Why Your Community Won’t Use Video (And How to Fix It)
The Hidden Barrier to Video Success? It’s Not What You Think!
Michael Hoffman has a surprising take on why more people don’t create video content for their organizations. It’s not because they’re camera-shy. It’s because the leaders asking them to do it aren’t comfortable on camera themselves.
That insight landed hard for me. In my conversation with Michael, CEO of Gather Voices, we explored why video is such a powerful way to build trust and authenticity in online communities. And yet, so many organizations struggle to get their people on board with it.
Video: The Fastest Path to Trust in a Digital World
“In an era full of AI avatars and deep fakery, real human-to-human connection is more important than ever,” Michael said. And video delivers that connection like nothing else.
Michael has built his career helping organizations collect and amplify real human stories. At Gather Voices, he’s tackling one of the biggest pain points in video creation: scalability. His company’s platform makes it easy for organizations to request, collect, and brand user-generated videos at scale. But even with the right tools, many organizations still struggle to activate their communities.
Why? Because activation simply isn’t about the tools—it’s about culture.
If You’re Uncomfortable on Camera, So Is Your Community
Michael pointed out that when leaders themselves hesitate to be on video, that discomfort “oozes between the lines” of their requests to others. Instead of confidently inviting participation, they undermine their own efforts: “I know this is awkward...I know you don’t want to do this…but would you mind recording a quick video?” That kind of ask gets exactly the response you’d expect: low engagement.
The fix? Leaders need to model the behavior they want to see. If you want your community to create and share video, you need to do it first.
Michael and his team developed the 7-Day Video Challenge, a free program designed to help people get more comfortable on camera. The results? By the end of the week, participants feel like pros—relaxed, confident, and ready to share their stories.
The Secret to Video Activation: A Simple, Repeatable Process
If you want video engagement in your community, start small and make it a habit. Michael shared a simple but powerful onboarding technique: Ask every new member to create a short video introducing themselves. Then, invite existing members to record a welcome message for newcomers.
This does three things:
It normalizes video participation from day one.
It gives members a reason to engage right away.
It reinforces a culture where every voice matters.
Imagine getting a warm video welcome from five or six other members when you join a new community. That’s an instant connection—something no text-based welcome message can replicate.
AI, Deepfakes, and the Future of Video
Of course, we couldn’t talk about video without touching on AI. With deepfake technology making it easier than ever to generate synthetic content, where does that leave real human storytelling?
Michael’s take: AI is a tool, not a replacement. “The most popular content today isn’t AI-generated. It’s real people telling real stories—raw, unfiltered, human.” AI can help remove background noise, generate captions, or streamline workflows, but when it comes to authenticity, nothing replaces the real thing.
Final Thought: Just Hit Record
If you’re hesitating to bring more video into your community, stop overthinking it. Start with one simple step: record a video yourself. Your comfort level will shape how others respond.
Want to build a culture where video is second nature? Model it. Make it part of your community’s DNA. And if you need a little practice, Michael’s 7-Day Video Challenge might be the perfect place to start.
ABOUT MICHAEL HOFFMAN
Michael Hoffman is the founder and CEO at Gather Voices, a software company that makes video easy for organizations. Hoffman taught marketing at the University of Chicago and was the founder of See3, an agency for social good. He is an internationally sought after speaker and trainer and works with business and event professionals on activation and engagement strategies.
Show Notes
Journey to CEO (3:40): Michael recounts his path in realizing real stories from real people works better than simply pushing marketing content. Gather Voices was created to support users in bridging the gap in creating powerful video content.
Speaking to the Camera (9:16): Gaining confidence and comfort with being in front of a camera is similar to building a muscle. Modeling the behavior is a tool community managers can utilize, encouraging others to be on camera if they are willing to be on camera themselves.
Gather Voices (17:40): Michael recounts examples of how video testimonials have created an impact for marketing and community. Video can serve to break down barriers in allowing individuals to share their story by attracting others with similar viewpoints or experiences. Marketing can sometimes put a filter on messaging, contrary to letting people tell their stories unfiltered.
Incentives & AI (34:17): A viewer asks a question around incentivizing people to film videos. The advice is to ensure incentives are aligned with the goals of the organization to gain meaningful content. When it comes to the rapidly changing environment of AI, deception is mentioned as a line of consideration. Was AI used to support clarity or used to deceive individuals?
