Attract New Followers with Talk to Camera Reels

Creating captivating talk-to-camera videos can be intimidating, but my most recent talk to camera reels have brought in ten times more followers than my “viral reels” with trending audio. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, I’ll guide you through the latest verbal hooks and storytelling techniques that are working right now. Plus, if talking to the camera makes you nervous, I’ve got practical tips to help you get comfortable and embrace your authentic self. We’ll also explore some fascinating behind-the-scenes examples that are going viral, and how to use these moments to engage with your audience without the anxiety of being on camera. 

In this episode we’ll be covering:

• The advice I give to my clients for getting comfortable on camera.
• Incorporating B roll and capturing authentic behind the scenes moments.
• Formatting tips for hooks, text layouts and more when creating your own videos.
• Building instant trust with your audience and inviting them into your world.
• A great way to create a “talk to camera reel” without actually talking to the camera.
• Trading fancy transitions for talk to camera reels that feel like Instagram Stories.

Links to Reels in this episode:

Reel 1: Bride 

Reel 2: Meal Prep

Reel 3: Where to Place Your Hooks - Example

Hooks to start your talk to camera videos

Other episodes you might have missed:

Episode 002: Uncomplicating Social Media through Simple Content

Episode 017: Turn a Simple Idea into a Reel People Will Love

Episode 018: The 4 H’s Are the Only Content Pillars You Need for Reels

Episode 024: Is Storytelling the Missing Piece in Your Content?

Episode 026: Start a Signature Series That People Keep Coming Back For

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Transcript

Shannon McKinstrie [00:00:05]:
I am your host, Shannon McKinstrie. 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.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:00:45]:
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 how my short, like five, seven second B roll with either lists or any sort of text with a tip or an empathetic message or something humorous - with the 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 had a couple reels that went semi viral, right? Like over 300,000 for me, which is really good right now because, you know, it's tough out here. They converted maybe one or 200 new follows while my talk to cameras are in the 3000 2000 range.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:01:30]:
So very big difference. I don't do math, but. Right. That's a lot said, like ten times. See? Okay, again, calm marketing major, not a math girly. All right? 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.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:01:45]:
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, like, 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.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:02:00]:
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, all right? 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 like the kids are, you know, whatever. 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.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:02:27]:
Cause 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 and about shopping or walking your dog, and your friend FaceTimes, you. You're not gonna. You're just gonna, 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.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:02:57]:
You need to embrace the cringe. Like, if Ryan walks in on me, even right now doing this podcast, I would be like, it's awkward. Like, 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.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:03:12]:
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.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:03:40]:
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.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:04:03]:
Do not try to be anything other than what you are. But most clients you're going to talk to, or most customers you're going to talk to, you 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 talk to cameras that I think would be fun to kind of dissect and take a look at because a lot of the talk to camera video is going viral right now.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:04:42]:
There's no one way to do any of this. 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.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:05:12]:
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 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 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.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:05:48]:
Or 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.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:06:06]:
"reel audio in background* So that you can hear the makeup artist going, oh, my gosh, I forgot I was supposed to. You didn't want shimmer. Whatever. So she literally, which is also cool, she did some storytelling. So let me read what it says. Cause the storytelling is brilliant. So you see the bride look and go, oop.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:06:24]:
Says, I mess up this bride's makeup. That is the first hook on video. 3 seconds later, another text drops. It says, we had multiple previews and 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.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:06:50]:
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 results 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.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:07:12]:
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, but, like, if you're like, what the heck do I put? Just share something behind the scenes. That has always been key. For ten 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.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:07:39]:
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 real, 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.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:07:55]:
The other one with the mom and the daughter, this was so cool. It says, I was filming b roll for a reel, 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.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:08:13]:
7 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.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:08:36]:
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.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:09:00]:
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 reel? No, you didn't. Now you're in. You're set. But over my head is a quick hook.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:09:24]:
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 3 seconds. Instagram tricks from a social media strategist, and it goes away after about 4 seconds. And I'm already talking because guess what? They can read that hook over my head in seconds.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:09:41]:
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 three ish 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 set, 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 guests outfit idea.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:10:11]:
That's the hook when 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 this dress 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 going to look at the camera and you're going to 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.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:10:40]:
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 to 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 because I want it to be your voice. Okay, there you go. Do not be afraid of talking on the camera.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:11:09]:
Start an 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.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:11:24]:
It could be a ten 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.