Your Fear Around Going Live On Social Media

Public speaking is the number one fear for most people.  Why is the thing that connects us the most significant fear?  The irony that is going live on social media is one of the main ways to attract clients.  Did you know live and video content can attract your audience?

I have felt the same way about creating live content.  I joined Toastmasters to grow more in my public speaking.  I’ve known about Toastmasters for some time now.  My mom was a member, as well as other friends.

I desire to become a public speaker.  I understand pitch, tone, tempo, and authenticity are vital traits for a public speaker.

Talking on a stage and talking into a camera are two different things.  Yet, the fear and comparison can feel the same.  I want to share five tips to help you go live on Instagram or other social media platforms.

Have an outline

I find lack of clarity on my talk points always elevate my anxiety with public speaking.  You can make your outline as detailed as you want for support.  I find major bullet points helps with a better flow.  The worst part is talking and talking without any message.

Thrive article 7 Ways to Improve Your Public Speaking Skills states, “While it might sound easier to write out your full speech and read it word-for-word, this actually works against most public speakers. Instead, you are better off writing an outline and speaking about the topic from the outline, which will help you look more confident. “It allows the language you use to be more natural, it allows your voice to be much more natural, and eye contact is better,” Marjorie L. North, a speech pathologist and lecturer at Harvard University, told NBC News.”

Practice Makes Perfect

Once you have your outline, the key is practicing it several times.  I find it helpful due to not writing out the entire speech.  You begin to memorize the flow and message through practicing.  Plus, you will find that you will become more relaxed on the day of your session.  

According to Mindtools article Better Public Speaking, “If you're going to be delivering a presentation or prepared speech, create it as early as possible. The earlier you put it together, the more time you'll have to practice.  Practice it plenty of times alone, using the resources you'll rely on at the event, and, as you practice, tweak your words until they flow smoothly and easily.”

It is valid for Instagram lives to Youtube videos.  My Youtube intro was utterly horrible the first time.  I had to practice to find what was authentic for me.  Don’t beat yourself up in practice.  Use it as an opportunity to grow.

Get Feedback 

In the beginning, I would recommend enrolling a friend or two to listen to your live sessions.  The feedback is a non-biased perspective since we are our worst critics.  Don’t feel discouraged.

According to Jeff Davenport’s article 5 Things You Can Do Today to Improve Your Public Speaking Skills, “All of us have blind spots when it comes to public speaking skills. We either do the wrong things—and don’t know it—or we do the right things—and don’t know that either. Getting feedback from other people helps us see past those blindspots.  Before your next presentation, speech, or important meeting where you’ll be flexing those public speaking skills, ask your feedback friend to keep an eye out for how well you’re delivering. You can also take a recording of a presentation or meeting you’ve done in the past and share that for feedback fodder.”

I found out my filler word is “and.”  LOL.  I use it instead of um.  So my beginning speeches or lives were strings of run-on sentences.  It’s okay.  I’ve grown to reduce my filler words.  

Start Off Strong

You want to draw people into wanting to stay on your live chat.  You can do a teaser on the topics or what they get out of listening to you.  The key to live content is about providing value to your customer.  It’s less about you and more about your customer.

According to Thomas Griffin’s article How To Improve Your Public Speaking Skills (4 Tips), “When you are starting a speech, you need to try your best to grab attention from the audience. Then you will be able to get people to listen to what you are going to speak about. Likewise, you need to make sure that you are providing a dynamic end to the speech as well, that way they remember what you told them.”

Flow With The Vibe

The last part to tackle going live on social media or speaking is flexibility.  Of course, you want to have the structure and practice.   Yet, everything can’t be too rigid on a live chat.  It’s a way to show your personality and why people can connect with you.

According to Social Media Today’s article 7 Tips for Going Live on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, “Don’t get frazzled by mistakes or technical difficulties. Even when you’ve gone live multiple times, and you’ve tested your connection, things can go wrong.  Remember that this is part of the charm of going live, and you have to roll with the punches as they come up”

I hope these tips have helped you with a structure to master public speaking or going live.  The only way to get better is to get on the court.  Try and try again.  Check out my Social Media Audit and Content Creation consultation to create a strategy.

What’s the biggest challenge you face with going live?