I could probably sell t-shirts with the catchphrase, “Not everything has to be a video.”
Judging by the popularity of my LinkedIn post with that headline, a lot of you are relieved to hear me say “other formats still work.” And they do. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth getting good at video. In fact, it’s essential.
Like I said in my last newsletter, real footage of real humans is now ground zero in the work of building trust online.
It may seem out of reach for small teams without a budget for on–camera talent or hi-fi production. But you don’t need those things. And you don’t need sexy topics or flashy products, either. My B2B health tech client went from “no way we can pull that off” to videos now being among their highest-performing posts (and without my ongoing help!).
All you really need is strategy, standards, and the know-how to work with warm-hearted staffers who are willing to give it a try.
So that’s what you’re getting in this 3-part series to help you produce TikToks and Reels that resonate, sustainably — starting today with solving the talent shortage.
We’ll cover:
Who should (and shouldn't) be your “talking heads”
How to enlist reluctant team members
How to coach people to get comfortable on camera
Workarounds for when footage still feels stiff
Let’s roll tape.
Spotting talent on your team
This is where so many orgs stop short.
Nobody on staff has experience on-camera. Executives lack both the time and the interest. Hiring a part-time influencer is out of the question.
That’s all fine. You don’t need the next Diane Sawyer for social media.
Your on-camera subjects should not necessarily be:
𝙓 The person with the most expertise or seniority
𝙓 Someone you’d expect to be the “face” of the org
𝙓 Extroverted, “influencer-y” media-trained, or polished speakers
Above all, they should be people who light up when talking about your mission.
Volunteers who get emotional. Beneficiaries willing to share. Experts on staff. Anyone who belongs to your org or cause and is warm enough that people feel comfortable in their presence.
For example: A staff Engineer at Cisco. Champions of the cause for NDSS. Unnamed staffers at Amnesty International, Notion, Salesforce, and Understood. A Film Specialist at the NY Public Library. A patron at the Milwaukee Public Library. Interns at WFMU.
Some of these feature “recurring cast members.” And that’s key. To produce consistent, quality content, you’ll want to enlist one or two team members to become your regulars.
Look for people who can:
✔️ Communicate clearly in terms anyone can understand
✔️ Be open to feedback and willing to practice
✔️ Align with your brand voice, and have a positive relationship with the org
✔️ Show up with a good attitude, even if they’re a little unsure at first
✔️ Have time to commit (~4–5 hours a month) without totally burning out
Wait — do they need to be subject matter experts?
For educational videos, casting an expert can make the most sense. But not every expert is good at explaining things to people like they’re 5 years old (which is usually what you need). In that case, you can either coach them to develop the skill, or collaborate with them behind-the-scenes while someone else learns enough to share with your audience. You might even do a bit of both! It all depends on your strategy, which we’ll cover in part two of this series.
How to turn reluctant team members into cast members
If no one is raising their hand to be on camera, that’s normal and understandable, but not insurmountable.
It helps to approach your potential candidates the right way:
Lead with genuine compliments about why they’re a fit. Before they object with, “People won’t care what I have to say,” share an example of something they said that made you see your topic in a new light.
Show them what you have in mind. A few example videos can transform a vague request into something tangible. Just don’t pick anything too polished that might intimidate.
Make it low-pressure and low-lift. Let them know your team will handle the planning, prep, and editing. And frame it as a trial run: if it doesn't work out, no big deal.
Setting your cast members up for success
First-timers often think the hard part will be knowing where to look, what to say, what to do with their hands. It’s not. The hard part is breaking through hang-ups like self-consciousness and perfectionism.
It gets easier with practice, but it may never feel 100% natural, and that’s okay.
Give them this direction to make it as painless as possible:
Keep the camera rolling no matter the flubs. They don’t have to be perfect, they just have to get it out. Encourage them to film multiple takes without stopping the recording. Awkward pauses and rambling can all be edited — and it’s much easier to work with one long file than a dozen clips.
Start over from the beginning of the sentence. If they mess up, repeating the entire sentence over again will sound more natural in the edit than just repeating the last few words. But again, it’s also okay if there are some stumbles in the final cut — that’s human.
Speak to the talking points, don’t read or memorize. No matter how conversational, a word-for-word script will end up sounding robotic. Outlines and interview questions work best for encouraging natural-sounding lines in their own words. (When you need to give verbatim language for intros, transitions, and CTAs, provide multiple versions so people can riff and land on the most authentic phrasing.)
If they’ll be filming themselves independently, give them a tip sheet.
Include all of the points above, and cover the tech basics too: phone camera settings for high-resolution footage, tripod placement, mic setup, and how to transfer full-res files to their computer.
Be prepared to handhold, and have them do “tech rehearsal” takes so you can give feedback before their first real shoot.
→ STAY TUNED: I’ll cover tech specs in more detail in part two of this series!
If you’re still struggling to find or work with on-camera subjects…
You’ve got options:
Option 1: Adjust the privacy level
Some people feel less self-conscious without an audience and find it easier to do on their own time, whenever they can squeeze it in. Others feel more awkward without someone in the room coaching them through it. Switch things up if either way isn’t working.
Option 2: Try an interview style
Answering questions can be more comfortable than performing a monologue to a camera. If footage is coming back stiff, try sitting off-camera and asking warm, specific questions. While your subject should look at the lens when responding, this creates the feeling of talking to a real person.
Option 3: Record them over Zoom
Incredibly underrated: people are used to being on Zoom now, it feels low-stakes, and with good light and a headphone mic, the quality is decent. You can even screen-share questions! The only downside is losing control over framing and environment, but for many small teams, that’s a worthy tradeoff.
Option 4: Create with B-roll
Footage of people in action with text overlays or voiceover can be just as engaging as talking heads. Show people in action, hands building something, faces listening, environments transforming. (For example: videos from the North Texas Food Bank and We Don’t Waste.)
→ Keep searching for and developing on-camera talent, but don’t let it stop you from producing video in the meantime.
How to make the effort worth it for everyone
So now you know how to fix any talent shortage that’s been holding you back.
But before you plan or film a single piece of content, you need to start with your strategy. “Post more Reels” is not a strategy. And too many orgs get discouraged when they follow every TikTok guru’s advice to “just post!” — only to find it does nothing for their goals.
In part two of this series, we’ll cover the first three steps to setting up sustainable video production with a small team:
Strategy, tech, and workflow.
Until then,
