Latest / She Speaks to Scale / 13. The Rise of Yapping: Why Now is the Time to Start Talking to Camera
Transcript
- Sarah Collins: I was going to put out a guest episode today, but with all the hype online about the Yap challenge, I wanted to address it for myself, given that it's around a topic that I'm really passionate about. That's the ability to talk on camera. Thank you for listening to this episode of She Speaks to Scale. If you liked the episode or you think it will be useful for someone else, please follow and leave a review. If you've got any questions, do let me know via the social handles in the show notes. And remember to speak with intention, not hesitation, and let your voice be heard. Hello and welcome to She Speaks to Scale with me, Sarah Collins. The podcast that empowers women in business to own their voice, be heard and create impact, one communication insight at a time. I'm a media trainer and communication coach and a former senior television producer. It's my mission to bring the communication skills we need to thrive in today's world of business to the generation of women who simply weren't taught them. And before we go any further, if you haven't yet downloaded my five minute camera confidence audio, I encourage you to do so. Play this before you speak to the camera and you'll see your confidence and energy rise ready to press record. I'll pop the link in the show notes. Whether it's scaling your voice to step into thought leadership in a media interview, speaking with confidence on camera, on stage and beyond, or scaling the way you communicate when it really counts. This podcast will help you use your voice to be heard in the moments that matter. Before we dive in, I wanted to talk about my own experience because I actually avoided talking to the camera for around about 20 years, my entire career in TV. There were opportunities to film a message for someone who was leaving or be part of a film that perhaps we were making And I said to all of them. And looking back, I know it was because I wasn't fully comfortable with my own thoughts, my own opinions. And I'm so grateful now that I've done that work to be able to. ⁓ Express my insights, express my thoughts more freely without the fear of judgment and without the fear of failure, too. So just in case you've been hiding under a rock for the last week or so, the Yap Challenge is a challenge run by Jesse Jean in the US. It's essentially learning to talk on camera, which is something I teach to my clients also. So many people freeze when they are told they need to speak or talk to camera. And reframing it to yapping gives it more of a fun and positive connotation, a creative outlet to share your thoughts, opinions, and insights. But that hasn't always been the case. So let's look at the history of the term yapping. has been around since 1600s, and in its original form, yapp. ⁓ Was used to describe the sharp repetitive bark of small dogs. It then became a term to describe someone talking nonstop for a long time about unimportant things. For many years, people were actually called out for yapping. It meant you had a whiny or irritating voice and talked far too much. But in more recent years, particularly with a Gen Z audience, the term has been claimed by TikTok creators as a fun activity. They film a video themselves explaining something, ranting, or discussing a topic that interests them. It became a cool thing to do with many content creators claiming they love to yap and it was more about raw, unscripted, straight talking to camera. And over recent months the term has come to Instagram and it's become more of a quirky personality trait, and the yap challenge ⁓ now taken the term viral thanks to content creator Jesse Jean. But Jessie Jean didn't have overnight success. She actually spent six months building a really engaged audience through yapping to camera and showing vulnerability through storytelling too. At the time of this recording, she has 425,000 followers on her Instagram account. That's a lot of eyes on what she does, and no doubt a lot of time and effort has gone into making those numbers so high. When she launched her six week yap challenge over a period of 13 days, over 4,000 people signed up and she made a whopping 1.2 million in revenue. What does this tell us? Not only that Jesse is brilliant at building and nurturing an audience, but that the ability to yap to camera is a skill that people are very much looking to improve. So, why yapping to camera will never go away? Business is built on trust and connection, and one of the quickest ways you can gain this with your audience is by showing them your face and letting them hear your voice. This is why being the face and voice of your brand is so incredibly important, especially in the digital age we live in now. AI content is widespread. It's actually quite delightful to go online and hear and see someone sharing their personal insights, opinions, and thoughts. That's really how you stand out. Being able to talk confidently on camera is a skill that can be learnt. Firstly, it's about being self-aware and comfortable in your own skin. Then it's using your tone, picture, and energy to engage and connect with your audience. Your stories, insights, opinions, and perspectives can't be written by AI. And as we become more and more aware of AI copy, the ability to yap on camera is becoming crucial. The people showing up don't have it all figured out. They still experience imposter syndrome, but speak imperfectly and consistently, anyhow. So stop waiting for the right timing. All you truly need is. To decide you are ready, the perfect conditions really don't exist, the belief that no one is judging you, and you also need something to say. Your audience wants to hear from you, talking about what you know, what you think, what you've experienced, and what you want them to take away. They want to learn, be inspired, or educated in some way. And often not pressing record is because you've not completed the groundwork to feel completely comfortable on camera. It's about raising your self awareness and understanding what you can talk about. And once you do, things change. Like the clients I've worked with who've gone on to run their own retreats, speak on stages, in interviews, and even in parliament. Once you have these skills, the opportunities really are endless. So, I wanted to give you three tips on how to yap to the camera. Firstly, find the right environment for you. And this is going to be different for everybody. Believe it or not, the right environment can be the difference between pressing record and putting it off for another day. I'm sure we've all been there and can relate to that. You don't need a professional setup, you just need a space where you feel comfortable, somewhere that makes you feel like you. Where the lighting is working in your favour and where you're unlikely to be interrupted mid-flow. You've probably seen people talking in their cars, in a particular room, in their house, or even on the dog walk or the school run. It needs to be a space where getting out your camera is a quick process, ready to capture what you have to say. You don't need fancy lighting. Natural light is absolutely fine. Position yourself facing a window rather than with it behind you. You'll instantly look more polished that way. Your background matters too. It doesn't have to be perfect, but just a tidy corner of a room, a bookshelf, a clean wall, something behind you that reflects you and your brand, rather than having lots of things out on show that perhaps sometimes you don't want people to see. And sound is often the thing people forget. A quiet room with soft furnishings will absorb any echo far better than a hard floored, high ceiling space. Close windows, put the dog out, put your phone to silent mode, and if possible, let the people around you know that you're recording. You don't need a fancy microphone. Our phones are so good these days. But if you did want to invest in anything, a ring light and maybe a small microphone from somewhere like Amazon is all you need. And getting this right will eliminate those excuses so that you're more likely to press record. So, number two is know how you want to start and end. you've got just a few seconds to capture someone's attention before they scroll on. ⁓ So, your opening line, your hook? ⁓ I recommend that that's a question, a statement, or a story that can instantly form a connection or spark curiosity in your audience. Don't ever start with how are you? This takes up far too much time. ⁓ And other thing is saying, ⁓ What I wanted to talk to you about today, which I'm sure I'm guilty of sometimes, but again, it wastes precious time. Equally important is knowing how you want to end. What do you want your audience to do next? Where do you want them to go? This is your call to action, and every time you speak to camera, it should have one. This could be directing them to your lead magnet, also called a lead generator or a freebie, something they sign up to with their email address. It could be a sales page if you're currently promoting something, or if you don't have either of those, it could be just to go to your website, listen to your podcast, or if you have one, read your blog or a book. Tell them exactly where to go though and what to do next. Everyone's time is limited, so make it easy for them to take the next step. And number three is reframe how you feel about talking to camera or yapping to camera in this instance. This is perhaps the most important tip of all because all of the practical advice in the world won't help if your mindset is working against you before you've even pressed record. So many people sit down film and immediately go into their head, how do I look? ⁓ What will people think? What I stumble over my words? And before they've said anything, they've literally already talked themselves out of it. And I know because that was me in the early days. But here's the reframe I want you to try. Instead of asking how do I look, ask how do I want my audience to feel. Shift the focus from yourself to the person who's going to be listening. When you're thinking about them, what they need, what will help them, then there's no room for self consciousness. It's all about adding value. Yapping to camera is a skill, and like every skill, it gets easier the more you do it. The first one will feel uncomfortable. I remember my first time and it definitely was out of my comfort zone, but it does for everyone. But the more you yap to camera, the easier it will get. So there you are, just three things to help you start yapping to the camera more easily. Have a go at those and see how they feel. On camera confidence is something I work on with my clients. If you feel you need support and accountability with this, then don't hesitate to reach out. I'll pop a link to book a call with me in the show notes. And remember, start before you feel ready. Your audience is waiting to hear from you. Now all you have to do is press record.