While most creators are comfortable talking to a camera, live streaming can make anyone nervous. Without editing or retakes to fall back on, it’s easy to feel awkward or uninteresting when you go live. However, you don’t need to be nervous; viewers love how relaxed their favorite creators can be when they go live.
Here’s how to live stream more confidently and comfortably.
Study the creators you admire.
High school athletes watch college games. Theater students sing along with their favorite cast recordings. Likewise, creators who want to do their own live streams should watch other creators’ live streams.
Choose a few creators you admire who live stream fairly often. Then, turn on their post notifications for the platforms they broadcast from. Whenever they go live, study their body language and where their focus is. Make note of the kinds of things they talk about.
If you’re friends with a creator who’s a frequent live streamer, invite them to go live with you. If you don’t live close to each other, you can still stream together with Instagram Live’s guest function. Follow the tutorial below.
Plan a few stories to share beforehand.
Have you ever recited your order in your head at a restaurant before the server asks what you want? Have you practiced a presentation in the mirror? A lot of people feel more confident speaking in front of others after planning what they want to say ahead of time.
Utilize this strategy for your live streams by planning a few stories you can share with your audience before the broadcast. Practice telling them in your head or out loud to a friend. Don’t memorize your stories word for word, but determine the beats you want to hit.
If all the stories you plan to share have a running theme, then you might even give your live stream a topical title. Sum up the main idea of your stories so viewers will know what to expect, and you’ll know what to say. For example, Natalia Taylor titled this live stream “EXPOSING the Zodiac Community” because it served as the finale to her video series about drama among creators who make astrology videos.
EXPOSING the Zodiac Community ☕️ LIVE 🔴https://t.co/MlOpGI26fg
— Natalia Taylor (@natalia_taylor_) July 6, 2020
Give yourself an energy boost.
There’s a reason the Starbucks line is always so long in the morning. The energy boost from the caffeine in coffee or tea gives a lot of people the confidence they need to start their days off right. With that extra jolt of energy, they feel better equipped to tackle work, errands, or whatever else their day holds.
If you don’t want to have caffeine, there are plenty of other ways to give yourself an energy boost before going live. Try working out or dancing around your room. You could also take a quick shower or turn on upbeat music. An energizing snack, such as nuts, can also give you the boost you need.
To improve your energy level even more, make sure you get enough rest the night before your stream. Additionally, plan your stream at a time you know you’ll naturally be feeling more awake. For example, if you’re an early bird, then you might schedule your live stream on Saturday morning.
Focus on questions from viewers.
What viewers love about live streams is getting to hang out with their favorite creators in real time. For creators, this means the live stream can be made into a two-way conversation. Your viewers will leave comments, which you can respond to on camera.
Focusing on viewer questions will help you feel more confident because you’ll be letting your audience steer the conversation. You won’t have to worry about boring them because you’ll be telling them exactly what they want to hear. The more questions you respond to, the more viewers will ask!
However, if you feel overwhelmed by the amount of questions your viewers are asking, start by responding to premium messages. Focus on the messages that are pinned at the top or highlighted in the chat. Then, you can glance at the rest of the chat for interesting comments.
Jump in the deep end by live streaming more often.
As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. The most effective way to build your live streaming confidence is to simply live stream more often. While you may feel awkward or uneasy in the beginning, you’ll get more comfortable going live as time goes on.
Start by scheduling weekly streams. Dedicate a specific day and time to going live each week so you have time to psych yourself up. Announce your upcoming streams on social media so you can see your fans’ excitement in the comments.
Live streaming is one of the best ways to engage with your audience, but the idea of broadcasting live seems daunting for a lot of creators. Follow the above tips to start live streaming more confidently.
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Kristen Harris enjoys listening to a wide range of music, from Taylor Swift to, on occasion, Celtic instrumental. She also spends her time writing, reading, and baking.
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