Nothing breaks the connection with a viewer faster than a speaker whose eyes are darting around, reading off a second screen, or looking just below the camera. Eye contact on camera is a habit, not a talent. Here are a few simple tricks to help you build it quickly.
Why You Should Look at the Lens
When you look at your own face on the screen or at someone's video thumbnail, your eyes land just below or beside the camera. To the viewer, it seems like you're not quite looking at them, which subtly erodes trust. Looking directly into the lens creates the feeling of eye contact for the viewer. The lens is the viewer's eyes.
The Sticky-Note Trick
A simple fix: stick a small sticky note next to your camera lens, perhaps with a tiny arrow or smiley face pointing at the lens. This gives your eyes a target in the right place. Your brain stops drifting to the screen because there's now something to focus on where you should be looking. It's cheap, instant, and effective from the first take.
Use Teleprompter View to Keep Your Eyes Up
MarketScale's recording rooms feature a teleprompter view that places your notes near the lens. This allows you to glance at your talking points without your eyes dropping away from the camera. Keep your notes to bullet points, not a full script, so you're glancing rather than reading. The teleprompter helps maintain your eyeline at the lens, especially when you need a prompt.
Open and Close with a Held Gaze
The first and last few seconds of a video are crucial for connection. Start by looking straight into the lens and holding it for a moment before you begin speaking. End the same way: finish your last line, then hold the gaze for a second before stopping. These held-gaze bookends make you appear composed and confident, providing the editor with clean in and out points.
Try It This Week
Before your next recording with MarketScale, place a sticky note next to your lens and activate the teleprompter view for your bullet points. Begin with a held gaze, maintain eye contact with the lens while speaking, and end with a held gaze. Watch the recording back. The eye contact alone will make it look like a more confident and practiced take.
Keep exploring
- UGC coaching: practical guidance to look and sound great.
- UGC coaches: get a person in your corner on camera.
- UGC for B2B: why authentic content wins.
- The creator community: editors, videographers, and coaches.