It is normal to be nervous or experience some kind of anxiety as a first-time streamer. Getting used to improv, talking to yourself and strangers takes time and practice. However, you don’t have to wait around that long to make the journey a little easier for you. You can do and learn things before you even go live to help you become a more successful streamer from the start.
The following are seven tips to ensure your first streams and more run successfully:
Have a Clear Plan and Be Consistent
Don’t just go live without a plan. Know what you want to do and what you plan to do with the content after the stream. Be sure to pick a consistent schedule and let your viewers know.
Test First Before You Go Live
Test all your equipment and other materials before you go live. While mistakes can and will happen and are not the end of the world. Testing allows you to be more prepared and professional. Also, you don’t want to miss viewership because you are trying to fix your equipment.
Personalize
Add something to your stream that makes it different. For example, pick different colors or fun graphics—anything you really enjoy or relate to your niche.
Keep It Moving
Keep the commentary and content moving. When new viewers show up, you really want to recognize them and establish some sort of communication. This way, they are instantly engaged and curious to see what more you have to offer.
Be Yourself
Even if you make mistakes, always be yourself. You don’t need to look like the most popular streamer to be successful. Copying someone else will never allow you to really achieve your dreams. Eventually, you will burn out and get lost as you can’t act like someone else forever.
Instill Determination
This won’t be a get-rich-quick business. It would help if you had the determination to keep going even when you have no viewers. When you first get started, this will be common. Please don’t use it as a reason to give up. Instead, use it as practice and content for marketing purposes. Just because people are not watching now doesn’t mean they won’t later when you edit the information and share it across other platforms.
Use Social Media and Other Websites
To become a successful streamer, you must take advantage of all the third-party options. First, build and create a website that is easy to find and repurpose your content on other platforms. Even if you don’t live stream on YouTube, it is still vital to create a page and edit the live streams to use for long-form videos later. This way, you can find your audience elsewhere.
As you see, being live as a streamer is really only part of the job. You should do many different things before and after to build your audience and build your live streaming business. Over time as you establish your own routines, you will gain the confidence and experience to improve and run a better stream.
If this helps … tag me on IG @marta_the_smarter
