Calm down, we’re talking about delivering your message via online video. It seems that everyone is doing a videocast these days and given that one has one’s choice of either Facebook Live, LinkedInLive, YouTube, Periscope, DLive, Twitch, et al and out in beta, mmhmm, there is certainly no shortage of platforms. Or people who feel that they need to say something, whether or not they necessarily have something to say.

Careers have been launched via these platforms: look at PewDie Pie, the gamer/comedian who started out by playing videos of games, threw in some comedy and became one of the most viewed channels on YouTube. Or Harry Stebbings, who was a mere 20 years old when he launched his Twenty Minute VC, featuring, yes 20-minute interviews with investors, keeping them short, snappy and getting right to the point. Twenty minutes. That’s all it took. In fact, the now 24-year-old Stebbings recently launched his own micro VC fund (20VC).

“Podcasts are becoming big business — in part because of how well they can attract and keep audiences at a time when so many other media formats are finding it hard to pin down that elusive metric of engagement,” says Techcrunch.

We get more and more notifications via LinkedIn, Periscope, etc, of friends/associates whose ‘casts are about to begin and we sometimes do tune in. Depends on what’s being discussed. Or who the guest is. Or if we’ve enjoyed tuning in to previous episodes. Which takes us to our points of the day:

All well and good to utilize the medium, but if you want to be serious about it, help to scale your business through it, get your expertise out there, help to put yourself on the map or even be remunerated for your work (there’s a woman in Asia who sits alone and eats seafood lunches every day and is making a fortune through her viewership. Go know), focus. Here are some suggestions, in no particular order:

1. We know that most of you are sitting at home broadcasting. Fine. Look presentable. Brush your hair. Try not to look like you just rolled out of bed, unless your schtick is to look like you just rolled out of bed. Especially if you’re addressing a business audience. Would you show up for a client meeting in your skivvies? If so, who your clientele is may be none of our business, actually.

2. Pay attention to things like lighting and background. Glares are irritating. As is poor sound quality. Do a lighting and sound check before you go live. Especially if you’re hosting a guest. Check to make sure it’s all good on both ends.

3. Have something to say. Have a specific topic that you’re going to discuss. And don’t spend the first ten minutes asking people if they can hear you/if the sound is all right. We’ve seen this before and that’s what the chat feature is for – they’ll let you know.

4. A sense of humor always helps. People appreciate humor – and a friendly approach, unless your schtick is to be a curmudgeon and hey, works for Yours Truly at times!

5. Be prepared – have notes on points that you want to or plan to cover. Check the chat window at least occasionally to see what people are saying, or if they have something specific they’d like you to discuss or a point on which they’d like you to elaborate.

6. You can have a two-hour podcast – but don’t ramble. Be informative. Or humorous, at least. The idea is to engage your audience, or you’ll lose them. Are you imparting information we haven’t heard before, or expressing a unique point of view? Awesome – there’s your niche. Everyone potentially has a niche. May take a few episodes to figure it out, but you’ll find yours. Or not.

7. If you’re videocasting for professional reasons, don’t forget to start or end – or both – with a call to action or information on how to best contact you. Website/Instagram/twitter/LinkedIn. And make sure to post it in the chat as well.

8. Most people have limited attention spans, so if you’re doing a long(er) ‘cast, you might want to break it down into segments. Pacing is everything.

9. If you plan on doing this regularly, you might want to mention your show’s schedule or where they can find the schedule/topics you’ll be covering.

10. When you’re signing off, don’t forget to thank you audience for tuning in.

We do speak from experience. Since our investor breakfast have gone virtual, we continue to do them every two weeks – and post them on the Kettlespace YouTube channel, fyi. And you’re always welcome to join us live – the information is always in the newsletter.

We’re not saying that everyone can – or needs to – become a video star. We’re suggesting that it’s something that you might want to consider in order to help build your client or customer base, or to get or keep your name out there in these odd times. Be prepared, and always put your best foot forward. And remember: the last place you ever want to put it is in your mouth. Onward and forward.