There is nothing wrong with streamers who see this as a hobby and and something to do on the side here and there. However, if you are looking to move to the next level than this guide is aimed at you. There is no sugar coating these techniques that I will be listing below they are important and proven. Lets get down to business and be the best you can be.
Webcam:
Yes you need one! Streaming is about interacting with other people. By not having a webcam you are already cutting in half that interaction by excluding a key component of social communication and body language.
Green Screen:
Unless you have something to show off then do not show anything at all! Unless you have nice art or a nice looking bookshelf with cool games and something really interesting to look at ditch the background. Having a couple posters on the wall or worse a messy bed in the background will not cut it. Green screens are cheap and easy and you already have a webcam right?
Appearance:
You do not have to look like a Calvin Klein model to succeed but you should present yourself in a professional manner. You do not need a fancy suit or anything, but a nice shirt and not having bed hair will help a lot in your image. Be careful if you wear graphic tee shirts as the images or text could turn certain people away. Comb your hair check your teeth and whatever you do, do not wear some old sweaty stained tank top on stream.
PC:
People are not going to like this but yes you need one. Without a decent computer you will be missing out on some of the most important features available to a streamer end of story. Even if you are a console only streamer you still need to be using a PC in order to leverage programs like OBS or Xsplit which will provide you with endless ways to help interact with your viewers. Either use a capture card like the Elgato HD or you can try Microsoft's Streaming app on windows 10 to push your xbox to your PC if you have a fast enough connection to handle it.
Quality:
720P@60fps or above!
Microphone:
Of course you know this but wait there is more. Do not cheap out here guys audio quality is king in the streaming game a cheap headset mic combo will not cut it. If you already have a good headset consider a Mod Mic which can attach via magnet. Another option is a desktop mic but do also get a mic boom as this will allow the mic to sit closer to your mouth and increase the quality. Some good mics to start with are the blue yeti or snowball. Remember about having the PC? Good then use those microphone filters such as noise gate and sound suppression to give you the best sound possible.
Social:
Twitter is good but Instagram is better. Ever hear the phrase a picture is worth a thousand words well screw that because we can now add words and graphics to our pics to make them worth 10,000! What I mean by this is using programs such as Photoshop to add text and graphics over your photos before you send them to Instagram. Consider putting up your name/link to channel and the game you are streaming directly on the photo. And about those photos be creative we are on webcam already so no need to be shy, ad yourself into them! Still you should of course not forget twitter but make sure you interact with it do not just tweet your going live and that's it. Favorite other peoples posts ad comments and retweet.
Talking:
Remember the 30 second rule. While you do not have to be talking non stop do remember to try to say something at least every 30 seconds. The reason for this is because that is a ball park figure of the average time you have to gain the attention of a new viewer before they hit the back button. Talk about anything really as long as its not too crazy or over the top. Suggestions would be, how your days going, narration of in game events and also but not least talking to viewers.
Interaction:
Mixer has two great things going for it, FTL and interactive buttons. FTL will allow you to respond to viewers in the blink of an eye and you should leverage this at all times by having a constant way to check the chat feed. The buttons are a freebie and are a great way to have fun with your users do not skip THESE!
Anger/Complain:
Do not do these on stream they will lose you viewers fast. Its okay to get frustrated during a hard game but do shake it off and carry on. Also never speak bad about Mixer (outside of general critiques) or sponsors as remember you want to work with them don't you?
Overlays:
Use them but keep them as minimal as possible. Smaller here is better this goes right along with having a green screen as this will reduce clutter. Remember what game your playing and make sure your over lay fits with it perfectly. I recommend unless you only play one game exclusively to keep the theme of your overlays tied to that of your channel.
Channel Description:
Mixer gives you a blank slate under your stream to ad whatever you want. You should fill this with useful content including info about you links to social and anything else that might be relevant to your viewers. Remember to keep a consistent theme with the rest of your branding and also graphics here go a long way to looking more professional.
Promotion/hosting:
Do not plug yourself without adding some kind of content first. If you have bots (you should) its okay to have them remind your viewers about social and what not but keep it to a long interval duration no need to spam your own chat. End your stream by hosting someone else preferably playing the same game. Do not just host and then leave your computer you should plan to stick around and chat some more to network and hopefully gain a new friend who will help you in the future.
Schedule:
Have one and stick to it. Consider any off schedule streams as a bonus. Remember the more you put in the more you will get out.
This list will be updated as time goes on but for now following the above will greatly help you at building a successful channel. If you want some examples of things like the descrition feel free to check out my channel at https://mixer.com/SlideFire or ask away and I will try my best to help you.
Submitted by SlideFire | #Specialdealer Special Offer Online Shopping Store 2016
No comments:
Post a Comment