#296 How to Get Over Your Fear of Video and Make Better Videos with Patrice Poltzer

8:54AM Apr 3, 2021

Speakers:

Tracy Matthews

Patrice Poltzer

Keywords:

people

clubhouse

instagram

video

reels

brands

solopreneurs

talking

patrice

person

content

business

big

literally

shoot

tip

camera

day

strategy

background

It's exciting because for the first time ever in this video landscape, everything is democratized like back in the day when I was at the Today Show, you didn't know how to operate a camera and you didn't know how to have access to expensive editing equipment, you couldn't do video or you had to pay a buttload of money to hire.

Welcome to Thrive by Design, the podcast for ambitious independent jewelry brands, looking to profit from their products, get ready to make more and sell more doing what you love, without spending every single waking minute doing it. Hey, and if you are a creative fashion or product based business, I want to welcome you to the show. I'll be dropping big tips on launching growing and scaling your business so you can spend more of your precious time using your creativity to make money. You ready? All right, let's do this.

Welcome to the Thrive by Design podcast episode 296. Hey there, it's Tracy Matthews, Chief Visionary Officer of Flourish and Thrive Academy and I'm excited for today's episode. If you've ever struggled with shooting video for your business, or your you lack that confidence to put yourself out there or you don't know how to share stories or be a storyteller on video. Well, you're in luck today because we're talking about having more confidence and getting out there with video with Patrice Poltzer.

Now I'm excited for this episode today bcause number one, it's awesome. It's pretty long. So I'm going to keep the intro and outro fairly short. But I originally met Patrice on Clubhouse because my girl, Sabina Hichen prosper success was hosting a Clubhouse room about getting on TV, and Patrice as a former producer for the Today's show, and Bloomberg.com time.com and CNN, which is awesome.

So she's got some experience and I was in in a Clubhouse room, chatting with her about getting on TV and I knew that we were going to do something together. So I DM her. And here we are chatting about video, and getting out there. So Patrice now has her own video creative company where she teaches people how to use video to get more exposure and tell stories through their brands. So you definitely want to check it out. And we'll give you more information about that later.

So we're gonna dive in in just a second. But before I do, one of the ways that you can actually get so much value and start reaching these, like amazing people like Patrice and so many other people is to actually get on this app called Clubhouse. Now at the time that I am recording this audio, Clubhouse is only for iOS. So if you have an iPad or an iPhone, you can jump on this new social media app. It is taking the world by storm because you're getting access to asking questions from some top influencers and people that you would never have access to.

I mean, I was in a room running it and Will I am of Black Eyed Peas popped in you there's other rooms were like Daymond John showing up. So it's pretty cool because it's an opportunity for you to just like with no gate just like chat with these people and ask them questions. So it's pretty amazing. So if you aren't on Clubhouse yet, definitely get on if you have an iPhone or an iPad, I'm sure it will be coming for Android and other types of phones later. And if you want to follow me and Patrice you can find us there my Clubhouse handle is @TracyMatthews. And I believe that Patrice is @PatricePoltzer, So go check it out. The cool thing about following people on Clubhouse is that the more people you follow, it's different than other social apps. It unlocks better rooms for you so you can see all the rooms and the people that are collaborating in those rooms together. So definitely make it happen and do it because it's an amazing one. So let's dive in to this episode with Patrice Poltzer.

I am so excited to have my new friend Patrice Poltzer on the show today Patrice, welcome,

Welcome. I'm so pumped to be here.

Okay, this well, so you're a video expert, and we're going to talk about this but we just found out something super funny. Right before we hit record is that we are both born on May 21.

We are Geminis. So, God help all the people around us.

We're birthday twins, which is the best thing to be we're super excited. So I am so excited to have you here. I actually met you on Clubhouse. My friend Sabina Hitchen was hosting a PR room, you were up on stage talking about video, I asked a question about how like suggestions on how to promote some stuff that we were doing over here with our BIPOC scholarship. And I'm like, I need to interview for the podcast. You dropped so much value on Clubhouse that I just need to have you here.

Yeah, I love how you're using the Clubhouse lingo? Should we reset the room?

Pull to refresh please, and you're gonna see it, raise your hand ask a question.

60 seconds or less and then say you're done speaking, okay.

So if you're not on clubhouse, you probably don't get these inside jokes and you should definitely join at the time that we're recording this video. In this audio actually for the podcast and for YouTube. A clubhouse is only on iPhone. So if you don't have an iPhone or an iPad, you won't be able to join us until they open up the app to the in the Google Play Store. However, down the road you'll be able to join in if you're if you want to get on the waitlist or DM me for an invite have a bunch of extra invites. And Clubhouse is amazing. We're doing weekly rooms on clubhouse for jewelry designers on Mondays, and many other rooms that I participate in. So it's super fun. So Patrice, your video expert might be tell us a little bit about your background.

Well, I will do Cliff Notes. So briefly, I come from old school journalism. So I was on Today's Show for seven years as a producer, and a digital creator. So I was working with a lot of the talent at the show. And then I was also in the field shooting video editing video and repurposing it for the digital platforms at NBC and Today's Show. And prior to that, I did some stints at CNN, I was at Bloomberg TV as the overnight Asian market producer, which was I should not have had that job.

That is a poorly different story. I'm like I don't my first day at work, I was literally googling what is a bar and I'm like, this is awful. But anyway, so that was kind of like my first job into New York and I you have to start somewhere. So move my way up. And then at the end of 2016, I ended up going to a start up it was like quote unquote, my dream job. But my boss, it's a show gave me a blessing. He's like, get out of here, people die Today's Show I mean, it's a great job, it's great place to be. But you know, you get in that comfort cozy bubble, right where you kind of think like, you can't do anything else. And I just don't really leave. And so my boss is like, get out now or you're going to be here for the next like 30 years.

So I ended up leaving the show and I was at the startup in the startup was not it's probably very typical of a lot of stories where you think it's like a dream. And it was just an awful, awful place to be. So I kind of found myself a couple months later, jobless. I had the health insurance at the time, I just had a newborn and I had a toddler and my husband had left his corporate job to go start something on his own. And I was like the person. So I was meant to really very nerve wracking place in New York City, not a cheap place to be. And I kind of had these two issues at the time, at the end of 2016.

My boss was like, well, you can come back to the show. And I'm like, oh, that just feels so lame. To start a job didn't work. And so I decided, you know what, I'm going to, I'm going to just make a video, I had no plan. But I'm like, you know what, when I was at the Today's Show I worked with so many companies and brands and small businesses that would be on the show. And most of the time people don't have on TV or on camera experience. So I was working a lot with these founders or these marketing people. And they didn't often know what the best elements of their story was.

So I'm like, you know what businesses need help telling stories better on video. So I'm going to do that. So that's what I did. And I'm four years later, I'm still here. So I work with brands, big and small. And I have a team of journalists and we create video for these companies, campaigns, social media, founder video ads, investor pitches, you name it. And then I also and then I'll stop. But the other side of my business is not everyone can afford to outsource video production. It's expensive. Yeah. And so I started kind of wearing on me because I have all these like solopreneurs and young, not young age, but like young founders, starting their companies and being like, I need your help, and I couldn't help them cuz I'm like, I can't make the margins work. And I'd be paying for your video.

So I'm like, you know what, there needs to be something more for these people. So I started developing courses and digital programs last year. That is, especially for solopreneurs small business owners that can't afford to outsource production, but you need video in your marketing strategy. So now I help them through my courses, which is super fulfilling. So that is that's what I do.

We'll talk about those later, too, which is amazing. So I love that. Okay, so you mentioned that you work with big brands, you're working with all types of people, what are some of the strategies that people can pull from big brands or ideas that they can use in their video strategy?

Well, this is kind of interesting, and I think will be like a comfort to a lot of small brands and solopreneurs is that actually the big brands look to the influencers a lot to see what they're doing in the social spaces. Yes, because quite often, the only difference between a big brand and let's say, a solo person who has a rocking loyal community of avid rabid fans on social media is just budget. Big brands can have a marketing team, right and small brands, they often don't they're more on the ground. They're often the ones that are in the weeds. Talking directly to their customer where the bigger you get as a brand, the more removed you actually get away from your consumer.

So when I'm working with bigger brands, they're often asking me like, what is what's happening in the Instagram influencer world, what's happening like on the ground because they want to be able to take a lot of those practices. And so and so I guess, to answer your question more, you know, the big brands are trying to figure out what works for them in the same way that a solopreneur is trying to figure out what works for them on video, they often don't know, they just have the money to experiment a little bit more and to try different types of content and see what sticks. Whereas a solopreneur, and a small business, they don't have the luxury of like spending those dollars. \

You know, what's really interesting is that I'm always like, when, especially when we talk about email marketing, and other things like that, and like, take a look at what these big brands are doing and see what works on you, and then mirror that for yourself. Because a lot of times, people overthink who their ideal customers are, and a lot of times they're just a lot. They're very similar types of people to who we are. I say to the jewelry designer, sometimes they sometimes they might have like bigger pockets or something because you definitely want to be working with people with money. But at the end of the day, their responses are probably going to be similar to you because they resonate with your brand. It'll be similar.

Yeah, no, absolutely. You know what the interesting thing is to you just trigger something is I'm working with a client now and we did all this high end content for them. And then we also did like rough and dirty content, where we literally just asked some of their users to send in footage from their phones, and then we just put their branding on it, you know, to make it look a bit more elevated. That stuff is outperforming the beautiful DSLR multi cam drone footage that we shot and it's there now using the wrong dirty footage, the other ads and not the high expensive footage.

So it's really you know, that is not always the case like there are there are specific I can i can quote, quote a different example where the opposite has been true. But it's exciting because for the first time ever, in this video landscape, everything is democratized like back in the day when I was at the Today Show, if you didn't know how to operate a camera, if you didn't know how to have access to expensive editing equipment, if you didn't know, like, if you weren't skilled videographer person then you couldn't do video or you had to pay a buttload of money to hire someone. Now it's like, I mean, my my seven year old, like knows how to edit video on my phone. Like he's doing this at seven. So it's just unbelievable the amount of power and empower it that all these small business owners now have in their hand that they can make content that outperforms these brands like Lululemon and Amazon. It's really it's really amazing.

It's so true, though, you know, it's funny, because in our strategy, we stopped doing like highly polished videos. I mean, at the beginning of COVID you can even really be in the same room with someone so like a video editor couldn't even come or video photographer videographer couldn't come and like shoot our videos. So I'm doing my boyfriend was setting up his camera. I like certain things you want to look good for programs and stuff like that. All of our ads are like me holding the camera like this. He's like holding the camera like this, like taking a picture you are you taking a picture or video?

Yeah.

Yeah, I'm just to, you know, get something up because it's something. Something was better than nothing, especially this last year. And I think people appreciate that. I mean, you're filming in a remote place. It's not even your normal environment. You told me before that you're like in LA right now and you're usually in New York City. So

yeah, yeah. I mean, in you know, what, in the business, my business personally has changed so much. Because a year ago, I mean, all of my, which is why pivoted I mean, it was right part of the reason because all of my shoots came to a grinding halt. You know, we couldn't shoot and that's really scary. Like, I don't get paid, I can't pay my team and unless I'm, you know, constantly doing these video shoots and most in all the shoots that we were doing, you know, you're doing strategy within you're executing on that strategy for these clients. And so last year was such a huge year for me because I'm like, this isn't gonna work. And then I was like, you know what, I'm actually tired of turning away other people anyway, that can't afford me. Like, that's ridiculous. They actually need need my help more than some of these brands. So it's, it is exciting and that just is long as and we can probably get into this but you know, video production is actually quite simple, but people tend to overcomplicate this system, but it really just boils down to, you know, consistency and, and having a really strong message and understanding your client. So it's like marketing basics at the end of the day.

Yeah. And I love video in general, just it's like one of, you probably don't believe me looking at my personal Instagram, but you know what?

I mean? Like so embarrassed. I'm a video person. I'm like, I just moved this plant. Like, I gotta get a plant backyard. You know, my sister's redoing her place. So she's waiting with those like, you know, she's getting art, which is not there yet. I'm like, Oh, my God. Tracy's background looks so beautiful.

You know, it's good. We just, we have to do what we can in this house. You know, this, this home doesn't have great acoustics for video, because it's echoes a lot. So we can't you know, you just got to do what you can at this day and age. Yeah, want to get back like on to strategy, like, What is it? What would you recommend? Like what's a good long term strategy for brands, that for an ecommerce brand who's trying to like, shoot more video and use that as part of their strategy? I mean, especially now that Instagram came out and said that Reels is going to be super important Reels and IGTV are going to be the preferred method.

Yeah, we're seeing a big resurgence and IGTV. So I usually be has been out for a long time, like I GTV is not new, but for some reason, it just never really picked up the steam that Instagram thought it would. But because of Clubhouse and no Instagram is highly benefiting from Clubhouse because really, the only way to continue these conversations offline is really through Instagram. I mean, you can do it Twitter, but for the most part, it's been Instagram. And so it's what's happening is now all these conversations on Clubhouse are now being circulated and micro a more of a micro level on Instagram, and they're going to Instagram lives, and Instagram Live digitally some new feature about two weeks ago, where you now can essentially have a roundhouse discussion.

In an Instagram Live, you can have three or four people in one live. So if you're hosting a show, you can before you could only do one. So it's you know, so Instagram lives are actually kind of coming, they're having a resurgence, and that a lot more people are using them, and they're getting more engagement. And then Reel has just been I mean, since Reels came out, it has just been the preferred way that Instagram wants you to use their platform. And so yes, Instagram Reels, Instagram Reels is if you want it, if you're looking to grow your account, especially as an ecommerce person, or you're a product person, the more focus that you can put your energy, like stop posting static posts, and take that time that you're devoting to the content marketing for static posts and devote that to real spin, do it for a month and see where you land. And I'm willing to bet that that product person is going to see a surge in growth if they just shifted some of their energy and their time into making Reels as opposed to other marketing channels or other marketing platforms.

Okay, so and and by shooting Reels. You don't have to dance and point your finger around the screen, which is like, I feel so doing that. I'm like, I'm not 12

I know,

I felt so good because I was in a room. I was like one of the moderators in a room and on Clubhouse a couple of days ago and Sue Zimmerman who is like an Instagram

TV powerhouse, yeah,

I've known her for years. We like rent like, net, like started our businesses right around the same time. And she was saying like, Okay, guys, let's face it, if you're over 40 like do not dance in a video and point around the screen. I was like I was 50. So we're doing it a little bit. But I'm trying to find other ways to use Reels so what are some good ideas.

So you know, and, you know, there's this misnomer that if you're not pointing you're not dancing, you're not using like funny sound effects, then, you know, you can't be on those platforms, but actually, what we're seeing too is even in Tiktok, the content that is having now Tiktok is still by and large, like funny content, funny videos and a lot of that like humor. But the biggest area of growth on Tiktok is how to add educational content. I have a girl and this is kind of a little story that's that's relevant. Um, there is an Instagram account that I was following about two years ago and it was brilliant and I loved it was it was called smarter sack and it's basically like all this content was like, we want to make you the smartest person at the dinner party. Right? So I would follow this content is brilliant. And I didn't know who did it. There was no picture. There was no videos, there wasn't even like a bio of like,

Hi, I'm the person that runs this account. So one day I DM this person this person I'm like, your account is so good. I'm dying to know Are you a brand Are you a company Are you an individual like get Who are you? And she was this young girl that was has a day job and she just did this on the side. I'm like, you gotta get yourself on video. This is brilliant, and it's so different. And so she started like following my Instagram like i i dish out a lot of like video tips and stuff on my account and she told me that you know, after following my account for a while stick I got the courage started going on video she started going on Tiktok, which he started going on Tiktok as herself and teaching people about what she was teaching she now is, she's gone viral like a million times, she is one of their special content creators on Tiktok. And she has a side business a complete side, this is where she's looking to possibly leave her day job, because of video, and because of showing up on Instagram and Tiktok as herself, no dancing. She's not the dancy type. And she's young. She's like, 27, but she's like, I don't I don't do that stuff. That's not my style. So it's really amazing, like showing up right now, like who you are and your personality, whether you're, you know, extroverted, introverted, shy, you know, not shy, like that is what is attractive, because that you will then in tune attract the people that want to follow you.

That's such a good point. And I love what you said about that. And I think that people just get like, so intimidated, because they feel like they have to be like amazing dancers to do these like reels type videos, or no, like things where you feel stupid.

No, and you know what my biggest one of my biggest tip for people that are kind of nervous to kind of rip that video band aid is, if you're on Instagram, or take your Instagram, your LinkedIn or whatever your social platform is right? Pick out the top five posts in the last year that did really well whether it was comments, like shares, or just posts that you really liked writing, turn that into a Reel, like you've already done the work, right? Like, that's how I do most of my ReeI just go into the Instagram insights. And I look okay, the past six months, what had the most comments or the most shares, I usually like to do shares because to me, if someone's sharing it, it means like, Oh, well, that's resonating very powerfully. So I just turn all my highest shared Instagram posts that are static into Reels. And because you've already written most of the caption, you have a baseline script, you now just need to pull out the nuggets, and make it shorter. So it fits in that to that 15 to 30 seconds.

Yeah, but don't really think like that. That's I think people get so like, I don't know what to do. And I think no, you probably have already done the work. Or, you know, if you have a blog, like what blog, what are your top five blog posts? Great. Those are your Reels. And honestly, you can take the same real content, or like the same topic. And what's the saying, like you can play something a million different ways.

I mean, I talk a lot about camera confidence, I have like five Reels on camera confidence and kind of saying the same thing. But I'm taking like a different angle from it, or I'm taking like, it's like the same message. So that type of actually that type of stuff is good, because then you're hammering, you're aligning yourself like in a lane and you're nourishing the niches or in the ratios, right? Like you're you're being a lot more intentional and focused. And so people are going to start coming to your account then because they know they're going to learn about camera confidence. And that's what they want to learn.

So I think a good thing too, because this is kind of like a strategy to rip off the band aid. And you might have some more, which I'm going to ask you shortly, but like you can, for people who are designing or making a physical product like jewelry, you can literally just take even some images and use some of the editing tools on Reels to talk about the process or the details or some of the things that the types of pieces that you designed to create interest, right?

And that's the thing. I think a lot of times product businesses are like, well, first of all, number one, what I always say to product businesses is first of all what you said yes, especially and you're a little bit nervous to maybe show your face or you're a little bit nervous to kind of like you know, put yourself out there, start baby steps dip your toe in the pool, like, do exactly that, like people want to be taken.. People want to know where people work. People want to know what their office looks like now, like it's the same thing. I recently had a bunch of jewelry. Two of my most recent students I do I run masterminds a couple times a year for video storytelling, and I had a jewelry designer, and she has beautiful stuff and you go through her page and I'm like, how how do you make this into a leaf like this? How do you do that? And so I go just put your phone off and just it was like one of her best performing videos because, you know, people want to understand like how to do something and so now she's finally getting to the point where now she's showing her face but she needed to kind of like do that first. And they also the other thing about product videos is that just because you're a product doesn't mean you should not be showing up as well. You know, I mean, whatever like you know it's like you know, it's like human the human like people buy from humans and especially when it comes with like jewelry it's so it's such a personal purchase that like I don't have an example right now like I just had, I just had my third kid a couple months ago and you know, I'm so basic, but I'm like I want a letter necklace. I don't have a letter necklace for my children and I want a letter necklace.

There are a million options for letter necklaces. It's like I'm overwhelmed. So right now I'm literally like trying to figure out who, who I want to buy it from, because I have so many options. So it's not even like the necklace that like, look that's gonna make me decide. It's actually like, I'm deciding between a couple of girls that do it on Instagram now and I think I know because I like connect with her more than other people. But that's the person you know,

Exactly.You're probably gonna get a ton of message direct messages now on Instagram about letter necklaces.

I don't like I'm so paralyzed. Like, I just like not even a big decision.

Okay, you like 30 people today? I'll just like cut posted on my stories. Get the DM.

Oh, my God, I need letter necklace, God, but what do you just remind me I'm like, Oh, my God. And some of these jewelry makers don't put themselves on their pages. I'm like, not swipe. Like, I want to see the human, you know?

Exactly, exactly. That's so true. Which is like such a great thing to say. So we talked about ripping off the band aid now. And then you mentioned like coming out from behind the scenes showing your face. So how would you recommend or like, what are some concrete tips to build more camera confidence to just like, show up? And I don't know, just do it, I guess, hey,

So hold something in the video. I mean, I can give you like really basic ones. So I mean, there's kind of like, you know, high level camera tips. And then like little ones. So if we're talking like, Alright, if you're already on camera, and you know you're doing it, but you're still nervous. Some ways to get grounded is to hold something like even when I would be working with reporters at the Today Show, we're anchors quite often. And these are more for the new ones. But like, if they're going live, they're usually holding, you know, yes, or holding a notebook, because that's kind of what you associate with, but quite often, just the act of groundedness of having something physical in your hand. Because your hands can be really awkward. People don't know what to do with them. So they tend to like either be super awkward and not move them at all, which is awkward.

I do this a lot.

Yeah, you know, that's, that's okay, though. But like, where they move them too much when they're flailing? You know, I mean, a lot. A lot of times reporters were in these situations where it's like, you need to, like, be authoritative. So, holding something. So it could be like a mug, especially if you're a jewelry designer, you know, can even be like holding like a tool, if it makes sense. And you're going to talk about it. So holding something in your hand grounds you standing up, like, um, you know, whenever I teach my mastermind classes I have, I stand like all the time I can do it live because there is something about your energy. So if you're going to record a video stand, you automatically will, your voice will become more more confident. The other thing is the camera does everything. So the camera dulls, how you look, the camera dulls, how you sound and the camera dullsyour energy. So you might think you're at like a 10. I want I need you to go to a 12 because the 12 is actually going to be where you're at. So even, like, it's so funny.

Whenever I record videos at home, my poor family because it's like and I live in New York apartment, like, oh god, I'm like you're screaming. I'm like, that camera is telling me I am not screaming. But sure enough, like you watch the video, and I just looked mildly energetic, mildly. But if you were to see me record it, you would be like, What is? Who is this chick? She's crazy. So always go a little bit more on the volume level that you're even comfortable with. And I promise you that's gonna come across better in terms of more of like a bigger picture. Okay. Every single person that you see who is doing really well on video right now, they did not start that way. Yeah, every person who is good on video practices a lot. It's like everything. I mean, even I mean, if you turn on the tape, I don't mean to keep talking about the show, but it's just what I know.

Like, you know, when when Hoda and Kathie would go live and they did their little intro they were they practice that hello intro probably three times before they went live. And this is professionals that do this literally every day and are at the top of their craft. They still practice before they said Hello, good morning and welcome. They practice that. So I think people are like, oh, let's just get the camera and I'm just gonna freestyle. It's like no, like, that's not how professionals do it. The best people that you see, they're prepared. They plan they practice because when you feel prepared, that's why you're more confident is when you are like deer in headlights and you're winging it and you're just sort of like I need to do video, I need to do video, I need to do video. But you don't really have a nice plan. Like that's usually when the videos don't come out great.

And also like if you're like trying to use it in between meetings, and you're like, this happens to me all the time. And I'm like trying to memorize it. I'm like, oh my gosh. And then I do it like 30 times and I'm like swearing at myself behind the scenes and I'm like, well maybe if you just like read through it three times you would actually know what it was supposed to say instead of you trying to like memorize while you're doing it, Another tip to you is people forget, like you can splice separate sections together a little tip that I learned about, it's easier to just shoot it in one take if you know what you're talking about. But a little tip I knew I learned about if you wanted to do something more scripted, which might not be something that jewelry designers need to do is you can set your camera up in three different locations, learn the one section, and then you could just cut those three pieces together so that it looks like almost like a more like real matural editing.

You just hit such a great tip, movement. So one of the biggest things too is like okay, making a video is one thing, but making an interesting video and a video that people want to watch, that's a whole other thing.

So just doing the video, unfortunately isn't good enough, because you want if you're going to put in that time and effort into making video, make it watchable. So one of really quick, easy tip is just what you said, is even if you're in the same room, you know, and I know this is not a video podcast, but I'm going to do the most I mean, it's like you know, just switch switch your background, you know, you go here out here can say the three different lines. And all of a sudden, it seems like you're in different places, people that it's a feedback loop in your brain.

So when you're changing locations, or you're walking, instinctively, people are like what happens next. So even, even in my Reels, they're 15 seconds, I'm often in four or five different places in the span of 15 seconds, places in my New York apartment is like, I'm taking two steps to the left. And I take down step, right, but it's like a whole new world. And that little trick alone will keep in people's engagement a little bit higher, a little bit longer.

You know, it's really interesting in my former apartment in New York, my old apartment, and I'm going to be setting up a similar type of apartment here in Arizona, like literally for the sole purpose of working and shooting videos because like we create so much content for Flourish and Thrive. But like, one of the tricks we did is like I had a TV that didn't look like a TV it had it was like one of those frames had a zebra on it. So I could that could be a background, I had a wall with like gems on it. That could be the background, I had my regular background which had like more of a thing like this. Then I had the painting that I design as another background. So there's like five different ways that I could literally turn that weren't backlighting myself with the windows that like,

You know, you're a content creator is like you literally are like talking about your home in terms of video backgrounds. I love that you're like I buy backgrounds in my apartment like you you're you've done this.

Yeah, that's why you have to do it. Yeah, that's I mean, you got to when it when it comes down to that. So we're gonna wrap up soon, but I wanted to ask you real quickly, what are some writing tips to kind of get things off the ground? You kind of talked about, like pulling things from Instagram. Previously, do you have any other tips to just like, quickly create? Unscripted, scripted content.

First of all, I script everything, I script everything. Even if I'm doing a 15 second Reel, I have a notebook, and I jot down exactly what I'm saying. And I jot down what I'm shooting. So if you're not scripting in some way, you're probably not making good video. Okay. Um, in terms of writing tips, you know, writing for video is different than writing a blog, writing a newsletter, you know, writing a video, shoot video is short form. So you always do, I always keep this in the back of my brain 75 words is around 30 seconds. 75 words, it's not a lot of words, when you start like a bio.

It's like a bio a short bio

You know, not to get into the data. But most people like don't even get to 30 seconds. So you got to think, Oh my god, like you have 50 words, maybe to tell your story. And even if you're making a 15 second video, it still needs to be a story there needs to be kind of a beginning, a middle and an end. So some quick tips I have is 75 words, you just keep that in mind. So just you know, if you kind of structure yourself and give yourself boundaries, you're going to be forced to only use words that matter. You do not have time to waste by putting in the literally, actually, you know, you're introducing yourself at the start, you don't have time for that no one cares, wham bam, get straight to the point, you know, like right off the bat.

Another tip I have is you lose the most people within the first seven seconds of video. So the first seven seconds of video is actually the most important part of your video. So you want to start out strong. So it's called and I know this is not doing it. Maybe it is new for some people, but it's called the hook. And there's lots of different ways to hook in people an easy way. So by holding something and someone in your hand, that's kind of a prop hook. You're holding something off the top people are like, Oh wait, what are they doing?

So that's like one way to kind of like hook in someone. asking a question right off the top of your video is another really great way just especially if you're speaking very clearly to your audience, you know, do you get overwhelmed when you try to make a video, you know, like, that could be like my opening hook. And if I'm speaking to that person, they're like, Oh my god, yes, I want to know what this girl has to say. Um, another writing tip is using the word replace I, you know, video is funny, right?

Because it's you and your voice and your face. And so in a way the video is about you, because it's you. But the videos that do best and the people that have the most loyal fans, their videos are nothing to do with the person in the video, it's always about your person and your audience. It's always about helping them. So anytime you want to use I replace it with you, and it's amazing, you can make it work. So, you know, don't say like, you know, I, you know, I was overwhelmed. You know, do you get overwhelmed, like, you know, with video, you know, I like there's something about I too, that people tune out. So use the word you more frequently. And that's another way to kind of like hook in someone.

I think like for people for especially for those super short form videos, right? I think you can explain, like, let's say you might feel overwhelmed on video, like I'm going to share with you whatever your hook was like, do you feel overwhelmed on video, you could relate it to yourself, so that there's a way if it's a longer format to share. So like, I think what I'm trying to say here is like, let's say you're doing a five minute video for like YouTube, right? Yes, more instructional longer videos. So we're talking about Instagram videos are short, like 75 second videos. So I'm not longer form video, you can share like a one minute story about an experience that you had, or someone else had to kind of bring it into your experience so that you can show people that you understand what they're talking about, and then bring it back to them. Because it's really about the purpose of any content that you do is about the person listening to it. And that's, that's I just want to clarify for our listeners. That's what you mean, right?

No, absolutely. And honestly, working at the today show for seven years, you know, you write all your scripts, and quite often, you know, you're given an assignment. And sometimes I was told you have 20 minutes to get this to air, you need to write a 62nd story. And it also they won't put it to air if it's absolute shit. So you start to develop these tools or like you what is going to make an audience not turn the channel. So it's the same type of it's just the channel is now social media and attention, right? Because there's so many people, that's what is going to keep someone on your platform or where you are. And you're absolutely right. YouTube videos are a bit different. You know, the YouTube audience, though, is very different than the Instagram audience.

So if you I always tell people, if you're starting to get into video, do not jump into YouTube first, because YouTube requires the most loyalty. And if you don't give it requires loyalty, because you are rewarded in longer attention. So the average watch time on someone on YouTube is like three times as long as any other platform that is powerful. Yeah, you need to be totally consistent. Like you need to be pumping out that type of video now, like, whatever you say, you're gonna do you have to do it. And YouTube video is harder, because the quality and production standards are just higher because you have all these professional YouTubers that do it for a living and they're using the Sony's and the Cannons and the DSLRs. And they're doing the that it's it's like highly produced video, right? So if you don't really know how you're going to use video yet for your business, do not start out looking, too.

Amazing. Patrice, this is such a great interview, like it lasted so long.

I know, we can just keep going. Like your whole thing. Where can people find you and learn a little bit more about your program and all the things?

Yeah, so honestly, Instagram is the best way. My handle is at Patrice Poltzer. And, you know, I have a few ways to work with me. I give out lots of free content on my Instagram all the time in stories and in posts. I'm also on Clubhouse twice a week talking about video storytelling every Tuesday every Thursday and Friday. So that's the freeway, right? I have a low level program. That's a really great intro to video. It's DIY, it's using the process that I use on the Netflix's and the Lululemons, and the parsley helps the Amazon and the Legos that we work with.

I take that process and I share that with people how they can apply it to their own business. So that is also the information is on my Instagram for that. And then three times a year I run mastermind those live and you get me live. And it's a total immersion in video strategy with your social media. So I partner with a social media expert and we get everyone's account into tip top shape. And because here's the thing, it's really hard to have a really good video strategy if you do not have at least one social media platform that aligns so if it's Instagram, your Instagram has to look in a certain way in order for that video content to grow and have the biggest chance. So I run mastermind I'm running another mastermind in in April. I don't know when this is airing, but I'm in April and I'll probably run another one again in the fall. So, yeah, lots of different ways.

I love it. Well, Patrice, thank you so much for being here. I'm so glad to be met on Clubhouse and I'll see you in the club.

You're like my birthday twin. We got we got to meet up for a birthday.

All right. Thanks for being here.

Thank you so much for listening to the show. today. I had such a blast talking to Patrice. So if you want to find me and Patrice on Clubhouse, then definitely check out the show notes. Or you can just find me at @TracyMatthews on clubhouse or you can find me on Instagram. I can send you the link. I'm @Tracy MatthewsNYC on Instagram, and I'm happy to clubhouse it with you.

If you are on clubhouse, definitely make sure that you are attending on Monday nights, we're doing a weekly Monday night show. It's technically starting right now around 3pm. Eastern, that's going to be the standard time for a while. So make sure that you find our weekly clubhouse room. You can shoot me a DM on Instagram for more information about that. And it's just a great way to just get coached while you're making dinner or whatever you're doing.

So we're having a blast. I'm loving this new app probably because I love podcasting. And Clubhouse is like live speaking engagements or podcast in real time. So it's super, super cool. Anyway, this is Tracy Matthews signing off. Until next time.

Thank you so much for listening to today's episode. It's my mission to help 1000s of creative businesses inside and outside the jewelry space use their creativity to make money. Make sure that you're subscribed to thrive by design on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and wherever podcasts are played. And we'd love to hear what you think. Please rate and review the show and if you're inspired, please share this with your friends. Cheers to seeing you flourish and thrive.