Welcome back. I'm James Roberts and this is behind the madness where we talk about business growth, ways to work smarter, and the fundamentals of business, all geared to unlocking your brand's peak performance. So let's dive into this episode where Jamie, our social media guru is joined by Claire Stenson.
Claire is not only a close family friend, but an entrepreneur and trying to help women learn how to create their own economy to be free from the system by using social media as her main platform. So today Jamie and Claire, talk about short form video.
Welcome Claire and thanks for joining us today. It's going to be really good to chat about short form video. Do you want to give a bit of background about who you are and obviously talk about your experience.
Yeah, so thank you for having me on today. yeah I'm Claire. I'm a working mom and entrepreneur in the making. And I joined Instagram really to use it to promote my business show what I'm doing to kind of help other people see the value in what I'm kind of passionate about. So, I think I started and reels were there, so everyone was talking about reels, the reels is the new thing This is what you've got to do is if you want to build a business.
And, yeah, I just thought, well, that's not going to change anytime soon so I'm just going to have to kind of jump on board and start making a reel.
And obviously short form content or short form video for anyone who is listening really exploded with TikTok and then Instagram kind of saw this and went, wait a minute we need a piece of this pie.
Yeah. Yeah
How did you find this revolution of making video, like people had been taking photos for so long. And then now there's so much pressure on making reals. How, how did you find that?
If I'm honest it was a big adaption for me because I wasn't somebody who used social media that much, I didn't really like to post a lot of things. I'm quite a private person, I'd like to say. You know, the odd photo might go out. Then having to learn to kind of expose yourself to, yeah, the world really, yeah was quite a shift for me and I'm still working on that with the boundaries of what you want to share and what you don't want to share.
How'd you find that, that's quite an interesting point because a lot of people, feel like obviously social media we forget is a highlight of people's lives. But then people don't always set those boundaries. How do you find that obviously, as you said, being a mum, being entrepreneur obviously having all these different aspects of your life, how do you find setting boundaries of what share and what not share?
I think it's important for me and I think it's important for other people to have limits with what you share. I think it's important to share a bit of yourself because that's what helps your audience engage with you. You know, I don't like to say too much, like I'm the mumpreneur.
I do like that term, but then I'm also like, I also want to be known as me and somebody who's trying to be successful in my own right rather than, you know, the mom who does this so, but I also want to engage with other moms to show them that they can do what I'm doing. So it's hard to get that balance, you know, with your personal life and your business life I suppose. But yeah, I think what you want to expose is really down to you.
I think you should share a little bit, cause you want to engage with your audience. But also, I think you need to keep some things personal and private for your own I suppose mental health, really yeah because You don't want to like I said, expose yourself too much.
Like the world is quite literally watching
Yeah So sometimes when you take a step back, you think actually you know, I've connected with people all over the world and certainly that is like amazing. But then other parts is, whoa, that's a bit quite scary in some ways. So that's why like I said, you want to you kind of want to set your own boundaries?
Add a filter almost
Yeah of what you want to share and when we say add a filter I think that's good because you want, you don't want to expose yourself too much. I think there's that fine line between some people say oh they're fake, they only share the good stuff. But I hope that I come across the, I don't do that you know there's a lot of my content that you know, I'm really made-up and that's kind of, that's a part of me. But then there's other reels especially at the moment.
I'm doing like, you know, I've got no makeup on and I'm just being a mom, I'm just showing how I fit what I do into my daily life. So I try and be like quite balanced in that way and I don't always think that people just share the good stuff. I think that sometimes the personal stuff is okay to hold back because you know, that's you setting your boundaries.
Yeah and I think, I think that's something that obviously helping yourself being successful with it is, that authenticity and kind of you can be authentic in areas, but then keep other areas back. Like I I've seen people or follow people who like Gary Vaynerchuks a very, very good example of his very, very authentic, but then he shares almost nothing if anything of his family. And that is his boundary, but it doesn't mean he's unauthentic in the areas that he does share on.
So I think that's a really good thing. So going back to the short form video, how important is that authenticity like with reels, with TikToks, with stories, people forget about the stories a lot in short form video. So how important is that?
Again, I think it's about being real, pardon the pun there, but um yeah, you've got to be that balance. I think a lot of people now you know people do actually really like watching other people's lives, which in some way is you know, good to connect with people, but you've got to kind of pick your side or do you want to be a consumer or a producer. So how much of other people's lives do you want to take in.
But again, I think it helps you engage with your audience and connect with people really.
That's a really good point. I want to pick up on that, is how important is that consumer versus kind of a creator? In terms of almost every creator is also a consumer. Yeah, but not every consumer is a creator. How important as a creator, like yourself, do you think consuming the right stuff on reels and kind of seeing what's trending what audios are out there.
Yeah, I've limited a lot of my what I follow, who I follow,
is that to help shape your stuff?
Ah, No, it was more for me because I don't want to be exposed to stuff that I'm not really interested in. And that's going to distract me from doing what I want to do, you know I was thinking of the story my husband is a painter and decorator, so he would see a lot of people day in and day out and he said to me once he's in a customer's home and three hours she spent looking at TikTok videos and reels, he said, I am not kidding you three hours and I thought, whoa, that is a lot of time.
Yeah.
That's a real big chunk of somebody's day. Yeah. I just thought. What have you learned from those three hours?
This is something different than it's a bit of a tangent of what I saw were kind of no I love no I love it because I think so many of the listeners, but also just people out in the world can relate to that. You you jump on TikTok or Instagram reels for, oh, do you know what, I'll chill out from work for five minutes and then you go wait, where's an hour gone?
Yeah, yeah, definitely. So I think you've got to limit what you see.
Yeah, how would you recommend doing that? Because we've all been in there where we can't stop the scroll.
Yeah, I know what you mean, and I've been in that. I do think my scrolling with reels especially is to find you know, what's trending what's So yeah, it's purpose driven when I'm having a scroll through, where the reels and the videos
And how many times do you get lost and think where's that three hours gone.
I definitely, no, honestly, never. I'm very, I'm very strict. I'm very strict. I'm not saying I haven't done that before, but I've got a schedule to where I you know, do different things, but part of that schedule like on the weekend more so is scrolling and looking at content. and what I want to plan for the next week or the next month ahead and I think, you know, I do encourage other people to limit what you see.
You know, is it bringing value to your life looking at that silly video with the dog doing and whatever, you know, like, you know yeah that's it. You know, so just you know, unfollow the people that aren't putting out content that's actually bringing value to your life
Intentional yeah that's great, great that's great advice
I did unfollow a lot of people that I was just finding, I was just you know,
So if you're listening and Claire's unfollowed you recently then she's okay
Yeah, but um I think that that's, that's how, I, So I don't get distracted you know, and I've deleted other apps on my phone. So again, so you don't get distracted and looking at
okay
stuff that
So with obviously putting the emphasis on being a creator and consuming intentionally, what would you say is in your creator toolbox to creating short form video like TikTok like reels, like, is it just in the app like, what do you use to create yours?
I really just use in the app in terms of like planning and things like that. Plan content days for for filming you know, I'm a mom, I work part time I'm also building and a business, building a community and I have to schedule in that time. So I schedule in my time to look at videos, what I want to recreate you know,
Like your inspiration section
Yeah then I'll have some time to plan what reels I want to film then I'll have some time actually doing those reels, but yeah, I haven't personally moved to other apps I'd like to um at the moment, I'm just trying to concentrate on like that original sound. You know, by talking that's a new thing you know that Instagram is promoting original content like that. So, You know, that's a different shift because I'm having to do things. daily, which I don't normally do.
So, yeah, again, anybody starting or looking at it just do one thing at a time don't try and take on too much. So, yeah, like I said, just start on working on the small area first of you know, doing one reel a week, for example and then like build it up. Cause I get people say I will need to be doing reels, I want to do that and I'm like, that's amazing like definitely I encourage everyone to be doing it.
We've heard that a few times over the last two years yeah.
But you need to you know, don't be posting trying to do seven one every day. Even I'm not, I'm not at that stage at all. You know, but I just started by doing one a week, that was my goal one A week and then yeah, then when you can do that consistently go to two a week. So yeah, it's just all about scheduling and planning.
Because one of the biggest fears though I'm sure you've heard from those people as well that we've heard I think we've all heard on the internet is oh, but I'm not comfortable on camera, or I don't want to show my face, or how how can I do reels when I don't have a professional video camera. If someone doesn't want to show their face, one, what would your advice be in terms of maybe building up to that and two, can they still succeed if they're not showing up with their face?
Yeah I would, I think yes, I think you don't have to. It depends what your niche is, who your audience is, what do you buy into, do you like those reels where people don't show their face, you know it depends on what your niche is. You know, if you're, I dunno, just looking outside at in the garden now, like, you know, if you're into gardening, do you need to necessarily see your face or whatever, you know, but it's dependent on your niche and your audience who you want to engage with.
Yeah I that's I think that's really a good point.
But I think it's good to mix it up personally again, like I'm doing different things as well. So I think that's important.
I do think that's, that's a really good point kind of using the gardening example is if someone's coming to your channel for gardening advice, then okay yeah, one week having your three favorite tips maybe you're really nice and you talking about them, but Then next week kind of walking around in the garden, and showing them what type of flowers or the soil or stuff like that they don't need see you face maybe a voice and that could be a nice lead in to
Yeah yeah to be fair, I think the voice thing was the now that's the new thing
A nd look you now now you're on a podcast
I know, it is getting used to the sound of your own voice and it's getting used to seeing your face as well I think you touched on the point, you know what would you say to someone who's feeling worried, fearful doesn't want to do this and I had all of those feelings. You know, at the start and when I look back on the reels was I did when I first started you know, it's cringing.
But also do you feel proud?
Yeah but I start somewhere. So I look back and I think I remember sitting in my lounge I did it doing it thinking, oh, this is a bit weird and remember putting it out there and I remember getting the you know.
Pressing that dreaded share button
Yeah and then you just have to forget it and you know, I did get those comments of what I thought people would say, or what are you doing and that was funny, or like, you know, and you know, that kind of taking the mick a bit.
Did you ever have anyone Kind of like troll or any negative comments
Uh not like troll, I'm not that much of a big account but um yeah definitely from friends and family that uncomfortableness.
How did you deal with that because that's what everyone's worry is.
Yeah completely brushed off like I'm at the point now I do not care um and I think you've got to get to that point. Otherwise, why would I keep doing what I'm doing if you were so worried about other people think. You know, at the end of the day your buying stuff from people on the internet who are doing reels or videos who've been on Love Island or whatever. Do you know what I mean it's, very, yeah, it's very, it's through media. It's through social media.
Like we're in this world of Social Sally and Uh doing that all the time and you're probably not even realizing it. So what's the difference between me doing it.
I mean it's not changed like, as in, from newspaper days, it's just different medium.
Yeah exactly. So you have to be strong, I brush it off. I don't mind if you want to laugh at me that's fine.
Yeah, you're doing you.
I'm doing me yeah. And it's it's, you know, You connect with the people who you want to connect with my content isn't for people that I know necessarily. Do you know what I mean like.
You have your community.
Yeah. I have my community. and those people that I have connected with because of what I'm doing. Those are the people that I want to work with, or those are the people that I want to engage with. So. yeah. That's why I think Just go just go with it.
That's it I'll have to say that's a great message for anyone who is worried about kind of showing up because the internet can be a nasty place, but focusing, as you said on the purpose of why you're there is a it brings. Um alright just to wrap up, someone starting out reels and they want to start today what would be your five tips that you would just say. Go for it.
Plan what you want to do. Look at what you want to achieve from doing that reel so who do you want to engage with. What's your message, in general or in that reel.
So connecting it back to the brand.
Yeah.
Yeah okay cool.
And find some quiet time, quiet spot, an environment that you going to feel confident in because even if you're by yourself doing it, you need to feel confident when you're doing it. And number five, just, just go for it. Just do it. Yeah. Just get over the yeah Just get over the first, the first hurdle was doing the first one. Once you've done one you can do two, once you've done two, you can do three. So you're learning yeah, get through the first one, you'll you'll feel so much better after.
Brilliant. That's some really, really good advice and thank you so much for jumping on and being a guest.
A pleasure it's been fun
Yeah So make sure you're checking out Claire on a social media, she is in various places which James well uh do in the outro. Just here's a reminder for you later um and thank you very much
Thank you
There, you have it another great podcast, mainly because I wasn't in it. But as we've always said, if you want to get involved with the podcast, give me a shout. You can see that we're talking about Instagram. You can find us on Instagram, we are hello_method.
And if you want to learn more about Claire and what she has to offer, then jump onto her Instagram, it's Claire, with all of the letters as I always say, c l a i r e Stenson, s t e n s o n underscore CS, and that's over on Instagram as well. We'll drop all of this in the show notes. As we say at the end of all of these, our madness never stops here at Method. So we'll be back soon with the next chat. But to have your say, let us know, let us know what you want to hear.
That's why we're producing the podcast to be helpful for you guys. We've got some more amazing guests. We've got some great topics that are coming up. But again, feed back to us, let us know what you want to hear. Thanks for listening.