Want to Become a Streamer? Follow These Simple Guides

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May 14, 2021 Business

Technology and online platforms are changing our modes of entertainment and connection. There’s a huge shift towards streaming and video production, which are the new content delivery mediums. The concept of streaming began in 1881 when Théâtrophone enabled people to listen to theatre performances over the telephone. Now, with advanced computer networking and the vast growth of online businesses, streaming can include live chats, webcasts, e-learning, and event coverage.

The entire world is streaming, and we can say that the pandemic’s lockdown has certainly contributed to this boom. Whether you’re bored of your job, want to make a living out of playing video games, need to stream webinars for your business, or you just want to try something new; if you are ready to ride the trend and become a streamer, this article will give you some insight, and help you start your journey.

How to Start

In reality, you don’t need much to start streaming. Most people just start with their mobile phones and embark on their vlogs. However, if you want a more professional streaming setup, you will need more than that. You will need to have:

Fast and reliable internet; a stable connection is out of the question if you want a high-definition stream, so look for high-speed plans (at least 3.5 Mbps)
A strong router, which can be as important as your internet speed
A desktop PC with good horsepower
A high-quality headset with a good microphone for great audio quality ( a stream with an echo or unclear audio can be infuriating for viewers)
A webcam or a professional camera
A gaming system. If you’re a gamer, you need a good gaming system, and, of course, the most popular are PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. Macbooks are not recommended for gaming. Windows PC offers better gaming performance, more games, and at lower prices. You can also buy a graphic card if the PC doesn’t have one.

You might want to test all these elements before live streaming to make sure everything is perfect. There is also streaming software that helps you broadcast, customize, and switch between your screens. It can also get you the perfect layouts and let you know who follows your streams so you can keep an overview. Before you step out into the online world, you might consider using VPN. However, there are certain pros and cons when it comes to vpn for streamers, read all about them here to know more.

How To Stand Out

The streaming business has been vastly growing, as we said, and the competition is heavy, which is why you need to think about how you will be different from competitors. An example of a great success story is Ninja. Ninja is a gamer who used to stream for years without people knowing who he was, but then the famous video game Fortnite came out. Fortnite became a worldwide phenomenon, and one of the biggest games ever, with over 350 million users playing the game. Ninja took advantage of this opportunity and started to play the game and stream it until he was a Fortnite professional streamer-gamer. Ninja’s streaming channel blew up to the point where he played with huge stars like Marshmellow and Drake. The secret was that he created a unique character that attracted people and made them connect with him on a personal level. His character dressed up as a ninja and did funny dances whenever he won.

So it wasn’t just Ninja’s gaming skills that made him succeed; it was his ability to evoke people’s interest and connect with them. Engaging with your audience is key to creating a community. You can also reach out to a live streaming company to help you engage with your viewers and boost your lead generation effectively. Try to maintain conversations, socialize, and show your personality. Make viewers a part of your streams. Don’t forget the power of social media and have thousands of followers interested in your content.

Set Up Your Background

You need to set up a background that’s far from boring, give your room a makeover. Ditch the green screens; people love real backgrounds. Make sure your environment suits the content you’re providing and matches your personality. Set the scene to switch your stream up on the fly.

If you’re an educational streamer, consider putting colorful shelves full of cool books or even nerdy posters. Good lighting is also essential to improve the quality of your stream. Never set up your camera where other people can be seen (i.e., your family), and make sure the area isn’t noisy. Especially if you stream business webinars or interviews it’s imperative to have a very professional environment. You can also find ways to communicate your brand by creating meaningful corporate live streams and videos so that they reach your potential customers.

Build Networks

One very important rule when it comes to business and growing your fanbase is “building networks.” Not surrounding yourself with the right people can be detrimental to the growth of your brand. You need to join streaming communities and build networks with other streamers in the same business. It will help you make new friends who can inspire you, give you advice based on their experience, and encourage you. Besides, having connections is very important because you’ll have more opportunities to collaborate, attracting more viewers, and enhancing your exposure. You can find a plethora of streaming communities on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Discord, and many more online platforms. So get involved and build friendships.

Stay Active

One of the major challenges is that you have to stay active and maintain a steady schedule. If you only stream a few times per week, you won’t gain many followers and create a wide viewer base. Consistently streaming will create loyal viewers as they will know the exact times you stream on different days, and they are more likely to come back every time.

Becoming a well-known streamer and building a fan base can be a bit difficult at first, and it requires hard work, dedication, and patience. But everyone starts small until they reach their desired outcomes. If you follow these simple tips, you will become a pro streamer and thrive in no time. Sitting at your PC playing games all day is no longer frowned upon, so get streaming and have fun.