Five hacks for creating engagement & energy remotely
Over the last two years, our worlds have turned remote and hybrid with Zoom and Teams firmly part of the lexicon of our daily lives as places we go to for shared experiences, to impart knowledge and educate, and to build communities and connections with each other.
Since the global pandemic began in March 2020, I’ve presented to over 5000 people in webinars and virtual learning experiences, given interviews on podcasts and built global communities too — and loved every second of it!
The journey into becoming virtual-first initially was fascinating, and I’ve learnt a lot about how to bring the best out of a rectangular-shaped screen! For myself, and hopefully, the audiences joining me in each virtual space.
And it’s with this experience in mind that I’d love to share with you the insights and lessons I’ve learnt on this virtual journey, with my five hacks to create engagement and energy remotely.
Let me show you how…
Hack #1 Brilliant Basics
Fundamental number one is getting the basics on point before you step into a remote environment. Now, this may sound glaringly obvious, but so many of us miss this, and it’s essential for creating the optimum environment for engagement and energy. So get your set-up right, and you’ll soon be ready to start making an impact in your virtual space!
Lighting: get yourself a portable ring light, and position this behind your camera to give a flawless complexion. I’ve been amazed by how this makes such a difference on screen ;-)
Camera position: is at your eye-level. Use a laptop stand (or books if you don’t have a stand) to bring your camera position up. This will make your face look slimmer, and your posture from this angle will have more impact. Sit straight to the camera in the middle of the screen.
Background: keep it as simple as you can. Ideally, a bare wall, without any visual distractions.
Clothes: keep these contrasted with your background with block colours, and no patterns.
Now your brilliant basics are all set, let’s get to hack #2.
Hack #2 State of Mind
I love this one because this is all about mindset. Your state of mind.
And as we know,
The way we think about the things in our mind changes how we see them.
So, before you get on screen, be aware of what’s going on in your mind. Because this will affect everything. You’ll bring whatever you have going on, into the virtual space. So clear it out and focus on priming yourself for success.
I like to use a priming technique to get myself into the optimum state of mind. I combine this with breathing techniques to calm any nerves, and affirmations to focus my thoughts in the best possible place for me to give a world-class experience to my audiences.
Hack #3 On Screen
Now that you are primed and ready to create engagement and energy on screen. Be YOU. Bring your authentic self, because this is the best version of you there will ever be, and this is what your audience wants to see and connect to.
Smile and transfer your positive energy into the room. See how this radiates back to you from your audience — it’s beautiful. This can be so easily forgotten as we wear masks a lot these days.
Some of the most incredible sessions I’ve delivered have felt like the whole virtual room was a massive sunbeam from the good vibes transmitted by everyone. Your audience feels your light when you share it with them.
You cannot underestimate the power of this to create phenomenal engagement and positive emotion, raising levels of oxytocin, and making people connected, especially during times when we can feel isolated.
Be the light, and shine bright for everyone.
Speak directly into the camera when you have a salient point to communicate. This can feel counter-intuitive because our natural inclination is to look at people’s eyes on the screen. When we look into the camera, our audience sees us looking straight at them, and this is wonderful for deeply communicating and connecting with your audience, especially when you have an important message to get across.
Hack #4 Animation
Your voice has the power to bring great engagement to your audience when you transmit your energy through it. I love to use intonation to change the melody and tone of what I’m saying, dramatising and emphasising words and key phrases where it’s needed.
Plus, there is nothing more sleep-inducing than a monotone voice, so don’t let your audience fall asleep on you! Use your voice to keep them entertained and alert.
Hand gestures are great for bringing your words alive and conveying your passion and energy. Gestures make what you are saying more compelling.
“It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.”
According to Ted Talks, what makes a Ted Talk go viral is the use of hand gestures. So get comfortable with expressing yourself through your body language, as well as your voice.
Hack #5 Your Audience
Finally, and the most important of them all — your audience. Whatever you do in the virtual space, it is ALL about your audience, and not about you. So if you only do one hack, make sure it's this one!
Invite your audience in, right from the get-go. Say hello, and open with a compelling question in the chat. Start the conversation. Make your audience feel heard and part of the experience. It is a shared experience for everyone, after all.
Co-create with your audience, ask thought-provoking questions along the way and share their contributions so that everyone learns and is inspired by each other.
And above all else, have fun and enjoy the experience. Because when you enjoy it, your audience will do too.
So let’s recap your five hacks;
- Do the basics brilliantly
- Be conscious of your state of mind
- Know how you come across on screen
- Entertain and animate through your body language and voice
- Most importantly, it’s all about your audience.
If you’d like any further details, reach me at claire@imagine-beyond.co.uk.
