- One of the hardest things here on YouTube
is being authentic in your videos.
The reality is that most people we watch on here
are a little bit fake.
Let me explain why and how we can be more authentic.
Good morning.
I came here to
drone. Got up at 4,
5:30, 5:30 and,
its cloudy.
Not ideal.
In his latest video,
Matt D'Avella talks about the crisis of authenticity.
And I think he's right in that
Most creators struggle with being truly themselves online.
For years, people shared polished versions of their lives
with overly curated feeds and filters on every post.
Just to make their lives look more interesting
and compete with everybody else's highlight reels.
More recently though,
we've seen a shift in our behaviors online.
We share more and more raw content,
whether it's in our feeds or via video features.
With the introduction of stories on Instagram
and platforms like TikTok,
less polished content has become a lot more popular.
And we are encouraged to share more and more snippets
of our daily life,
which is in most cases, a lot more relatable.
And it works. Audiences are actively looking for people
who they can truly connect with and who have
similar struggles and are basically as flawed as they are.
And I think video has changed the way we use social media
in the last few years, which is why TikTok is so massive,
and Instagram is saying
they are not a photo sharing platform anymore.
Via video, you can talk directly to your audience
and be a lot more open and,
tell a story,.
Instead of just posing for an Insta-worthy photo
in a fancy alleyway.
However, in many cases, this is still an illusion.
Just because something was recorded on a phone
doesn't mean it's truly authentic.
TikTokers spend hours upon hours to put together a video.
They reshoot a scene over and over again
to get it just right.
To make it look like it was just happening in the moment.
And more so, you are still somewhat performing
for a camera, which makes you by default, less authentic.
I have a degree in media studies.
And one of the few things I still remember is that
everything that involves the camera is somewhat staged.
I can't really remember the source,
and I can't be bothered finding my notes from 2007.
But, what it essentially says is that everyone
puts on a persona,
and stages themselves in front of a camera.
Even documentaries,
people are now are not truly themselves.
Because they behave slightly differently
when they know that they are being filmed.
Right. I had to change location
because I was attacked by a swarm of flies.
Just out of the blue. Felt like hundreds of flies around me.
Okay. So why do we do this.
One. Because of the fear of criticism.
The more we are aware of our audience and
worried about their opinion,
the more we will adjust the way we present ourselves.
But that can lead to us trying to be too many things
for too many people and reduce our personality
to the lowest common denominator.
The problem with that level of perfectionism is that
our idiosyncrasies are hidden behind
carefully crafted sentences, which this one just was.
But the imperfections is what our audience
connects with most.
I've seen the proof in some of my videos.
I get a lot more comments and reactions when I'm
open about my struggles and make fun of myself.
On the other hand, if my video is more neutral
and matter-of-fact, I don't get a lot of comments at all.
But I'm curious what makes you comment on a video?
Let me know below.
And number two, we know it's recorded.
When we are aware that what we say is being recorded
and potentially shared with other people,
we tend to change the way we speak and move.
It's basically like giving a presentation,
which is not a very authentic scenario to begin with.
People also say, you need to amplify your personality
on camera because of what the camera takes away
from your personality by default.
And it's true. Every time I record,
I'm speaking a little bit louder and
I'm trying to be a little bit more energetic.
And when I watch back the clips, then it,
it does seem to level out.
But you can over do it, which I did in the past.
So be careful with that.
People have told me that I come across natural on camera.
But in fact, in most of my videos,
every single word I say is scripted. Even my jokes.
If I don't script, then I tend to stumble a lot,
have to say the sentences over and over again,
and then editing becomes a nightmare.
And I get so frustrated because why is it so difficult
to talk about something you're passionate about on camera.
If I would speak to a friend, I wouldn't have any issue
talking about my favorite things for five minutes straight.
So, how can you be authentic in your YouTube videos?
And is it even possible to be truly yourself online?
The answer is - Probably not.
But you can try to be as authentic as possible
by keeping a few things in mind.
Here are three ways how to be more authentic in your videos.
Number one. Share your story.
Don't just show the end result. Show how you got there.
Share your experience with all the flaws and missteps,
and you know, be open about everything that went wrong.
Obviously only as much as you're comfortable with,
but being vulnerable can lead to
more genuine connections with your audience.
And it can also lead to internet trolls attacking you.
So just be warned.
Number Two. Don't polish your videos too much.
We all like to have nice production value and
nice looking videos, but don't turn your videos into an ad.
Don't rerecord every time you stumble in a sentence.
Leave in the little mistakes and maybe
even amplify them in your editing to introduce some humor.
All these little mistakes and errors is what makes you, you.
And that's what people want to see.
And confession.
I rerecorded this sentence
three times.
And number three. Be genuinely helpful and interested.
Take a genuine interest in the people watching your videos.
Connect with them in the comments,
have conversations via DMs,
be approachable and be excited about their stories
and how you can help them.
And most importantly, just don't be a dick,
who only cares about themselves.
Now, by no means,
am I an expert in any of the three things I've just said.
This is something I constantly tell myself,
so I can be more authentic in my videos.
But, as long as you are open about your experience and
share your journey, you will find the people
who are interested in what you have to say.
Now, every time I come here to the office to film something,
there's something going on outside that ruins my sound.
Let's have a look.
Okay. There's some sort of market going on
and a band playing,
which I'm hoping didn't get picked up
throughout the whole recording just then.
Looks like fun though.
The truth is, most of us will never be
completely authentic on camera.
And that is okay.
All we can do is try to be as truthful as you can be.
You know, people might enjoy
seeing someone's highlight reel.
But they need to be, they need to see flaws
and vulnerability to truly connect to people.
That is what makes us human and ultimately authentic.
Thanks so much for watching. I hope you enjoyed this.
If you made it this far,
I'd love for you to give this video a like,
and subscribe to my channel.
And maybe, as a little insider thing,
comment your favorite German word
or food in the comments below.
And check out the video up here,
because I think you might like it.
And I'll see you in the next one. Take care.
I like it.
Okay.
Ooh, talking video.
Authenticity
Okay. Now hang on.
Hang on.
We're not there yet.