Does the thought of appearing on camera make you want to do this 👆👆...

While appearing on camera is a really powerful tool to help your audience identify, connect and build trust with you, it can be scary. For some it's so scary they shake, sweat, or just head for the hills.

Even I hated being on camera when I started out, and whenever I had to be the centre of attention, or knew I was in a position that I could be criticized my defence mechanism was to burst into tears - a bit like this..

So until you work up to it, here are three videos you can create without appearing on camera.

PHOTO SLIDESHOW

A photo slideshow is a quick and easy way to create a video on almost any topic!

All you need are some images, either your own or stock, put them to a bit of music and either include text and/or a voiceover. Like what you see above (which was entirely created on my phone).

Some great royalty-free picture sites are PixaBay and Pexels.

EVENT RECAP

Give people a sense of what they missed out on during an event you held. Get some behind the scenes footage, grab a few interviews with people and piece it all together.

This can also be used to promote your next event.

The example above is one I created for the Speaking With Purpose conference here in Wellington, New Zealand. Filmed and edited entirely on my phone.

VIDEO STORY

Tell a story to showcase your product or service. Now this type of video does take a lot more planning and production, but these videos are some of the most effective when it comes to reaching your audience. Why? Because they tap into people emotions - and that's how people relate to the world, and how they buy products and services!

You can call on a friend or colleague who's good on camera to star in it, or go to your local acting club and find a trained actor. You can also put a posting on such sites like StarNow.

The ad above is a heartwarming story of a young man's acts of kindness on the community around him, created by an insurance company. Not something you typically think of when you think 'insurance' but it aligns the company with the message 'the power of doing good'.

To learn how to film professional videos using just your phone check out one of the following guides:

iPhone - 10 Steps to Creating Professional VideosAndroid - 10 Steps to Creating Professional Videos