It's All in the Eyes
Eye contact is key to communicating confidently and naturally on video. I want you to adhere to the Goldilocks rule of communications-- not too much, not too little. You want it to be just right.
Keep in the back of your mind that during each video you are having a conversation with someone. For the purposes of learning how to do this effectively, pretend that you're having a conversation with just one person. Look them in the eye. Pretend that you don't look away while you're talking to them. Barely blink. Yeah, it's awkward, isn't it? It's very 'find a body in your basement.'
If people are not comfortable with you, then they are not listening to you. And even more importantly, they won't engage in a conversation with you, again.
Now, pretend you're in another conversation with one person and that person won't look you in the eye. Their eyes are flitting from one space behind you to right above your nose to right over there next to your left ear. Then, they are looking down at the ground and then they're looking at your right shoulder.
At some point you're going to start wondering what the hell is going on. Where are they looking and why are they not paying any attention to me?
Too little eye contact shows a lack of respect, a lack of confidence and the true death knell of any type of effective communication, a lack of trustworthiness.
If a person doesn't feel like they can trust what you're saying, you've lost them. If it's a sale you were hoping to get, you've lost that. If it was a date you were hoping to get, you've lost that.
Now, let's talk about the just right amount of eye contact. Think about having a conversation with someone who makes you feel comfortable and relaxed.
They're paying attention to you and they're engaged. They're looking you in the eye but they're not staring you down. They glance away, periodically, in that way we naturally do when we're having a conversation with someone and they blink because that's what human beings naturally do.
The idea is for you to behave as naturally as possible, and to translate that natural behavior onto video.
Go get 'em Goldilocks!
~Anissa