You only get one chance at making a good first impression as a new streamer, so don’t screw it up!
As someone new to the whole streaming industry, you’d typically want to put in your best foot forward. A good impression can always go a long way. Besides, you only have around 5-10 seconds to catch the attention of a new viewer. How do you make sure watching your content is something worth their time?
Here are some tips to give you an idea as to what your viewers would like to see on your very first stream.
10 Tips on What Your Viewers Would Like to See on your First Stream
Set the Ambience Right
This includes ensuring that the physical set-up of your stream is just right. Other streamers find a spot in their houses where the background is a plainly painted wall, while others don’t mind their viewers seeing their room in the back. If you have the budget for it, buying a green screen would allow you add effects and overlays to your stream.
You also need to make sure that the lighting of your video is perfectly suited to compliment your features. The last thing you’d want is to look bad on camera, especially if it’s your very first steam. Check those angles!
Organize your Stream Lay-out
It can be extremely off-putting for a new viewer to see your stream in disarray. Nobody likes mess, not even in the online community. Make sure you set your stream lay-out nice and tidy. Simply put, it should be attractive and pleasing to the eyes.
While this part can get rather technical, there are lots of online resources you can check to assist you in the process. You can check out Youtube videos or online articles for step-by-step detailed guide. You may also ask a friend or seek for a professional to help you set up your stream.
Present Yourself Well
As a streamer, you need to work on your visual appeal just as much — especially when you need to present yourself before the camera. You don’t have to be the most handsome or the most beautiful in the room, being on your best get-up is already more than enough.
For starters, you might want to change your hairstyle into something that won’t get your hair all over the place. And for girl streamers, consider applying light make-up. Putting on make-up before a stream is common for many female streamers online.
Choose the Perfect Game to Stream
With tons of games to choose from, it can get overwhelming to decide which game to stream. Should it be a game you’re good at? Or should it be a game you enjoy playing? There are a lot of factors to take into consideration, but choosing the best game still boils down on personal preference.
To that end, you might want to check out our list of upcoming games in 2020. There might be a title or two which you may be interested in. Even if you’re not the best gamer out there, don’t fret. Practice makes perfect. The more you spend time playing a game, the more you can brush up your skills.
… Or Other Categories Most Suitable for You
Gaming aside, there are plenty of other content you might want to consider streaming. You can do an IRL vlog to chat with your viewers, showcase your art skills by painting on cam, or cook a scrumptious recipe you swear with.
If you are a girl who’s looking to make profit off streaming videos, you can do so by doing Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) videos. Because of a variety of reasons far too complicated, controversial, and not entirely explained — the ASMR community tends to majorly favor women content creators more than men.
Just remember that streaming goes beyond merely games. There’s a whole new world out there for you, waiting to be unlocked and discovered.
Have Background Music that Matches with Your Stream
Nobody likes a boring stream. If you spend more than half your time with dead-air moments while your stream is live, new viewers might get the impression that your content is not worth their time. Adding background music while you play or stream while doing your own thing is just appropriate, if not encouraged!
There are royalty-free tracks you can use with just a simple internet search. You can also check out Spotify if you want to check out new gaming tracks.
Come Up with a Catchy Channel Name
Make your viewers easily remember you with a catchy channel name. If you’re running out of ideas, you can combine your chosen username + the words “Gaming” or “Plays”. Be creative! But make sure, your channel name is something appropriate so you won’t regret using it in the long run.
A channel name majorly defines your identity as a streamer. Most fans will know you not by your real name, but the gaming username you go with. Thus, pick one that resonates with your personality the most!
Use Catchphrases
Catchphrases add more fun in a stream. A lot of streaming A-listers are known to use or insert catchphrases in their videos every once in a while. If you’ve watched Pewdiepie’s well-renowned Minecraft videos on Youtube, you probably have an idea as to what we’re talking about.
Dropping one-liners and witty catch phrases add an element of amusement in typical monotonous streams. As a streamer, your task is to offer engaging content to your viewers. Stray away from the path of boring videos and step up your game!
Make your Viewers Laugh
To put it simply, be funny. Humor is something that most streamers add in their content to keep their fans engaged. If you want to become a successful streamer, do your best to be humorous — but don’t force it. Dropping offensive jokes or making fun of others for the sake of “humor” is a complete no-no!
If you do not have a single funny bone in your body, try to watch how established streamers do it and learn from them. Take baby steps and drop a few jokes or funny one-liners in your first streams until you figure out the key to make your viewers laugh.
Enjoy your stream
Streaming is supposed to be a fun and enjoyable activity, not just for the viewers but also for the content creators. Have fun in what you are doing and enjoy your stream. The pressure will be there, for sure, and we cannot guarantee that it will go away anytime soon but keeping a positive mindset will help you in the long run.
Stream like it’s your last. Turn every stream into something great. It doesn’t have to be in the form of grand props or background effects, sometimes it’s as simple as flashing a genuine smile to your viewers as you truly enjoy what you do.
What are the Benefits of Giving your Viewers a Great First Impression?
As the cliche line goes, first impressions last. This is true even in the streaming industry. You’d want to give your new viewers a solid reason as to why they should keep coming back for more, so do your best in putting your best foot forward.
New viewers who have taken a liking with your videos might regularly tune in for your next uploads. This can be beneficial on your end since your average viewer rate will definitely grow. More views means new potential subscribers to add to your following.
Giving off a pleasant first impression can also help you establish a fanbase as a newbie. Typically, you’d be starting with 0 subscribers. If you manage to make a good name for yourself and maintain a great impression — it’s only a matter of time for more people to know about you and discover the content that you offer.
Another benefit is that they might share your streams to others, especially if they see potential in your channel. Sharing your content across social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram can help you reach more like-minded audiences who may check out your videos if they have time.
New fans might also bring up your name in various online communities such as Reddit or Discord. As a new streamer, you might be the talk of the town for a while. Fans will review if your content looks promising or you’re just downright hopeless for their tastes.
Either way, you most likely have nothing to worry about if you managed to give off a great first impression. There’s no need to justify or introduce yourself in full length. Let the pleasant impression do the talking.
Conclusion
Giving a good first impression isn’t all that you need to do to become a successful streamer in the long run. In fact, it’s only one step you need to accomplish among the many others that you also need to do along the way.
It doesn’t stop there. You have to live up to the expectations and maintain the good impression you made. Streaming takes effort and patience, so you must prepare yourself to commit accordingly!
