Closing the gap: The first of many video updates
Today I’m trying something a little different. Here’s a video update. If you prefer to read, the text below will fill you in.
(Note: if you’re reading this as an e-mail or via a feed reader, you may have to click through to watch the video.)
I was talking with a friend recently, and she was kind enough to be very honest with me. She told me that I come across very different in person than I do online. Now I knew there was a disconnect there and I’ve never been entirely happy with my writing voice, but I didn’t think the gap was huge. My friend begged to differ. We didn’t actually know each other well before becoming Facebook friends a few weeks ago, so most of her initial impression of me came from my Facebook and blog posts. She admitted to being a little hesitant to hang out with me in person, because online I came across fairly preachy and not entirely real. She was pleasantly surprised then to find that I was a lot more real and a lot less preachy in person.
So this got me thinking: how can I let more of the real, in-person me shine through online? And the best answer I’ve come up with is to start doing regular video updates.
So here we are.
The plan going forward is to include a video with every post. I’m not sure how feasible that is yet, but sure I’ll give it my best shot. Each video will be me relaying the important points from the related post. I’ll try to keep them short and sweet.
Overcoming the fear
It had crossed my mind to do video updates many times before, but fear always held me back.
What if people think I look or sound stupid? What if I don’t provide value and end up wasting people’s time? Maybe I should just wait until I’m more comfortable in my own skin and then start doing video updates.
Yeah, all that was fear. I realize now that I’ll look and sound on video pretty much the same way I look and sound in real life, and very few people seem to think I look or sound stupid in real life. I also realize that it’s not up to me to decide if I’m providing value to people. I’ll just try to do the best I can and let people decide for themselves if what I’m providing is valuable. If not, they can just stop watching. No big deal.
And as for waiting until I’m more comfortable in my own skin before I start doing video updates, I just had to remind myself of a significant truth: you don’t overcome the fear and then do the thing, you do the thing and then you overcome the fear. So while it’s likely that my first few video updates will be a little awkward and uncomfortable, I know that diving in and doing it regularly is the fastest way to improve.
One of my favorite quotes reinforces this point:
“The rate at which a person can mature is directly proportional to the embarrassment he can tolerate.” – Douglas Engelbart
Feedback welcome
I’d love to get your thoughts on these video updates, especially if you know me in real life as well as online. Like I said, I’m aiming to close the gap between online Niall and real-world Niall, so hopefully you can help me pinpoint the inconsistencies. If you have something to share, please leave a comment below or send me a private message via the contact form.
Here’s to being real 
Hi there, I found your blog a while back through a tweet from Steve Pavlina.
I personally don’t see a problem with having a writing voice and a speaking voice – two distinct voices with two distinct aims. Perception is projection. If someone perceives your voice as being this, that, or the other thing, then the perception is more than likely projection. In my humble opinion, the intention behind your communication is what really counts.
Niall,
It’s good to see you!
I am considering doing exactly the same thing for Reach Altitude (but not for every post! kudos to you if you can keep it up–it’ll certainly be unique within the personal development blogging space).
Video is such a fantastic, intimate way to develop a relationship with your readers (viewers?). I wish you all the best in bridging the gap between real-life you and writer you.
Best,
Haidn
Hey Niall,
It was wonderful seeing and hearing you. I think this is a great suppliment to your blog. I appreciate your reference and reminders on fear. Thanks for taking this ‘risk’ on posting video. Even occasional video (if doing each post is too much) would be valuable in my opinion, as you say, in a sense, more real. Thanks again. All the best and a GREAT day! Sincerly, Lisa
Thanks, all. I really appreciate the support.
Christopher: Agreed about intention. What I’ve found though is that I often get through to people much better when I’m sitting down having coffee with them, talking 1-on-1. I consider myself a playful person and I’m pretty good at throwing in the odd joke and making people feel at ease. On this blog however, I feel I come across much less personable and I believe my message would be better received if I could add more of my distinct personality to it.
Great quote from Doug Engelbart on your video. FYI, Engelbart is most well known as the inventor of the computer mouse, among many other less well known technological accomplishments. One of my best friends knows him personally and they worked together on a couple of projects for the Computer History Museum.
Thanks for the info, Ilya. Seems that chap has impacted my life a lot more than I knew.
I came across a similar quote from Tony Robbins yesterday:
“The quality of your life will be in direct proportion to the amount of uncertainty you can comfortably tolerate.”
Great idea to make video updates, Niall!
Why didn’t I come to it earlier?..
For some reasons text works better for me that video.
I started to check you videos and realized that they are very similar to texts of your posts.
How much unique information do you put in videos?
Or are they just another version of what is typewritten?
Thanks, Pavel.
The videos are usually an abbreviation of the blog post. All the information is still contained in the writing.