Live Streaming Fears and How to Overcome Them
When Ian Anderson Gray, founder of Confident Marketing Live Academy, and I sat down at Social Media Marketing 2020 for an interview, we couldn’t help but reminisce how far we’ve come in our careers thanks to live streaming video.
You see when Ian first thought of jumping on camera to do a live broadcast, he had the same thoughts that most people usually have, plus a laundry list of excuses on why he shouldn’t do it.
But there comes a time when we all have to decide on what should guide our business moving forward - fear or confidence?
Thankfully for Ian, he chose confidence and since then his business has flourished.
So what was his secret?
How did Ian overcome his fear of being on camera?
Ian shared all of that and more in his talk, “How to Create a Live Streaming Show: Tips, Tools, and Techniques to Succeed.”
And if you weren’t there at Social Media Marketing World, then don’t fear.
In this post, I’ll be sharing with you some of the biggest takeaways from his presentation including his Confident Live Warm-Up Formula that could transform your live streaming video from boring to badass.
Because if he could do it, you can do it too.
I hope you’ll learn as much as I did from Ian’s talk. So, let’s start discussing some of the highlights…
6 Syndromes You Need To Overcome As A Live Streamer
Several types of fears revolve around live streaming, and here are some of the most common, according to Ian…
Imposter Syndrome
You doubt your worth, and you feel like you don’t deserve the recognition or the achievements you attained in the past.
You often question yourself: Who are you to present yourself to the world?
Comparison Syndrome
You compare yourself to other people who do live streaming video. And, more often than not, you feel like you can never be up to par with the person you’re comparing yourself with.
Perfectionism Syndrome
You are so bugged by the smallest details that you never get anything done.
Introversion
You are an introvert. You feel like live streaming is a super-extroverted thing to do.
Tech Excuse
You are not confident about your tech skills. You end up having too many tech-related excuses instead.
Feeling Like an Idiot
When you do videos, you feel like you’re speaking to a wall. Or, you feel like you look, or you sound like an idiot.
Tips to Overcome These Syndromes
Get more familiar with live streaming tech and gear.
Tech gear may sound intimidating for most people. Still, live streaming boils down to the essentials - a camera (or a phone), a computer (or a phone), an internet connection, and some live streaming software.
Get familiar with the equipment, but you don’t have to go overboard or spend a fortune just to get started. The truth is, you won’t need a high-end video camera right away. You could even begin recording live videos on your phone!
Of course, you could go for the pricey equipment if you have the budget. It’s entirely up to you.
So, here are some of the must-have live streaming tools and requirements you want to have in your arsenal when you’re just starting:
Computer vs. Smartphone
When it comes to live streaming, using a computer is usually the better option compared to a smartphone. The former features a more professional setup and allows you to bring in guests, share your screen, and feature stunning graphics and videos. Above all, it will enable you to repurpose content.
However, using a smartphone is not that bad either, especially if you’re on a tight budget. When compared to a desktop broadcast, livestreams produced on a smartphone tend to appear more raw and genuine. Plus, smartphones are portable and perfect for those spontaneous live video moments. They work great outdoors too!
Pro Tip:
When choosing a computer for your live streaming videos, make sure you meet the following specs:
Memory: At least 16GB
Processor: Quad-Core i7
Graphics: Has a dedicated processor
Internet connection
Live video could exert so much pressure on your internet bandwidth. Make sure you have at least 3mbps of Internet upload speed.
To test your internet upload speed, go to speedtest.net.
Camera
Choose a camera that works for you and your budget. The market has so many options you could choose from. Prices could range from $60 and up.
RELATED: How To Use A DSLR Camera to Make Your Live Video Magical
Microphone & Lighting
As you scale up your business, you also might want to include special production hardware, such as lighting and specialized microphones, in your live streaming arsenal.
These tweaks could take your live video production a notch higher and more efficient in the long run.
Click here to see the gear I use for Lights, Camera, Live®.
Software | Live Streaming tools
With live streaming gaining popularity worldwide, more and more apps, tools, and software are surfacing as well. Some of the most trusted live video tools include Ecamm Live, Restream, Streamyard, and Switcher Studio - to mention a few.
Choose the tools and apps that fall within your budget and help you with your goals.
Plan your live streaming process
A good live stream starts with good planning. Planning is a crucial step in the live streaming process - so, don’t skip it!
When it comes to planning for live shows, Ian sticks to what he calls “The 5Ps Live Video Process.”
Plan
As soon as your guest schedules to do a live show with you, make sure you set the right expectations. Also, give them enough resources to prep them for their upcoming live.
Send them a checklist of the things they need to do and how to prepare for the interview. Give them access to all the documents they might need for that live show.
By the way, Ian doesn’t recommend using scripts during live streams. Just prepare a rough outline of how the flow is going to be. Besides, scripted shows often end up sounding robotic and inauthentic. You wouldn’t want that to happen.
Minutes before going live, make sure everything is crisp and perfect. Do sound and video tests with your guests.
Pre-Promote
Pre-promotion builds up all that hype around your show. It helps you gather potential audiences before the actual show starts. So, a couple of weeks before doing a live show, do a full-on promotion and bring in as many guests as you can.
RELATED: How to Increase Facebook Live Engagement
Produce
Nothing beats good prep work. So, go ahead and review your checklist. Build up a good mood and your confidence by working on some warm-up exercises.
Start your live video with a smile. Go ahead and introduce yourself, your guest, and the topic for the day.
PRO TIP:
You might want to check out Ian’s Step-By-Step Confident Live Warm-Up Formula at the bottom of this post. It’s easy to do, but also super effective.
When live, remember to greet your viewers. Engage with them as much as you can, but don’t get distracted.
PRO TIP:
Ian’s rule of thumb, which he calls “Live Time Travel,” is to acknowledge the ‘replay’ audiences first before the current live viewers.
End your show with a good but short and concise recap of what had happened. Thank your guest, and don’t forget to inform your audience when the next live show is going to be.
Post-Promote
Your video will continue to draw in viewers even after the actual live show is over. So, go ahead and promote it on all of your socials. Continue engaging with your viewers even if they’ve only seen the replay.
Repurpose
Live videos are fantastic, simply because they allow you to repurpose content that you can share on your blog, on your socials - just about everywhere online!
Feel free to repurpose your video and create them into blog posts, social media assets, podcast episodes, videos, and more.
RELATED: How to Create 26 Pieces Of Content From A Facebook Live
Stop trying to be perfect.
There’s no sugarcoating it: Mistakes DO happen, and they happen to almost everyone.
People love real people. When mistakes happen to you, they allow you to project your personality with so much authenticity to your audiences.
Also, mistakes often set experts and beginners apart. The expert simply puts on a brave face and uses the same mistakes as stepping stones to do better next time around.
So, get real with it and embrace your mistakes.
Step-By-Step Confident Live Streaming Warm-Up Formula
In addition to launching a live stream with the perfect plan and the tech gear in place, make sure that you are in the best mood to face your audience.
Start your live show brimming with confidence and contagiously good mood! Here’s how you can do Ian Anderson Gray’s Confident Live Warm-Up Exercises.
Do some relaxing exercises for the body.
To relax your entire body, you need to do some warm-up exercises to your arms, legs, shoulders, neck, jaw, and face. Here’s how:
For Arms and Legs
Start by stretching your arms upward for about 7 seconds.
Release the tension in your arms and legs by shaking them.
Stretch your arms forward - repeat Step b.
Stretch your arms backward, repeat Step b.
For Shoulders
Raise your shoulders.
Relax them down.
Turn to your left.
Massage your right shoulder with your left hand.
Turn to your left.
Massage your left shoulder with your right hand.
For the Neck
Look at the floor.
Rub your neck using your fingers.
For the Jaw and Face
Relax your jaws.
Massage your cheeks and your jaw.
Open your mouth wide. Widen your eyes as well.
Scrunch up your face with the best that you can.
Repeat Steps a to d a few more times.
Improve your posture
When it comes to live shows, good posture helps you maintain your energy throughout the show. It also enables you to alleviate the discomfort caused by restricted movement in the entire duration of the show.
You can improve your posture, and be the best version of yourself online, by continuously practicing the “The Noble Position.” All you have to do is:
Stand or sit upright to lengthen your spine.
Slightly raise your head.
Shoulders should go all the way back down.
If done correctly, The Noble Position should allow you to balance a book on your head!
Do some breath control exercises.
Proper and controlled breathing allows you to articulate your words correctly. Here’s how you can do the breath control exercise:
Place your hands on your bottom rib.
Place your thumbs at the back of the rib, and your fingers at the front. Press firmly.
Slowly breathe in.
Exhale very slowly - letting out a “vvv” sound.
Repeat the entire process.
Practice letting out other consonant sounds, such as “sss,” “zzz,” and “fffs.”
Do some pitch exercises.
Add excitement to your voice by doing some regular pitch exercises. Ian likes doing what he calls “The Lip Trill Exercises.”
Here’s how you can do it, too:
Relax your lips.
Blow some air through your lips – making those ‘brrrr’ sounds.
Adjust the pitch of your brrrrs from the lowest you can do, up to the highest.
Repeat this process for the ‘rrrrrr’ sounds.
Improve your diction
When it comes to diction, nothing beats a good tongue twister. Ian’s favorite tongue twister goes like this:
“Daddy’s got a head like a ping-pong ball.
Daddy’s got a head like a ping-pong ball.
Daddy’s got a head like a ping-pong ball.
Like a ping-pong ball.”
Regularly do tongue-twisters, and sure enough, you’re going to enunciate words like a pro in no time.
Develop heightened authenticity
Heightened authenticity allows you to speak with more energy and yet still feel authentic to the audience.
For Ian, this exercise calls for the following words:
“Level up your impact and authority through the power of confident video.”
Repeat the same words with varying levels of energy, as if you’re speaking:
One-on-one
With a small group
Giving a workshop to up to a dozen people
In front of a video camera
At a big international conference.
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