Do you have something important to say? Love playing video games and want to share the joy with an audience? Can you give detailed and entertaining tutorials on how to get the perfect winged eyeliner? You’re in the right place! Here are some tips on how to become an online streamer.
These four basic tips will kick-start your new endeavor in the ever-growing world of online streaming. First, and this is crucial, have something to say or do! If you want to broadcast yourself to the world you need to have something to talk about or interest that will engage an audience. Why will people want to watch you?
Second, what will make you stand out from the plethora of online streamers? You need a unique selling point (USP). Third, choose a streaming platform that can offer all you need to create and stream your content. Finally, advertise. Your stream needs viewers! Let’s get started.
Have something to say!
This one seems obvious, but if you want to be a successful online streamer you need to have a topic of interest or a hobby or skill that is engaging, entertaining, or educational. Who is your target audience and what do they gain from your stream?
If your stream discusses topics such as world events or political opinions, be passionate. If you are planning a historical or fact-based stream, do your research. If your stream is a makeup tutorial, be creative.
To develop a following in your target audience, you will need to be relevant, be funny, and be really good at what you do. No pressure!
Have a unique selling point
What makes you different? Will your content stand out from the plethora of online voices? Maybe you’re the first person to do this thing, or more likely you have put a new twist on it. Do you do your makeup using only food products? Do you have a new perspective or theory about a well-known event? Whatever it is, it’s your unique selling point, without which you’ll get lost in the noise.
Check out other streamers in your field, for instance, gamers, and see what their USP is. Let them inspire you, but also think about how you can stand out from them.
Choose your platform wisely
There are some key factors you should bear in mind when choosing your streaming platform. For instance, does the service offer free trials? These can be a great way to try out a new product to make sure it suits your needs before purchasing a package.
That brings us to cost. Depending on your needs, costs can vary greatly. Some of the best platforms for live streaming offer basic deals for free or as low as $12 a month. However, these basic deals have limited features, and if they aren’t sufficient you will be looking at higher costs, right up to deals for nearly $1000 per month (but these are for big organizations and offer high-security features and advanced audience engagement features).
Some features that may not be offered in the basic deals include the ability to pre-record streams, streaming without the platform’s logo visible, or the ability to multistream (stream to multiple platforms at once).
Get the word out
And when you’re ready to begin, you’ll only be missing one thing. An audience.
You can get so far with word of mouth, through family, friends, and colleagues. Beyond this, you can make a public post on social media platforms, for people to share and discuss. These tactics will begin at the level of your close friends and family, but will, especially online, reach friends of friends and beyond. Not bad to begin with!
Once you have established your stream, you can invite guests who do the same activity or are involved in the field of discussion and have a platform or following of their own. This will broaden your reach, as your guests’ friends, family, and following will be exposed to your stream as well. If you have a big place of work or place of education you could send out an email informing your peers of the stream or even go old-school and print flyers for distribution in communal areas.
Now that you have thought about your idea, USP, platform, and advertising strategy, it’s time to get started. These four tips will set you up to start streaming, equipped with the basics you will need for success, but now it’s up to you. Remember: be engaging, be passionate, be prepared.