytelling Practice:
- Exercise: Share personal stories without the pressure of posting them immediately to build confidence.
- Quote: “Tell a story that you love to share... Just for you to get comfortable talking on camera.” [07:45]

Crafting Effective Talk-to-Camera Reels

Shannon emphasizes the importance of creating engaging and authentic content that resonates with viewers. She outlines several key components to maximize the effectiveness of talk-to-camera reels.

Key Components:

Energy and Authenticity:
- Be Yourself: Authentic energy fosters a genuine connection.
- Quote: “Do not try to be anything other than what you are.” [10:20]
- Example: Shannon shares her own dynamic energy when excited about a topic, making her content more relatable and engaging.
Storytelling and Behind-the-Scenes:
- Technique: Incorporate storytelling elements and behind-the-scenes moments to provide depth.
- Example Reel Analysis:
  - A makeup artist shares a mistake during a bride's makeup application, blending storytelling with behind-the-scenes insights.
  - Quote: “It shows she knows what she's doing. Instant trust.” [14:10]
Verbal Hooks:
- Strategy: Use verbal hooks in the first few seconds to grab attention without relying solely on visual elements.
- Example: Shannon describes her own reel where she starts talking immediately, engaging viewers as if in a conversation.
- Quote: “The verbal hook of your reel is an anti-hook. It’s almost an eavesdropping hook.” [18:05]
Minimalistic Visuals:
- Approach: Keep visual distractions to a minimum, focusing instead on the conversation.
- Tip: Use subtle text overlays for hooks, allowing the content to feel more like an Instagram story.
- Quote: “Gone are the days of fancy transitions... just go right into it.” [19:40]

Analyzing Successful Reels

Shannon dissects two viral reels to highlight what made them successful:

Makeup Artist’s Reel:
- Content: A behind-the-scenes mistake during a bride's makeup session.
- Engagement Metrics: 113,000 views and 50,000 followers gained.
- Success Factors:
  - Storytelling combined with authenticity.
  - Immediate engagement through a relatable scenario.
  - Building trust by showcasing problem-solving under pressure.
Mother-Daughter Interaction Reel:
- Content: A spontaneous conversation between a mother and daughter while meal prepping.
- Engagement Metrics: 7 million views and 434,000 likes.
- Success Factors:
  - Genuine interaction that feels unscripted.
  - Relatable content that resonates with a broad audience.
  - Emotional connection through family dynamics.

“They convert really well because a lot of people are creating the same type of content. It’s that human connection.” [16:50]

Additional Strategies and Insights

Shannon provides further strategies to enhance the effectiveness of talk-to-camera reels:

Use of Humor and Empathy:
- Balancing professional and personable tones to make content approachable.
- Quote: “It's probably like a mix of professional and a BFF.” [12:30]
Consistent Practice and Persistence:
- Encourage consistent recording to find a natural flow and discover what resonates with the audience.
- Quote: “Keep filming and something like this will happen.” [25:00]
Authentic Storytelling:
- Sharing real-life experiences and lessons to add value and relatability.
- Example: Shannon discusses using personal anecdotes to convey tips and insights effectively.
Leveraging Natural Interactions:
- Turning spontaneous moments into content without forcing the narrative.
- Quote: “It is your voice, your face, which you can't force.” [22:15]

Conclusion

Shannon McKinstry wraps up the episode by reinforcing the importance of authenticity and consistency in creating talk-to-camera reels. She encourages listeners to embrace their natural selves, practice regularly, and utilize storytelling to connect with their audience effectively. By following these strategies, content creators can overcome camera anxiety, produce engaging reels, and attract new followers organically.

“Do not be afraid of talking on the camera. Start in Instagram stories... let your personality shine.” [28:10]

Shannon signs off with a motivational note, reminding listeners that engaging content doesn’t have to be perfect—it's about genuine connection and sharing what they love.

Key Takeaways:

Embrace Authenticity: Be yourself to build genuine connections.
Start Small: Practice in comfortable settings to reduce anxiety.
Effective Storytelling: Use personal stories and behind-the-scenes moments to engage viewers.
Use Verbal Hooks: Grab attention early with conversational hooks.
Consistent Practice: Regular recording leads to natural and compelling content.

By implementing these strategies, content creators can enhance their social media presence and attract a dedicated following through engaging talk-to-camera reels.

Transcript

Shannon McKinstry (0:00)

Foreign I am your host, Shannon McKinstry. Welcome to Good Content, the podcast where I remove the never ending content creation, guesswork and overwhelm so that you can actually enjoy being on social media again and growing your business with what has always worked. Good Content. If you have ever felt like panicking when you're about to hit that record button and talk to the camera, you're going to love this episode. Also, if you already love talking on camera, you're going to love this episode because I'm going to share with you what kind of hooks, right? We're talking verbal first things you say to the camera what is working right now and today it is. I don't even know what day it is. It's October 2024. It's just crazy to me that we're already in October. So with only three months left to the year, what let's figure out how to get your views up. And let me just preface this. And if you listen to last week's episode, you already knew that this was the topic because I said my short like 57 second B roll with either list or any sort of text with a tip or an empathetic message or something humorous with a trending audio. While those get me the most views, typically my talk to camera videos get me the most new followers. So I looked yesterday. I, I had a couple reels that went semi viral, right? Like over 300,000 for me, which is really good right now. Cause you know, it's tough out here. They converted maybe one or 200 new followers while my talk to cameras are in the 3,000, 2,000 range. So very big difference. I don't do math, but. Right. That's a lot. Is that like 10 times? See okay, again, comm marketing major, not a math girly. That's why I'm. Have you ever seen those things where it's like the. And then it's a bunch of funny emojis, like silly emojis. Marketing girly versus the and then it's like the statistic numbers Marketing girly. There's, you know, I'm a mix of both. I love to look at insights, but I don't get real deep into it. I love to see what's working, what's not. I love a good data mine, but I also just, I'm more of the creative content. Right? That's why you're listening because I give you a bunch of ideas to take and run with. But with that said, I don't do mathematical equations. So when it comes to talking to the camera. One of the first things I like to tell people. This helped one of my friends and clients years ago. I was like, look, get in your car when it's quiet and like, your spouse can't walk in on you. You can't feel awkward. Kids are, you know, whatever. And. And sometimes it just helps to get out of your own space. Not always, but for some, it does. Get in your car and put your sunglasses on and talk. Because I know a lot of times people are like, where am I looking? What do I. My makeup? It's like, girl or sir, put your sunglasses on. You do not have to worry about if you're looking in the right spot on your camera. And also, it almost acts as, like, a barrier because honestly, let's say you're out about shopping or walking your dog and around facetimes, you. You're not going to. You're just like, hey, what's up? Like, that's the energy your talk to camera videos need to have. So first things first, I want to tell you the best thing to do when you're practicing talking to camera and getting used to it. Because, yes, it is awkward. You need to embrace the cringe. If Ryan walks in on me, even right now doing this podcast, I would be like, it's awkward. Let's be real. It's awkward. You're talking to a little rectangular digital device in your hands. Like, it's strange. So you got to pretend you're on FaceTime number one. Number two, tell a story. Tell a story that you love to share. Tell a story of something that happened today. Just record it and keep it in a safe place in your phone. And it's not for you to put up anywhere. It's just for you to get comfortable talking on camera. And then when you do start recording talk to camera videos where you are giving a tip or sharing a story, make sure it has the same energy of, like, sharing a story you love to tell. Because when I'm sharing a tip about Instagram, I'm so stoked, it's obnoxious. I'm sure too many people are like, wow, this girl really loves what she does. But I do. And when I tell the story of a funny, hilarious story that happened to me or my husband or a friend. Same energy, excitement. We can feel your energy now. If you're not the bubbly type. I don't know what that noise just was. I'm not really either on camera. I, like, will throw in a little bit of my humor, but at the end of the day, I'M like, we're, we're getting stuff done today. I always say it's like my real estate clients, because a lot of them are like, no, I'm very serious. I'm like, the bulldog. I'm like, then come off as that. Do not try to be anything other than what you are. But most clients you're going to talk to, your. Most customers you're going to talk to like, let's say someone comes into your store, how would you talk to them? That's how it should be. It's probably like a mix of professional and a bff, right? Because you want them to feel welcome, invited into your world. And that is the purpose of talking to the camera. So again, they convert really well because a lot of people are creating the same type of content. So it's almost like when we're scrolling and we see someone talking to us, it's that human connection, right? And we're like, oh, someone's talking to me. It's almost a pattern interruption in their own feed. With that said, I did save a couple toxic cameras that I think would be fun to kind of dissect and take a look at. Because a lot of the talk to camera videos going viral right now, there's no one way to do any of this. Some are those helpful, right? The four H's I talk about, some are funny humor, some are heard the empathetic type of content and some are just random thoughts that someone has and they go bananas. Another type of talk to camera reel that I am fascinated by and trying to work into my world, but you can't force it. It is those authentic behind the scenes moments. So it's actually not talk to camera, but it is going to be your voice, it's going to be your face, which I'll get to in a second. Those you can't force. So just in the moment, if you're like, this would be good to record or what's really cool about these two that I found that are going viral for these creators, it's almost like they're shooting B roll and one of them, it literally says that she goes, I was shooting B roll and this happened. And it's a conversation between her and her daughter. Another is a makeup artist who just had her camera up while she did the bride's makeup and there was a mistake and she had to correct it and the bride noticed. So again, while not talking to the camera, it's that authentic moment and it's a, it's a way to educate, empathize, Et cetera, with your audience. So that's a really good option for those of you who are like, Shannon, I'm not ready to talk on camera as you're shooting B roll. If you're ever around a client, let it go. Maybe your husband or wife or partner or son. Whoever walks in and asks a question, keep it rolling. And then you can use that as a teachable moment. So let me share those two first. Okay? And these will be in the show notes. I messed up. This bride's makeup is what it says at the top. Okay? If you're watching on YouTube, you can see it, and then you can hear the bride talking about so that you can hear the makeup artist going, oh, my gosh, I forgot I was supposed you didn't want shimmer. Whatever. So she literally. Which is also cool. She did some storytelling. So let me read what it says, because the storytelling is brilliant. So you see the bride look and go, oops, says, I mess up this bride's makeup. That is the first hook on video. Three seconds later, another text drops. It says, we had multiple previews, and at each and every one, she specified wanting a matte eye look. Our glam time on the wedding day was full of interruptions. You see how as soon as I was done reading that, the next text box popped up? That's a major lesson for you. Okay? Do not make us wait. Opinions, blah, blah, blah. It goes on to say, as a result of me having to pause multiple times, I wasn't able to. She goes on to tell it. I approached the situation with humor and confidence. My bride felt comfortable, and it wasn't a real problem. And then she fixed it. And then they. She shows the end result of it fixed. Holy moly. So not only this has over 9000 likes, I wonder how many views it has. It has 113,000 views, and she's got 50,000 followers. So that's a. That's a really, really good, high performing reel for her. And what else is cool is everyone in the comments is like, that's amazing. Like, so what's magical about that reel one, storytelling. Two, behind the scenes. I'm telling you guys, when all else fails or not, even when all else fails, if you're like, what the heck do I put? Just share something behind the scenes. That has always been key. For 10 years, I've been doing this, right? I've been managing, consulting, et cetera. I'm always like, behind the scenes. It wins every single time. So it was behind the scenes. It was storytelling, and it fixed the Problem. It showed she knows what she's doing. Instant trust. And guess what? She was never even in the video. But you can hear her and her bride. The bride, the client is talking. So while it's not necessarily a talk to camera reel, it is their audio, their voice. So I just want to give you like a. If you're like, shannon, I still don't want to talk to camera, this is a great way to do it. The other one with the mom and the daughter, this was so cool. It says, I was filming B roll for a real and my daughter saw me weighing my meal prep and asked why I need to weigh it. Here's how I responded. So she explains to her daughter, and then your response matters. 434,000 likes. Holy moly. Okay, let's see how many views. Yes, seven million. Hello. And it's just behind the scenes. And what do I always say, right? I tell my clients, I'm like, you do not need to carve out time to create content. If you're struggling to create content, keep filming. Keep filming and something like this will happen. So that's a cool way to look at talking to the camera reels, quote unquote, verbal reels that you know are just your voice, your clients, your behind the scenes, inviting them into your world without talking to the camera directly. So that's a good place to start. So if you panic, that's a great way to do it. Next, verbal hooks. Now, the way that talk to camera reels are doing really well right now is they feel like Instagram stories. Gone are the days of unless this is your style. Fancy transitions, as in like fancy fun, like fade ins, fade outs, really loud neon texts like, to grab people. My most successful talk to camera reel as of late in the past three months, you may have seen it if you follow me on Instagram. It was one where I'm like, hey, do you see how I just plop my phone down, start talking to it, and I basically take them through a couple little hacks. Literally no hook. I just started talking. So it's almost like the verbal hook of your reel is an anti hook. It's almost an eavesdropping hook because it's like they think they're already in conversation with you and they're like, wait, wait, wait, did I miss the beginning of a rail? No, you didn't. Now you're in, you're set. But over my head is a quick hook. Let me pull it up. Here it is right over my head. I'm showing it in case you're watching on YouTube. It says Instagram. See how you make it go away. Hold on. So it's there for about three seconds. Instagram tricks from a social media strategist. And it goes away after about four seconds. And. And I'm already talking because guess what? They can read that hook over my head in seconds. So this is how I want you to format your reels. When you are talking to camera, leave some space over your head so you can put a hook there for the first 3ish seconds. And that can be very Pinterest type hook, very basic how to type of hook. And then as you're talking, make it conversational. With that said, I want you to be like. So I was walking through Target the other day and I overheard this person saying, I'm sat. I'm listening. And over your head. It could be my favorite swaps at Target. Maybe you're in health food, right? Or you're a boutique shop owner. You could say like fall wedding guest outfit idea. That's the hook and you're talking. Or our employees favorite. Whatever. You'd be like, our employee Sarah, she has a fall wedding coming up. And as soon as the stress came in, she said, I don't know, whatever it is, whatever you're saying. Or if maybe you helped a customer come in and buy a gift for someone who's really hard to shop for. And then you're gonna look at the camera and you're gonna say, I heard you need gift ideas for Christmas that don't suck. Go right into it. Do you see what I mean? You just go right into it. So things like if you're telling a story about something that happened, the biggest thing I want you to take away from the story is blank. And then go into the story. You're starting with something almost like they already know. Like you sat down for coffee with your friend. They already know a little bit of the backstory and you just go into it. I hope that makes sense. I will make sure in the show notes to also add some verbal hooks for you guys. I have tons of reels with these talk to camera script starters, I guess because I always encourage my reels lab people too. Like while I write part of the first script for them, I want them after they've got the hook in the intro. Take it and run with it. Cause I want it to be your voice. Okay, There you go. Do not be afraid of talking on the camera. Start in Instagram stories. If you're really struggling, start with your sunglasses on. Get comfortable. Practice save them, don't look at them. Just, like, get comfortable, and then just bring that same energy and help people. You know, your people want to see you and let your personality shine. It could be 15 seconds, it could be a 10 second, it could be 90 seconds. If it's interesting, they're going to watch the whole way through. All right, love you, friend. That's it for today, and I will talk to you next week.