Streaming is not as easy as you think.
Sure, being in front of the camera seems like a piece of cake — but streaming isn’t all that. When you start your live broadcast, the one you are presenting to the rest of the world is the bare you. No pauses, no edits, just the raw you.
What you do in your stream and how you act speaks for yourself. Hence, it’s important to be mindful of the things you do and the stuff you say while on stream.
Streaming is a spontaneous act
Unlike Youtube videos where you can edit outtakes and even blooper reels, live streams are rather spontaneous. You cannot edit anything since it’s a real-time broadcast. Once you say something rather troublesome and controversial, it would be difficult to take that back — unless you can justify how it’s a mistake of some sort.
Minor and major mistakes can greatly affect your reputation. If you’re aiming to build a career out of streaming, you might want to be mindful of the way you act in front of the camera.
This article is a great starting point for many aspiring streamers, since we will discuss the common mistakes streamers should always watch out for:
Doing it for the money alone
There’s no problem if you’re motivated to stream primarily because of the possibility of generating great revenue off your content and many ads. However, if you make that your primary reason to stream, you might not end up staying long-term in the industry.
Most new streamers struggle to make a profit out of streaming. Hence, if you’re only doing it for the money alone, we’d rather advise you to think this through. Try to think of another reason why you want to stream aside from the profit.
For one, stream because you want to share your impressive gaming knowledge or make friends across the world. Think of the profit you might make as a mere bonus.
Becoming stagnant for a long period of time
In the streaming industry, you need to regularly adapt to many changes. This includes updates on lay-outs, channel designs, headers, and more. Streaming platforms usually update from time to time, so it’s best to update your channel and your content along with it.
If you don’t offer your viewers anything new, many of them might grow bored of the same old content you constantly do. Don’t be afraid to spice things up while still adhering to the community guidelines, of course.
As you spend more time building your name as a streamer, make sure that you grow and learn from it as well.
Going alone
Streaming isn’t a one-man act. At some point, you need to collaborate with other streamers to grow your channel. This might be a challenge if you’re an introvert or if you’re not the biggest social butterfly in the room, but remember that many streaming A-listers who made it to the top asked help from others and played with them together.
Collaborating with other streamers allows you to reach more audiences (who might become your followers too if they liked your stream). Consider playing with others in multiplayer games with duo or squad options.
Rage-quitting
Nobody likes a sour grape, especially in streaming! You might be on a losing streak or your teammates may be enraging you, but that isn’t reason enough for you to rage on your live stream and say despicable words against other players. Losing your cool and abandoning the match is also discouraged.
Rage-quitting can be enough grounds for you to get suspended on your particular streaming platform. For instance, streamer Dafran landed a 30-day suspension on Twitch for bursting into a fit of rage while on camera. His profanity-laced tirade didn’t go well for him.
If you’re not in the best of moods, try to cut your stream short to regain your composure. Remember to be graceful even in times you want to rage.
Saying verbally-offensive stuff
In today’s prevalent cancel culture, one controversial statement can put an end to your career for good. You wouldn’t want to go viral on social media for being a “problematic” icon. On the contrary, you’d typically aspire to become someone other streamers can look up to and learn from.
To avoid this, always think before you speak. Weigh out your words even if you need to be spontaneous on stream. If you don’t have anything nice to say, better keep it to yourself than risk it.
Being a decent human being costs zero. Not to mention, your fans will appreciate your efforts at being a nice person and an unproblematic online personality.
Overstreaming (or the lack thereof)
Overstreaming can lead to burn out. In order for you to stay in the industry for a long time, you need to strike a healthy balance between streaming and taking good care of yourself. Do not push yourself to stream for longer hours that will sacrifice your rest or health. Keep in mind that your well-being should be your top priority at the end of the day.
The lack thereof (of streaming time) may also lead you to repercussions. If you stream too rarely, it might be harder for you to accumulate and build your following. It’s encouraged to create a balanced schedule instead and stick to it.
Being silent
It takes an average of 10-15 seconds for you to create a good impression before a viewer would leave your stream. If they see you on dead-air silence, they might not think too well of your channel and the content you plan to offer.
Try to interact with your viewers and keep on talking while your broadcast is live. Build your interpersonal skills as you go on in this journey. It might be hard at first especially if you’re not particularly good at maintaining a conversation, but the more you do it, the better chances you have at improving at the skill.
Choosing the wrong platform
There are so many streaming platforms you can choose from that it’s understandable for it to get overwhelming at some point. How do you know which is the right pick for you? Is a certain platform more suited for you than others? To find the right answer, you need to take some time and consider the pros and cons of the platforms you are considering.
Choosing the wrong platform may cause setbacks and problems along the way. If you want to save yourself from the hassle of dealing with these issues in the long run, you might want to make sure that you’re making the right choice since day one.
Using “aimbots” or any other cheat/hack
Using cheats to dominate your matches defeats the purpose of why these games were created. Nobody likes cheaters in their games, in fact, most people abhor them.
One common cheat in most shooting games is the use of aimbots. In gaming terms, using “aimbots” is an illegal and frowned upon hack that autofocuses your weapons on opponents. As a result, hitting your target and getting kills are made easier.
If you’re planning to stream on a long-term basis, we strongly advise to never use these cheats and hacks. Nothing beats winning your matches because of pure skills!
Signs You’re Doing It Wrong
Most streamers deal with their live broadcasts alone. With no one to point out what you’re falling short at, how do you know if you’re doing it wrong?
Here are some common signs that indicate you may not be doing your streams right:
- Inconsistent views – If you’re having a hard time building your audience and your average viewer rate is way below your target, this may be an indicator that your streams aren’t doing as well as you thought. Grab this chance to re-evaluate factors that contribute to your stream. Make sure your streams are of high quality and there are no technical issues involved.
- Issues related to your name – Streamers who envelop themselves in constant controversy are often blacklisted by many viewers. To avoid getting avoided by potential subscribers and fans, stray away from any problematic issue. Always think before you speak. Remember that you are the one held accountable in whatever you say in your streams.
- You get suspended often – If you get suspended more often than other streamers in your chosen platform, there’s a chance you might be doing something wrong in your live broadcasts. Take note of the reason why you get suspended and learn from it. Do your best not to repeat the same mistakes again.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, mistakes are natural. Streamers, in particular, are prone to make mistakes while their stream is live. Since there’s no edit button, whatever you say or do in real-time would be broadcasted to all your viewers.
However, knowing what mistakes to avoid can be a great help if you want to improve and work on your channel. Providing better content to your followers can be hard work at times — but we can assure you that all the effort is going to be worth it in the long run.
