If you’re an expert in your niche, consider hosting Q&A sessions in your streams. Give your audience the chance to learn from a pro! Ask your audience what they like about your content, and what they want to see more of. Incorporate audience feedback into your future streams.
If you’re a gamer, playing a game live is a bit more forgiving, as you don’t have to create a time structure. Even so, make a list of things you can talk about while you play to keep things interesting. If you want to stick to a particular time, such as a one-hour stream, try to structure your live on paper and devote chunks of time to particular topics or tasks. Be sure to leave room for viewer questions and comments.
If you plan to make a career out of live streaming, invest in a DSLR camera or high-quality camcorder. [1] X Research source Some streamers prefer condenser mics, as they are great for capturing quieter sounds. [2] X Research source If you need something that can handle louder sounds, minimize background noise, and stand up to rough handling, consider a dynamic mic instead.
Software encoders that YouTube recommends: AWS Elemental MediaLive, Melon, OBS, Stage Ten, Xsplit Broadcaster, Gamecaster, and Wirecast. [4] X Research source
If you wear glasses, avoid pointing a light right at your face—this will cause glare. Instead, mount the light higher than your face, angle it downward, and set it off slightly to the side. [5] X Research source You can also avoid having a light point right at your face and instead place two lights on either side of you, illuminating you from both sides. You can create a DIY photo and video lighting setup using household objects you may already have.
When you have an exciting streaming event on the horizon, record some promo videos to build anticipation. Add a cliffhanger to the promo video to compel viewers to watch your live stream.
When you have an exciting streaming event on the horizon, record some promo videos to build anticipation. Add a cliffhanger to the promo video to compel viewers to watch your live stream.
You can also let people know when you’ll be streaming by encouraging viewers to subscribe to your channel and turn on notifications. Don’t forget to let your friends and social media followers know before you start streaming—they’ll be the most likely to tune in.
If you use certain catchphrases, images, or sound effects in your pre-recorded YouTube videos, use that content in your live streams.
Shout out viewers by name, especially repeat viewers and people who donate to your channel, as they join the conversation. This helps build relationships with your viewers. Asking your viewers questions is a great way to get them talking in the chat. Encourage them to communicate with each other as well as communicating directly with you. This builds a community based on your live streams.
Assign moderators to your YouTube Live chat to keep the environment safe and friendly for everyone. Consider exclusive subscriber-only chat sessions as your lives grow in popularity. You can specify how long someone needs to be subscribed to your channel before they’ll be able to access these chats. This will encourage your viewers to subscribe to your channel, which improves your overall stats. [8] X Research source
Keep your videos on the shorter side until you develop a following. Even if you want to do a lot of build-up to a certain topic, start by getting right to the point to reach viewers with shorter attention spans. [9] X Research source When you’re finished streaming live, you can upload your live stream to your channel as a regular video. If you don’t want to upload the whole thing, try making a highlight reel that features just the parts you want people to see, or maybe even some bloopers and outtakes!
Don’t be too repetitive with catchphrases—just enough to make your audience associate you with that catchphrase. Try not to change the intro and outro too much between streams to maintain consistency.
If your niche is gaming, check out other streamers who stream the same games you do. You can also check lists to find the top gaming streamers on YouTube, such as this list from Statista: https://www. statista. com/statistics/453461/leading-youtube-gaming-channels-subscribers Don’t be afraid to try new things! Even if the top streamers are following a specific formula, that doesn’t mean you have to. What’s something you can add to your live stream that nobody else is doing? Try it out and see what people think.
You can advertise your content to YouTube viewers based on their interests and demographics using YouTube Promoted Videos. Check out https://www. youtube. com/ads/ to learn more about advertising on YouTube.
