How to Be a Confident Speaker While Streaming

Streaming is quickly gaining popularity, partly due to the lockdown restrictions caused by COVID-19. Thankfully, creating content doesn’t require you to go outdoors. It’s an excellent way to connect with people, even during a global pandemic. It can be an avenue to better express yourself or to build your career as an internet personality. 

Whether you’re doing it for fun or for the grind, it’s important to overcome the learning curves by moving out of your comfort zone. Unfortunately, not everyone finds it easy to pull off a confident persona when speaking in front of a camera.

How to be a confident streamer in front of the camera

Having problems with your confidence can be an issue if you’re an introvert to begin with. Alternatively, you could be extroverted and charismatic in person, but just can’t seem to translate that to streaming. Since you’re interacting through a different medium, you may have reservations about speaking confidently, especially if you’re alone in your room. Thankfully, being confident in front of the camera is a skill that you can develop and improve over time.

In this article, we’ll share a three-step guide on how to become a better speaker as a streamer:

Step#1: Talk about things you’re passionate about

The best streamers know how to interact with their audience when it counts. This means using entertaining questions, and listening to suggestions when necessary. However, you should know how to get your audience’s attention when you’re speaking. Instead of forcing yourself to talk about unfamiliar topics, start with sharing something you’re passionate about. Your viewers will be able to tell if a streamer is enjoying themselves or if they are being forced just to respond to chat. The more often you speak about things that interest you, the more confident you’ll appear in front of the camera. And your audience will get to know you more, so they’ll be bouncing topics and ideas off you, and you’ll build a brilliant rapport – this is what brings the audience back.

Step#2: Try to be spontaneous

If you are less conscious about every little thing, you’ll start to look and feel more comfortable. Sometimes, following a strict schedule and format can be limiting and force you to appear dull and uninteresting – for example, reading from a script is less fun than having key points to riff around when you’re making a speech. A similar effect can happen when you’re overthinking every step while you’re on stream. The anxiety of making blunders on stream is something that many new streamers struggle with. However, you must understand that these blunders are also a part of the learning process (as long as you don’t slip up and mention anything that will breach ToS – no calling anyone a simp, virgin, or incel!). Playing games that encourage improvisation such as D&D, The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen, or indeed any roleplaying or word game, will really help you to think on the fly.

Step#3: Learn from the best

For many streamers, what made them start streaming was their enjoyment of watching other streamers. Like learning a new instrument or art form, newcomers should have an inspiration or reference for their growth. Your streaming journey shouldn’t put you in a bubble. The whole point of streaming platforms is to connect people. For this reason, you should brush up on your studies and take some pointers from your favourite streamers. However, you shouldn’t copy everything you see online. You should know how to develop your own style by combining and innovating elements and traits from those you idolise.

Conclusion

Enjoying yourself is the best way to be confident in whatever you’re doing, whether you’re streaming as a hobby or planning to do it full-time. Although the world outdoors may still be a dangerous place, being in the company of like-minded people through online spaces is an excellent way to stave off cabin fever. This is why streaming platforms are bridges that connect streamers and online viewers.

If you want to avoid committing streaming mistakes, you should devote more time to read about the latest tips and tricks around. At Coaching for Geeks, we provide a hub for aspiring Twitch streamers by providing Twitch stream tips, gaming news and more! Check out our blog today to keep yourself updated!