Why I’m Scared To Get Into The Habit of Video Blogging

I LOVE one aspect of this video compared to your others, Charlie: The others felt like you were talking to a camera. This one felt like you were talking to me :) Storyboarding & rehearsing your message ahead of time solves issues with length, wandering, and "How do I wrap this up?;" but may also cause the lack of "connection" with your audience in your previous videos (?guess?) -- I applaud you for the 1/week commitment. In time your video-blogging can be as powerful as your writing already is. --- As an example, I marvel at Pam Slim on a live teleclass or coaching call. There's no dead space or trailing away on some ill-defined tangential thought. Heck, there's no "um's!!" She told me it's just that she's done it SO many times. And it's powerful and worth listening to - from beginning to end.

Thanks, Charlie, for doing this. I particularly liked seeing you work through your thought process, and it's helpful for me to see that you, too, have reservations about video. I've also been very impressed with Mark Silver's video challenge... it really made me start thinking why I wasn't using video.

It terrifies me. Seriously, I've done some and just never posted them because I am so uncomfortable. My husband is a former TV producer, so I think for a long time I've held myself to this irrational standard, rather than just doing it. I've felt I had to be precise, rather than being me (and letting things flow).

I've recently started doing an audio podcast, as a way to work my way up to feeling confident about doing things "live". There is definitely a difference (I go off on tangents, too, and tend to edit and craft my posts). I have a long way to go, but thusfar it feels fairly comfortable. Hopefully in about a month I'll be ready to tentatively test the video waters!

Well done Charlie and bravely said. It was a special perk for me to see you "live and in person" as we've only just started coaching together and it does so help to put a face to the voice and ideologies. For my tuppence, video is a great way to connect. My challenge is to get it to the less-than-three-minute mark so the thing will HAVE some viewership! Still working on that.

And about kitties...

The Noush and The Tosh, resident kitties, have semi-permanent places in the credits roll of just about everything I have done but for the latest DVD set which was recorded in Paris, far from home. Whenever a kitty enters the picture, there's a lesson. She enters, sits placidly and stares fixedly at the camera until even grown men shift uneasily in their chairs. Cats and three year old children have such focus. We tend to lose that as we grow up. And by watching the cute cat, we are seamlessly taught a lesson about focus and attention.

Or she enters, sits, looks sideways at the camera and washes a paw, stealing glances at the camera or at me all the while. An object lesson in "someone is always watching, give it your best".

Often, their content feeds into mine. We have a symbiotic relationship like that. And such little moments, like the wife of one internet marketer scuttling fast across the background with a bag of groceries mouthing "Sorry!" to the camera while her blissfully unaware hubby droned on in the foreground, make us human, approachable and fun to the people viewing. There, that's my tuppence. ;-)

Wow! Loved that video, Charlie!
Strange, I felt like you were more "lively" in that one than usual, that was fun :).

iHi , I think its a great idea post video, especially when you dont have time to right.Some post writting others by video, thats the point.Im new here, but i think is better to write because when we are reading we are more concentrate.
Excuse my english.
Keep going.

One good reason not to do videos: A vid, without strong production support, will always be sloppier and less well done than the equivalent written work.

Producing good, tight, video work is considerably more difficult than producing good, tight, written work.

Great video, Charlie. I love the shout-out to Mark on the whiteboard. :)

Hey Charlie,

Thanks for the shout out. I guess I'm of the opinion that there is always a line between messy and sloppy. I don't mind showing messy-unfinished. But I don't want to show up sloppy- not consistently.

Even with the videos I've been doing during this challenge, some of them have had sloppy bits- and I've tried to edit those out, leaving in some of the messiness.

Mess, in my mind, is what let's people see you're human, unguarded, able to be present to what is.

Sloppiness is when my own mistakes, rambling, or lack of clarity are taking up people's time but not really contributing anything.

I'm okay with mess. I'm less okay with slop, from me. :)

There should be a balance between video and written content in these days of web accessibility. My Mum is partially deaf and so would not hear your dulcet tones today. However, someone with sight problems, or dyslexia, or just better at learning through seeing, will welcome video or podcasts.

I'm of the opinion that important posts, if done by video or podcast, should also have a transcript. My site fails my own standard because I've done no audio content at all. This is something I should address, because I do feel strongly that I should be accessible to all people.

Do it up. People do actually like people. There's more of a connection with video.

I do think tho that a well done edited video will have more impact and give more longevity to people watching your video blogs.

Today was the last day of a blogging project a bunch of 20 somethings were doing called VEDA (Vlog Every Day in August) - I did it every single day and it was fun to see everyone (including myself) improve with ease, communication, editing, music, etc)

Exactly about the pets and etc. I had phones ring and seen people's pets walk infront of the camera. Makes for fun bloopers!

Also, I had a scar on my back I've had in hiding for over ten years and on the day we discussed self image, I showed it! It was liberating...

Anyway, don't be scurred!

Also, totally right about length! I tried to keep blogs under 3 minutes and 5 pushing it.

Lastly, I watched all 7 minutes :) and I agree. Just doing it everyday for an entire month made me sure, that that was way too much.

I love using video when my point is highly emotional, and I need to get people acting.

I love writing when everything needs a logical progression.

When things need to be logical AND emotional, I make a video and write a long post to go with it.

Keep it up, Charlie. I love to see you less polished.

Charlie, I really like seeing you on video. It makes you seem more real...I'm saying this because it's making me ask questions of my own methods...but I'd like to see more.