S9 Special: Build Your Teaching Brand with Videos
Basma Abd Elhamied, founder of TEFLship, talks about the importance of having a personal brand, how teachers can start, and how video can help in the process. Basma also shares practical tips so you can start creating videos.
Key talking points
What is Personal Branding?
Branding is like the story people know about you. Basma emphasises how teachers can enhance their visibility and access more opportunities by building their professional brand.
Role of Social Media
Social media is a powerful tool for personal branding. It allows teachers to connect beyond their local network and gain wider recognition. Creating videos that you can post on social platforms can help create a strong professional image.
Starting with Video Creation
Begin with what you have; you don’t need expensive equipment. If videos seem intimidating initially, write articles or blog posts and transition to video content as confidence grows.
Practical Tips for Video Creation
Simplify the process to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Basma recommends using familiar tools and collaborating with others to ease the workload. Embracing mistakes is part of the learning journey.
References & Resources
Links will direct you to resources Basma mentions in this episode and more.
Watch the video with closed captions or refer to the transcript below.
Transcript
00:00:00:07 - 00:00:31:20
Laura
TESOL pop season nine special episode. Hello and welcome to TESOL Pop, the mini podcast for busy teachers. My name is Laura and joining me today to close the season is my guest, Basma Abd Elhamied. Basma is a founder of TEFLship, which is a community for English teachers in Egypt and the Middle East. They provide a lively community on Facebook to support ongoing development and courses to help qualify thousands of teachers, as well as a really extensive bank of videos on YouTube.
00:00:31:23 - 00:00:48:08
Laura
Now, in today's episode, we're going to be talking about all things video, as Basma knows a lot about this. We're going to be talking about how you can start building a brand, what branding means to teachers, and where to start when thinking about creating videos to do so. Let's join the conversation where I ask Basma, what does personal branding mean?
00:00:48:09 - 00:01:10:22
Basma
It's simply like what we say about you behind your back. but in a good way, of course. Like, sort of like the story that people know about you, what you do. but we use it more professionally. Like, for example, how many people know what exactly you are doing in your life as a job? For example, do people know that you're doing a podcast?
00:01:10:24 - 00:01:26:17
Basma
I met lot people that their families don't know that they are teaching at all. So this is sort of affecting, the career that no one knows. So the personal branding is simply the kind of reputation and story that people know, about you.
00:01:26:19 - 00:01:47:02
Laura
You know, there will be listeners tuning in to this episode that may think, oh, yeah, personal branding. I understand it works. Obviously, in a company setting, companies need their personal brand or if you work in maybe other sectors other than teaching. And they may be wondering, well, how does personal branding connect to teaching? I don't need it, do I?
00:01:47:04 - 00:02:15:06
Basma
Why, that's a very good question, actually. if you remember, like in the past, people needed personal branding. However, we didn't call it personal branding at that time. And just like it's the most, well-known person, in the workplace. So if you need something, you would just go to Mr. Jordan or, you know, like, any person that, you know, that they are famous for something in the workplace because at that time, there was no social media.
00:02:15:06 - 00:02:32:15
Basma
But you know that you can rely on someone because they have that kind of reputation that they are good at something in particular. You know, for example, in the beginning of using Powerpoint and using technology, there was always this one teacher in the workplace that everyone would just go to because we are afraid of using the computer or the PowerPoint.
00:02:32:17 - 00:03:02:23
Basma
So it's the same idea now, but maybe we use it more on social media because that's what we use for marketing. So when you think about it, you are sort of like a company. You are running your own business as a teacher. You just want to work in, in the school. So you want to have a good reputation that you are good in teaching, that you have great skills so you can get hired in other, workplaces, or that's you can, get more opportunities in the same school or, the same work that you have.
00:03:03:00 - 00:03:12:20
Basma
So it's not just for companies. Companies use marketing and branding. And some people like apply some of these rules to ourselves as freelancers and as teachers.
00:03:12:22 - 00:03:33:24
Laura
And as you say, now that we have social media at our fingertips, we can do this in such a way that we can build bigger connections within our network, can even extend beyond our local network for opportunities that we may be looking for, or to be known within that field of expertise, beyond just the local community. It can be really quite a powerful source.
00:03:34:01 - 00:03:57:24
Basma
Very true. Yes. And I myself experienced this, that I got a lot of opportunities, job opportunities just by personal branding and, not just like in, in some local institutes, but actually I got, scholarships, opportunities before, and, it helped me, you know, like, I do the application and, and I go through any hiring process just like other people.
00:03:58:02 - 00:04:19:21
Basma
However, it's sort of like a shortcut, you know, when someone sees your work and we get impressed and then they call you for an interview. So some of the have, like, a prejudgement or, that they have a good idea about you are good impression. So this facilitates the process that you can get accepted easier than the, the usual if you just, if you are just a stranger, you know.
00:04:19:23 - 00:04:46:21
Laura
Exactly. And I know with TEFLship, you've built a huge bank of videos on YouTube. You also have your Facebook group. A video obviously plays a really big role in your personal branding. That's a really big tool in which you share your expertise as an educator and also inspire other educators in that practice. Could you tell us more about how videos help build your personal branding, and how others can do the same?
00:04:46:23 - 00:05:05:17
Basma
I would talk about videos, but I wouldn't want to say that this is like a blog. If you as a teacher, if you cannot make videos as a first step. So don't make it like, a bottleneck, on the way. So you can just to start by the easiest form of branding that you can do, like anyone can do.
00:05:05:22 - 00:05:23:17
Basma
For example, some teachers would feel more comfortable with writing, and that was me in the beginning before videos. I remember my first video, like my husband used to convince me a lot to, to make videos that I would tell him, no, I'm going to make mistakes in front of the camera. They will be recorded forever. And what will people say about me?
00:05:23:22 - 00:05:47:19
Basma
And this will just destroy my reputation, you know? until he, like, convince me. And I really loved writing. So in the beginning, I used to write a lot of posters, a lot of articles. and that's how I got a lot of people or a lot of teachers, following my account. and we were just sharing ideas and a step by step, I started to make videos, and then I started to love videos.
00:05:47:19 - 00:06:11:01
Basma
So I started to accept the idea that, yes, I don't make mistakes like anyone else. And that's all right. So, yes, videos can help a lot in creating an image or connect, you to the people that they meet you and. Yeah, we know Laura. We always follow Laura'’s videos. We always see her. So when they see you in reality, or they want to take a course or they want to hire you, they did that.
00:06:11:01 - 00:06:20:22
Basma
We already know you, even if you have never seen them in your life. So videos could be like playing a major part in connecting YouTube to your audience.
00:06:20:24 - 00:06:43:21
Laura
I certainly experience that with the podcast. having done this podcast for over six years now, I do get people come up to me when I'm at educational conferences and like, oh, I've been following your work. I listen to the podcast. I feel like I already know you, and that's it really is powerful when people can hear your voice or see you on camera or start to interact with the materials you're creating, it's incredible.
00:06:43:22 - 00:06:49:08
Laura
It's like speaking for you before you even enter the room. People feel that they already know you.
00:06:49:10 - 00:06:51:16
Basma
Yes, exactly. It's like building rapport.
00:06:51:18 - 00:07:01:16
Laura
I know with video, this is a big part of what you do at the moment, right? You have how many followers? YouTube now like over 900 videos, I think I saw.
00:07:01:16 - 00:07:28:03
Basma
Yeah, we're like, we're above 950 something. we're trying to reach 1000 in a couple of months, hopefully inshallah like us where we can do this. and like, the subscriber is on that channel, around 40,000. And I just got an email this morning saying that, we got, around 1 million, point eight hundred thousand, views, on the channel.
00:07:28:05 - 00:07:44:06
Basma
so that's like I'm very grateful and thankful for that. It's very nice when when I see that the video was watched by my teachers and like, while you were asleep or working or doing something else, that there is someone, somewhere in the world that they are benefiting from what you did before.
00:07:44:08 - 00:08:08:22
Laura
It's something that's on demand, like you say, like teachers can access it at any point. It's freely available, it's in the open public space, and you have lots of different playlists that relate to different teaching skills. so it enables teachers to easily find what they're looking for. I wonder, like how you recommend people who are listening, who are looking at your portfolio and thinking, wow, like, oh, she's obviously just naturally gifted at this.
00:08:08:22 - 00:08:23:17
Laura
Like I can start like I wouldn't know where to start in using videos. If that's media that they want to use, where would you suggest, people start if they want to just try making a few videos and creating them for their local community.
00:08:23:19 - 00:08:50:05
Basma
I'd like to assure them that, like I myself, I'm quite an introvert, you know, like, I'm, I really get shy and I if you if you just see me right now, I'm just, like, holding my hands and I, I always, always feel stressed in front of the camera. Like, despite that, I did until now, I always feel stressed, you know, like sometimes when I'm talking, I just see, like, something, you know, like, blocks my, my throat and, I feel nervous.
00:08:50:07 - 00:09:07:01
Basma
but this is how it's going to be, like some people that are more natural in front of the camera, or some people really love the camera. Like my husband, he's in love with the camera. We just put him in front of the camera and just keep speaking. He will never, you know, stop. And if you just give him a mic, he would go crazy.
00:09:07:03 - 00:09:29:07
Basma
On the other side, I'm not like that. I really like writing more. Until now. After all these years, I still feel more comfortable with writing and organising my thoughts and all of this. But in front of the camera, like, I mean, I feel like I'm sweating and I'm nervous, so I guess if I could do it, I'm like, anyone else could do it because they're they.
00:09:29:08 - 00:09:53:22
Basma
You know, most people might not feel the same stress. even if they felt it, they can do it. And how they would start. I believe that they can start with whatever they have right now. So I know people that will always think that we need to get like this perfect set up, and it's beautiful and we redecorate the place and we get very expensive cameras and the, you know, video editing tools and all of that.
00:09:53:24 - 00:10:14:21
Basma
but how we started, we just started was, was items or tools to that we bought from everywhere. Like we bought a phone with a good camera at that time from someone and, then a laptop from another person. So we can use, the heavy media editing tools. And we were learning through the journey like, every step, we would just learn something.
00:10:14:23 - 00:10:44:22
Basma
And until we could afford to buy our own camera. And after that, we would just, like, upgrade our, you know, our the material or the tools so that we are using and, until we just reach it, what we have now and simplicity always been like, there's no need that we take it like, as a heavy burden because this blocks our journey, you know, like if you want to produce 100 videos in three months, it's going to be very challenging.
00:10:44:22 - 00:11:02:03
Basma
If you just keep thinking about all the difficult things that you're going to do. So you need to simplify them to just to remove any bottlenecks along the way. So it it has to be like a heavy video on a, on a very expensive camera or expensive mic, not just to start with your phone everyone now, like most people have phones.
00:11:02:03 - 00:11:04:10
Basma
So the, good cameras, we can start with it.
00:11:04:12 - 00:11:26:22
Laura
Yeah, it really is that simple, isn't it? Starting with what you have and what you feel comfortable with and what's familiar. I think we're so lucky that we live in an age now where we do, the majority of us. Do you have access to some sort of device that enables us to record? And I think once we kind of think about also who's within our community that we could collaborate with, that also helps to like lighten the load.
00:11:26:22 - 00:11:49:16
Laura
I remember when I started podcasting, my, co-founder Eve Conway, was the one who was just like, well, we just use this. Oh, we just use our laptop. Oh, we'll use the cupboard to record in because that's the best audio space. And that's how we started. And keeping it small scale really helped us to move forward and see progress without it being a big, scary, intimidating goal.
00:11:49:16 - 00:12:07:23
Laura
I never thought I'd be podcasting on a weekly basis. We just started with a season of ten episodes and that's where we started. but often, you know, people may compare themselves, perhaps to people that have been doing it for several years and think, oh, I have to be at that level to start. But that's not true, right?
00:12:07:23 - 00:12:10:01
Laura
That's what you're saying. Start with what you have.
00:12:10:06 - 00:12:36:04
Basma
Yes, yes. You know, we have a saying here, like don't don't compare your first chapter. It was someone's 20th chapter, you know, like just like your book and you're still in the beginning. Someone else could be in the middle of the tree or near the end of that career. So if you started like, since seven years or something and someone is just starting, we cannot just say back, I want to be like to Laura today.
00:12:36:06 - 00:12:43:09
Basma
Laura didn't start it that way, yesterday it took you a lot of years. So it's the same idea.
00:12:43:11 - 00:12:50:24
Laura
Exactly. And if people go back to the first season of TESOL Pop, they'll see where I started and the level at which I started and it's fine.
00:12:51:01 - 00:13:17:23
Basma
It gives them hope and inspiration that maybe in a couple of years we'd be just like Laura and also at the same time, learning about your journey and knowing how you started. This could be like a shortcut for them, because when they listen to you, they know some of the challenges that you had. How did you overcome them so they wouldn't have to face the same problems, but maybe different types of problems, so that this could help them in reaching to their destination faster.
00:13:17:23 - 00:13:28:07
Basma
And I said the same idea from the videos that we do as educational content, just like for other teachers, not to struggle in the same way that once we struggled.
00:13:28:09 - 00:13:41:14
Laura
Basma, it’s been lovely talking to you today. Thank you so much for sharing your experience and your top tips for how to build personal brand, and particularly how to use video. Before we closed today's episode, where can listeners find out more about your work and follow you?
00:13:41:16 - 00:14:03:05
Basma
well, first, I'd like to thank you so much for this beautiful invitation. I enjoyed talking to you the previous time, and today, but for my work or for my work, I would be there, like, on YouTube, mainly, for the educational content. And I'm also, like, present on social media, like Facebook and LinkedIn, where I share some of the articles and some of the videos.
00:14:03:07 - 00:14:10:13
Basma
but the educational content itself is mainly on YouTube, on a channel called TEFLship, like T E F L.
00:14:10:15 - 00:14:28:14
Laura
That's lovely. And for listeners, following all those links that Basma just mentioned are in the show notes, so you can access those easily. If you have a question or an idea that you'd like to pitch to TESOL Pop, then you can contact us via Instagram, Facebook or the website TESOLpop.com. Finally, you can support the work we do at TESOL Pop by leaving a rating, a review wherever you listen to the podcast.
00:14:28:20 - 00:14:39:03
Laura
By sharing today's episode with your teaching community or by even buying us a coffee at ko-fi.com/tesolpop
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