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How to Overcome the Fear of Live Streaming

by  
Mayra Gomes
Oct 17, 2018
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For many people, doing a live stream can be a daunting task. Some struggle with being on camera, others don’t want the trouble of arranging all the live streaming equipment. But the number one fear of live streaming is the fact that it’s like a public speech, live and online for the whole world to see.


Summary

Fear of Being on Camera

  • Tips to look better on camera
  • Team up with another presenter
  • Use slide decks and hide
  • Find someone to be on camera

Fear of Live Streaming

  • Prepare in advance
  • Get the right equipment
  • Do dry runs
  • Extra tips about length, honesty, and mistakes

Fear of Failure

  • Get viewers by promoting your content

In the current marketing strategies trends, live streaming is vital for businesses and personal brands. It helps you establish a real connection with your audience, whether they are 10 or 10,000 people. Once they identify with you and your brand, they begin to trust you and become loyal followers, customers, advocates.

If you want to start live streaming to grow your brand, but feel paralyzed by your fear of live streaming, this blog post is for you. We’ve gathered some tips to address those fears and help you get started with live streaming.  

Ready to live stream like a pro? Download ManyCam for free today!

Overcome your Fear of Live Streaming

Live Streaming Fear – Being on Camera

One of the common fears of live videos, or videos in general, is being on camera. While some people love it, others avoid it at all costs, even the cost of growing their brand and impact.

The way you look might play a significant role here. Everyone gets a little insecure when it comes to appearance. But we have good news. First, live streaming audiences aren’t as focused on aesthetics as we think. That goes for video and production. Second, with a few adjustments, anyone can look much better on a webcam. Check out this post for the 11 Tips to Look Better on Video Calls.

Still afraid of being on camera? Try these tips below.

Alternatives to Being on Camera

  • Have someone else on camera with you

Talking to someone else instead of a camera will help you be more natural and focus less on the fact that you are on camera.

  • Use slide decks

With presentation slide decks you get to “hide” while you deliver your content. It’s better if the audience sees you, even if it’s brief, but some people conduct live webinars without ever showing up on camera.

  • Find someone to be on camera for you

If you have a partner or someone in the company that speaks well and would be willing to go on camera, that’s great. But, keep in mind, your audience will associate your brand with them.

Live Streaming Fear – Going Live

Human beings fear public speaking more than death, so you’re not alone. Plus, the fact that live streaming requires interaction with the audience adds another degree of fear to the whole live video thing.

Dealing with the fear of live streaming

When we are afraid of doing live videos, usually there’s a more specific fear behind it. Not to get all “Freud” here, but knowing what you’re terrified of, will help you deal with it more effectively.

For instance, if you are fear making mistakes in front of your audience, preparation and rehearsal are the best remedies.

Prepare your content in advance

  • Have a slide deck ready, tested and proofread
  • Write an outline of the topics you’ll cover – or even an entire script if you feel it’s helpful.
  • Rehearse out loud

If you feel insecure about the technical aspect of a live stream, here are some possible solutions.

Get the right equipment for your live streaming

  • Test everything
  • Have backups
  • Live Streaming Checklist
  • Find someone tech savvy to help you while you’re live

Most importantly, do dry-runs: go live on social media, on private mode, and deliver your content. When you watch the playback, you will be able to analyze and adjust your setup.

More tips to overcome your fear of live streaming

  • Keep them short and then gradually increase the length. It will help you gain confidence and build some momentum.
  • Be honest with your audience. They will understand if you’re a little nervous and if you make some mistakes.
  • If something goes wrong, which is likely, get help to fix it, apologize and move on.

To create professional-looking live streams with an easy-to-use application, make sure you check out ManyCam.

Live Streaming Fear – After all the trouble, no viewers.

Not so much a fear of live streaming but more of a fear of its results or lack thereof. What if, you go through all this trouble and no one watches it?

To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, remember to:

  • Promote your live stream across all your platforms, as well as email lists and ads.
  • Get partners and friends to promote it, too.
  • Ask people to share the live stream once you go live.
  • Create a consistent schedule of live videos
  • Try video collaborations

If you only get a small audience, it’s still good practice! Also, take the opportunity to get their feedback and learn how you can improve.

The live video can, later on, become other types of content for your brand, like videos on demand on your YouTube Channel, blog posts, podcast episodes, etc. So, it won’t ever be a waste of your time. There are always benefits to doing live video.

Live video is all about sharing valuable content with your audience and interacting with them. If mistakes happen along the way, try not to worry about them too much. The audience is forgiving, and they will be glad to get to know the real person in front of the camera a bit better.

With these tips and your willingness to try, you can overcome your fear of live streaming today. Imagine reaching a wider audience, building the community you dreamt of and growing an even more successful brand that would make you proud. That’s what’s at stake here.

Make sure you download ManyCam for free today and enhance your live streams like never before!

Want to learn more about live streaming?

Live Streaming Setup 101 – Everything You Need to Know

Everything you need to know about live streaming setup, equipment, and other technical aspects to go live like a pro...  (Get free access)

The Ultimate Guide to Live Streaming Content

Learn all about live streaming content and choose the right content for your business. Plan ahead, have solid goals in mind and achieve more with live video. (Get free access)

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