Have you heard of “yapping”?
I once paid $1,000 to learn how to do it.
Thirty days, every short-form video format you can think of… including the part where you point at text and dance and react to stuff and of course, the part where you just… talk.
Directly into the camera.
About your thoughts.
Unfiltered.
For fun (apparently).
I tried it. I really did.
And just thinking about doing that daily makes me want to burn the whole business to the ground and go walk my five miles in peace. A bit dramatic, I know. But hear me out.
If you’re an introvert who knows video works but can’t face talking to a camera every day, this post is for you. Here’s the format I use instead, and the steps to find your own version.
The short answer
You don’t have to talk to camera to show up on video. Be on camera doing something (walking, making coffee, working), add one line of text on screen and some audio, and post it. Decide in advance what you will and won’t do, and pick a format you can keep up without dreading it.
Zero FOMO (it only took 8 years)
When a woman in my orbit launched her Yap Challenge after getting 400K followers in roughly five months, I watched it happen and felt… nothing.
Zero FOMO. Not even a flicker of “wait, should I be doing that?”
And honestly… even if it had worked for me, I’m not sure “going viral” is the dream everyone makes it out to be.
Think about it… every insecurity you’ve ever had about yourself, reflected back to you in the comments. Thousands of strangers with opinions.
For someone who prefers 75 acres of quiet over being visible, going viral sounds a lot less like a dream and a lot more like a “hell no” from me.
In the past my FOMO would’ve kicked in immediately. “Is that the missing piece? What if that’s the answer? What am I missing?”
This time, it didn’t. And it’s only taken me 8 years to figure it out.
If you’re anything like me (prefers being behind the scenes, introvert, tech-savvy), here’s my best advice when it comes to content creation and “getting out there”:
Stop chasing other people’s versions of visibility and get ruthlessly clear on your own.
How to find your own version, step by step
Step 1: Write your “will” and “won’t” list
Now don’t get me wrong… I’ve been doing short-form videos since 2018. Mostly kicking and screaming. At some point I decided what I’ll do and won’t do.
Yapping… hard pass.
Stories… nope.
The daily hamster wheel of talking to camera and the constant feeling of performing… it saps my morale in a way that’s hard to explain unless you’re wired the same way.
Write your own two lists. What you’re willing to do on camera, and what you’re not. Be honest: this list is for you, not for an algorithm.
Step 2: Check each “won’t”: uncomfortable, or not you?
Before you cross something off for good, ask yourself one question:
Is this uncomfortable… or is it not me?
Your comfort zone is what’s unfamiliar. Awkward. Slow to pay off. Hitting publish on a video for the first time is supposed to feel uncomfortable. Do it anyway.
Your value zone is what feels fake. Performing extroversion on camera when you’re… not. That’s not discomfort. That’s not you. And no amount of pushing will make it you.
When I did that $1,000 talk-to-camera challenge, I thought I was failing at leaving my comfort zone. Turns out I’d wandered out of my value zone. Different problem. Different fix.
If it’s uncomfortable, keep it on the “will” list and start small. If it’s not you, cross it off and find another way to get the same result.
Step 3: Choose a format that doesn’t need you to talk
So I figured out my version… my way:
I’m on camera, yes… but I’m not talking to camera (HUGE difference)!
- Text overlays.
- Audio.
- Me doing something random (walking, drinking, trying to figure out our water tank issues in the basement).
That’s it.
No yapping, no stories, no performing. Just showing up in a way I can actually sustain without wanting to throw my phone out the window and disappear into the woods.
Step 4: Film what you’re already doing
You don’t need a shoot. Film the things you’re already doing: your walk, your coffee, your desk, the work itself. Prop your phone up, or set it to time lapse, and let it run while you work.
A bakery owner I coached does this every day. She records a few seconds of B-roll while she’s baking, and that becomes her daily content. No script, no talking, and no extra time out of her day.
Step 5: Write one line of text
The text on screen does the talking for you. Keep it to one line that says one thing to one person.
For example, one of my reels is six seconds long and says, roughly: “If you’re the kind of woman who’s good at one-on-one connection but cannot fathom ‘working a room’… this one’s for you.” It does more to explain who I am and who I’m for than my entire website homepage. (It’s also the link in my email signature.)
Step 6: Batch it, and give yourself grace
When I started testing new platforms, I set myself a few rules:
I won’t obsess over captions, hashtags, or the “best times to post.”
I’ll just do the damn thing.
Because the goal isn’t perfection. The goal is reps.
I’ll batch. I’ll miss days. And that’s okay.
Pick a rhythm you can keep in a busy week, not just a quiet one. A few videos a week you can sustain beats a daily habit that collapses by week two.
Step 7: Remember what it’s for
Visibility on its own doesn’t pay the bills. I once posted on LinkedIn every single day for 123 days. I was consistent, which mattered. But when I looked at where my best revenue months came from, it was conversations and follow-ups, not the posts.
So treat video as one way of being seen, and pair it with the moves that start conversations. (Busy but Not Making Money? explains the difference between work that keeps you busy and work that brings in revenue.)
Do it your way
And it’s working. More importantly, I’m not dreading it.
Visibility is a necessary evil when you’re a creator with programs to sell and you’re also a person who likes her privacy.
I’ve made peace with that.
What I haven’t made peace with, and won’t, is doing it someone else’s way just because it went viral.
So here’s your permission slip to do it your way. Do it… yes. But channel your inner Frank Sinatra and repeat to yourself: “and I did it my way.”
This is Move 6 of six in Marketing for Introverts: 6 Visibility Moves That Don’t Require Performing.
Want the will / won’t list as a worksheet, plus the other five moves? Grab my free Visibility Pack: six visibility moves you can do from your inbox, each with the exact words to send.
Get the free Visibility Pack →
Frequently asked questions
Can introverts make video content without talking to the camera?
Yes. You can be on camera doing something (walking, working, making coffee) with one line of text on screen and some audio. It shows people who you are without you having to perform.
What kind of videos can I make without talking?
Text-overlay videos over B-roll of your day or your work, time-lapses of you working, or short clips of something you’re doing anyway. The text carries the message, so keep it to one clear line.
Do I have to post video every day?
No. Pick a rhythm you can keep in a busy week. Batch your videos, miss days when you need to, and focus on reps rather than perfection.
Does video content actually bring in clients?
It helps people recognize you, but on its own it rarely brings in revenue. Pair it with the moves that start conversations: replying to newsletters, voice notes, asking past clients for referrals.
