Vlog Tips // The DO's and DONT's of Using Hand Gestures

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Hi Friends!

Welcome to another video in my Vlog Tips Series! In these videos, I aim to help people with the softer side of vlogging and presenting. Today - we are discussing the importance of hand gestures and how they can either work for or against you!

Do They Really Matter?

Earlier today, I was watching the video of a pretty successful vlogger, and I was surprised by how much this person was waiving their hands around... it was really distracting. This got me thinking about how this could be a pretty helpful topic to discuss.

Working on meaningful hand gestures can really make you feel more charismatic as a speaker, and helps your audience to remember more information from your video or presentation.

I recently ran across a Study that evaluated the hand motions of TED Talk Speakers. Those with the least popular videos did an average of 275 hand gestures in their 18 minute talk. On the flip side, the most successful TED talk speakers did closer to 450 in the same amount of time.

The Dont’s of Hand Gestures

• Don't move your hands just for the sake of looking active. This makes you look a little hectic and can kind of stress out your audience. It's better to simplify and be more intentional with your movements.

• Don't make your gestures too big. Try to stay within a comfortable range of your body - usually between your hips and your shoulders.

• Watch for nervous habits. I would recomend reviewing your previous videos to see if you have any nervous habits that might be disctracting your audience. Maybe you are fidgeting, playing with your hair, scratching your head etc. If you are feeling brave, maybe ask a friend to watch a few of your videos to critique you as well.

• Don't hold objects in your hand. Many people think that if they hold a mug of coffee, or glass of wine - it will keep them from doing any nervous habits with their hands. Most of the time though - it just distracts your audience because they end up looking at the glass instead of focusing on you. There may be some videos where you want to have a glass of some beverage to create a certain feel - so just be aware of this if you do!

The Do's of Hand Gestures

A quick note here... these examples make a lot more sense when you watch the video! By using your hand gestures to specifically paint a picture or describe an item or emotion - it can really help them to better understand what you mean and remember that point after your video has ended.

• Use gestures to describe something. For example... Do you have 5 main points for your video? Use your hands to count them off! It will help break up the video and give listeners a clear understanding of where you are at in the presentation.

• If you are describing the size of something - use your hands to paint a picture in someones mind.

• Want people to really pay attention to a certain point? Tell them that and really accentuate it with your gestures.

• Describing distance? Use your hands to draw a map in your audience's mind.

• Use gestures to describe your emotions - for example... if you are angry - make it big! If you are describing a heartfelt moment, try putting your hand on your heart. By paying attention to your body language - you can help people feel those emotions with you through the screen.

• Make your movement smooth. Try to avoid sudden or jerky hand gestures. If it surprises your audience, it can sometimes feel a little jarring.

In Conclusion

I hope that you guys enjoyed this vlog! At the end of the video, I did a quick wrap up and mention 5 takeaways that you can start doing right away in your own vlogging and presenting.

I would love to hear if there were any points that specifically stuck out to you as something you want to try. Also, do you guys have any other Do's or Don't's that you would add to this list? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

This video is 12.5 minutes long.

Previous Vlog Tip Videos in this Series

• Connecting Authentically with your Audience

• Using your Voice to Sound More Interesting and Engaging

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xo, Lea

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