10 Ways Presenting on Live Video is Different than Speaking to an In-Person Audience

This past weekend, I had the honor of giving a short speech to 150 or so practitioners of public speaking at the Toastmasters District 26 Fall Conference about how important it is for every business owner, speaker, or services provider to write a book. I wore a dark suit with the top button buttoned. I was fitted with a lapel mic clipped to my professional, but not too snazzy, tie. Once introduced by the Master of Ceremonies (M.C.), I trotted onstage to shake her hand to start my attention grabber while doing my best to bring the entire room of live people into my speech.

That's one way to give a speech. But, it's not the only way.

All around the world, people are grabbing their iPhones and Droids and jumping onto the Live Video bandwagon. Facebook Live to a group, Periscope to Twitter...even Snapchat is jumping into broadcasting to claim their corner of the sandbox.

The Problem with Live Video

Just like when the Internet started building in popularity more than 20 years ago, we again find ourselves in a new old west with the same situation: Everyone gets a gun (cell phone with video camera) but no one is teaching anyone how to shoot...and the bullets are FREE!

Sure, the pros teach what microphone to buy and all the little micro widgets of technology provided by the communications app of choice for the week. But, the people really engaging in live video (and attracting thousands of more followers with every episode) appear to be those who already have broadcasting tenure from other areas of their past.

The popular live video heroes of today seem to all have full heads of manly hair (or are otherwise as the entertainment industry warrants, shaved bald), whereas the successful women live video presenters seem to say every sentence perfectly the first time around.

We the common people say, "Of COURSE they're good at live video!"

But, what about the rest of us?

We Need to Practice Live Video

Beginning in late October 2016, I started an open club called the Here Next Year Web Marketing Club. The original intention was for members to use tools and share findings with each other about trends and techniques in the web marketing world. What it turned into was a weekly practice forum where members could develop their live video presentation skills in a supportive setting, week after week.

Watch this video to see a portion of our meeting where actual participants were discussing what they've learned and how fast their improvement has been in only the past few weeks.

10 Live Video Skills Tips

Here is a list of the top 10 things we've all learned by practicing our web-based presentation skills together as a supportive group over the past few weeks. We hope these will help you as you become introduced to, and embrace, live video to start or expand your business:

1. Camera height matters - When you're presenting live and in person, the only one that needs to worry about camera position is your videographer. 

When presenting online, you ARE the videographer! Position your camera too high and your audience sees your bald spots! Too low, and they'll only see nostrils of your nose. Neither allow you to present your best angle.

When presenting online, you ARE the videographer! Position your camera too high and your audience sees your bald spots! Too low, and they'll only see nostrils of your nose. Neither allow you to present your best angle.

The best solution we've found is to position your camera lens to be about two inches higher than your eye level. If you have a double chin or neck lines, this position can help as well. But, you'll need to experiment.

2. Eye contact is different...but still essential - In the public speaking world, we are taught to have eye contact with individual people in the live audience. Look at one side, then the other, then the middle, then the front, then the back.

When presenting on live video, the only way to look at anyone in your audience is to look directly at the camera lens.

This is a major challenge for most speakers, professional and novice alike. The tendency is to be so relaxed in video presentations that the presenter looks left, right, up, down, all around....except for the one place he or she needs to focus, which is to look directly at the camera lens as much as possible.

We've found this to be one of the most challenging steps in transitioning to giving live video presentations. So, if you find it hard to accomplish on your first webinar or Facebook Live video, don't worry, you're not alone. It just takes focused practice.

3. Hand gestures should be smaller but included - Another technique we are taught in public speaking arenas is to use hand and body gestures to emphasize main points of a speech.

This can be a bit more challenging when you're on video but getting your hands involved helps to alleviate what's known as the talking head syndrome. You and I are presenters on live video. We are not television newscasters.

Too many gestures if you're too far away from the camera lens or web cam, and viewers feel you are just too far away from the screen. Better to be close to the screen so that hand gestures can be occasionally brought into the shot instead of how you would use your arms in front of a live group.

4. Visuals are introduced differently - You can use external physical visuals (as in, holding items in your hands to be seen) such as showing your book or a product. But, be sure to show the product at your face level or you run the risk of part of the item being visible to viewers.

5. Lighting is a challenge for everyone - In a public setting, you will usually have a nicely lit area suitable for audiences to see you in the front of the room. If your speech is to be recorded by video, the video tech either adjusts house lighting or brings additional lights to bring you into better view.

You and I do not have this luxury when covering an event outside or from our home offices. The key is to always run a test to see what your lighting will be like when producing your video or live web cam presentation.

It took a few weeks, but I finally figured out a way to position my lights in my office so that there is no glare on my eye glasses and I don't have any major shadows behind me. At a moment's notice, I can crank up the video toys and hit the record button and go.

Of course, outside lighting presents challenges of its own. But, you would have the same challenges of natural lighting, darkness, cloudiness, and wind if you were speaking to a group outside as you would if you were recording live video outdoors.

6. Quality equipment helps - Many live and in-person speakers use no technology equipment at all, except for a microphone. Those that do can get away with an old laptop with a former version of PowerPoint and a projector and still rock a killer presentation.

Cams and phones with cameras are different today than they were even five years ago, however. If you are planning on using video frequently and as an ongoing communication and promotion source for your business, investing in a new means of projecting your video and sound to the Internet will be a worthwhile expense.

7. You can't hide - When you're on stage, the live audience is paying attention to your words and your bodily passion for your topic. Many speakers are known for elaborate outfits, strange body positions, and nervous ticks that are the trademark of their shows. 

Live audience members are very forgiving and supportive when you are providing quality content with humor and enthusiasm during in person presentations. 

I've found people to be less forgiving when you're on video or live web cam. If they notice something out of the ordinary, the viewer will probably get distracted by it. They are very quick to start checking email or leaving the event entirely to avoid distractions or shortcomings offered by presenters.

During one of my weekly web-based club meetings, one of our presenters wore sunglasses. A member critiqued the man with the sunglasses with a subtle joke that he looked rather, well, "shady." The man replied with a sobering reality that he had had several operations on his eyes and the light of a computer brings pain to his optic nerves so he must wear sun glasses during our meetings. 

Of course, the answer to overcoming physical appearance challenges, is to understand what will get the attention of your audience and provide an explanation early in your presentation so that the audience can understand instead of remain distracted.

8. Keeping peoples' attention longer is more challenging - With a live audience, keeping people engaged is easier than when you're on a live video or web-based meeting. How can I make that claim? Because they haven't invented cameras yet that let you reach through the lens and grab a person by the shirt and say, "WAKE UUUUP!!!"

I'm sure it's on its way with virtual reality gaining traction.

We've found the most predictable way to hold the attention of viewers is to keep your sessions short. You could have dozens of sub-topics to cover over the course of a few hours and dairy farm's silo full of luscious jokes and humorous anecdotes, but keep your speech sections shorter than you would if you were live and in person for best results.

In the web-based meeting practice club I'm involved with, Our longest curriculum presentation is five minutes in duration. Even that amount of time is enough for a skilled presenter to hammer out three or four points of value.

9. Casual is common - Again referencing the professional speaking world as an example, speakers are taught to dress a notch above their audience. This "should" be true among virtual presenters as well, but it's not. The issue may originate from the 1990's Grunge music movement or the desire to prove oneself as not being part of the corporate world where professional appearance is still of high value.

Or, maybe most web-based speakers truly only have that grey beat-up t-shirt in their dresser drawer that their girlfriend gave as a homecoming present in high school fifteen years ago. I'm not really sure.

My point: I've never bought anything from someone because they look like they just rolled out of bed. But, I HAVE bought something from someone because they had a sharp appearance. When it comes to how you choose to represent yourself visually, keep in mind that your video is a "recording." Dress according to how you want to be remembered by your audience.

10. Using notes is even more obvious - When notes are needed, experienced presenters use PowerPoint or some sort of screen presentation software. 

Admittedly, one difference between live presentations and web-based video is that web-based video is like having a free pass to use PowerPoint. Boring bullet points and lines on a screen are somehow acceptable in live video. Making viewers read multiple lines of text is somehow even okay. 

Last week, I sat through a 90-minute webinar where the "speaker" simply read every word on each of his 200+ screens. And, there were still audience members watching at the end to ask questions.

In all types of presenting, whether online or off-line, there is ample opportunity to abuse visual tools and a necessary time for displaying screens. For best results in web-based presentations, the key is to practice and receive supportive feedback from viewers.

What to Do Next

With these ten skills as a guide, how would you rate your live meeting and live video presentation ability so far?

Live video is not only a growing popular communication medium and all the hot & sexy rage with Facebook Live and Periscope-to-Twitter, but it could soon become the PRIMARY way we talk to each other in the near future.

Like anything, you need practice to get good at it!

Where Can You Get Practice?

At the Here Next Year Web Marketing Club, of course.

It's free to attend our weekly Tuesday morning meetings from 9-10 a.m. (Mountain Time).

We even have a 10-presentation curriculum for you to follow.

If you own a traditional business, or are a speaker, consultant, trainer, coach, or marketer, this club should be mandatory training and practice time for you to attend.

Or, well, you can always see how far you can get on your own. 

Best of luck in your pursuit of skills building for live video and I hope to see you putting these areas to work for your live video presentations.