First off, live streaming isn’t for the faint of heart. Imagine yourself talking in front of dozens to hundreds of people at a time as you do different activities, such as playing your games or doing an IRL vlog, and if you’re not that much of a social person— the idea might seem terrifying at first.
However, if you’re dealing with social anxiety and stage pressure — you can take comfort in the fact that feeling confident in front of the camera is something you may build and learn over time.
Given the right attitude, work ethic, and mindset, any aspiring streamer can do it.
Becoming more camera confident
There’s no need to be worried if you’re nervous over the idea of live streaming in front of an audience— we’re here to tell you it’s perfectly normal. If public speaking isn’t included in your comfort zone, it’d be quite tricky to get out of that bubble.
Instead of giving in to the looming anxiety and fear, you might want to channel your energy to inspire you in giving it your best shot. Keep in mind that some of the big names in the industry started right where you are as well, but they got over their fears over time. You are bigger than what makes you anxious.
Live Streaming Tips to Boost Your Confidence in front of the Camera
No aspiring streamer wants to stammer or stutter in front of the camera. Any awkward silences and pauses in your livestream may lead to a negative impact on your booming career, and your reputation might even be questioned at such an early part of your streamer journey.
To avoid these, here are some tips to help you take your streaming career down the right path:
Get rid of bad thoughts
If you’re an anxious person, you’d typically hear self-doubt thoughts along the lines of “I don’t look good enough on camera to do livestreams,” or “I don’t think I’m fit to become a streamer.”
Self-sabotage can kill your streaming career faster than what you look like on camera or what your online personality is.
If you want to thrive in this industry, get rid of limitations and believe in yourself. It might be difficult to feel confident on camera at first, since it’s not a natural ability most of us are born with, but as long as you try you’ll gradually get over your camera-shy personality over time. Trust us!
Remind yourself of your passion
If playing video games or creating online content is your passion, stay true to your calling. Remember that this is what you can offer the world— so it’s your duty to make it as impactful as it can get.
It doesn’t mostly revolve around what you look like in front of the camera or how you sound like. As long as your viewers can find some value in the passion you pursue in this career, a number of them will be happy to support you in your endeavor.
Make your audience feel how much you care for the community, may it be of a particular video game or a non-gaming content genre. You might run into a slump on some days, but you won’t completely run out of ideas if you really like what you’re doing.
Get to know your audience
How do you effectively leave a lasting impression on your audience? One thing to do so is to identify your target audience and get to know them.
For gamers, research about what’s currently trending in the community (such as the current season META picks) and carefully weigh your thoughts in between your gameplay. A streamer who appears to know what he or she is doing can capture the attention of new viewers, especially if they can learn something from them.
Knowing who you’re speaking with is also a great way to think of possible topics to talk on-stream, so you won’t end up with awkward pauses and silences on your livestream.
Practice makes perfect
Like any other activity, practicing how to speak and act in front of the camera will take off some pressure on your part as you do it in real time. Even if you’re an extrovert and a self-proclaimed social butterfly, it’s always a great idea to be prepared.
A good way to practice is to look at yourself in front of a mirror and talk like you’re in a livestream. This will also give you a general idea of how you may look in front of the camera, so you might want to adjust some facial cues and expressions accordingly.
This also applies to your stream make-up should you intend to wear some. Position your camera just a bit above eye level, and avoid having to look up to your camera. Doing so could be less flattering on your part as it may give more of your chin than your eyes.
Speak directly and put your communication skills into practice. The more you practice, the more you’re likely preparing yourself before you go live.
Do a mock stream
Take out your camera and record yourself like you’re doing your livestream! This may also be in the form of desktop screen recording your OBS software or other footage you intend to feature on your broadcast.
You don’t have to spend long minutes over a mock stream. At least 5 minutes worth of live test footage will be enough for you to determine if everything’s going alright in your stream— which includes stream alerts, lay-out, audio and camera quality.
You can even prepare a tech checklist to ensure everything’s currently smooth-sailing. This may include doing a hardware check, audio and camera check, speed test, and background check. It’s also important to switch off interruptions, so mute devices such as alarms and desktop/smartphone notifications.
Once you’re confident everything turned out just fine, then take it as a go signal. You’re good to go! This will also reduce the chances of stumbling into technical issues on your livestream.
Study the pros
Figuring out how the veteran streamers do it might give you an idea towards how you should act in front of the camera. Hence, check on others who are doing okay in the field and learn from them.
Study their traits, catchphrases, online personalities, and you might be surprised to pick up a thing or two from how they handle things. How do they entertain their viewers? Are they effectively capturing the attention of the audience?
Of course, what works for one may not work for everyone else— hence you have to figure out how to tone it down to a style that will also work best for you.
Do “feel good” rituals
You can rely on feel-good habits to maintain an upbeat personality in front of the camera for long hours. Condition yourself to be in your cheery mood prior, and you’re most likely to be smiling genuinely and keeping a good mood throughout your stream.
Before you hit that “Live” button, listen to some upbeat music, stretch out a little, enjoy a cup of tea or coffee, and have a nice little snack to boost your energy.
Note that these feel-good habits don’t have to take long. You can just allot a couple of minutes to do these prior to sitting in front of your set-up and starting your live broadcasts.
Warm up your voice
To “be yourself” is a great advice to follow, but you need to take into consideration that live streaming is a skill that can be improved on. Hence, you must work on amplifying your speaking voice to heighten authenticity.
This involves raising your energy levels by a couple of notches as you speak in front of an audience. Your voice quality and strength can be very important in establishing a connection and communicating with your viewers.
Commit to doing some simple vocal exercises daily and about 10 minutes before you go live. These exercises will help you achieve more vocal strength and better diction in general.
Be enthusiastic
Keep in mind that your enthusiasm matters, especially in live streaming. If you don’t believe in yourself and the content that you offer your audience, it’s most likely that no one else will.
Be interested in what you’re talking about, and let your enthusiasm be known. No one wants to see a grumpy streamer who keeps on whining in front of the camera.
Your on-screen disposition will greatly define your reputation as an aspiring streamer, so it’s important that you portray someone people actually want to watch and support.
Trust us, having this kind of mindset will help you achieve success in the live streaming and content creation industry.
Bottomline
At the end of the day, one must venture out of their comfort zones to see growth and self-improvement. This also goes for aspiring streamers who aspire to belong among the A-listers of the industry.
Given the proper mindset and perseverance, a shy newbie streamer can turn into a cheerful, enthusiastic veteran over time. Don’t lose hope, you got this!
