How to Overcome Your Fear of Livestreaming

Livestreaming is a great way to amplify your content, grow your reach, and connect with your audience. There are tons of statistics out there about the power of live video and most don’t argue with its effectiveness. 

However, the reality is that live video can also feel scary. Most people are not overly comfortable or familiar with being on camera and even the thought of livestreaming gives them butterflies. If this is you, you’re not alone. And great news! We’ve got some helpful tips you can try to overcome your fear of livestreaming.

1 – Practice Makes Perfect 

We all know the saying “practice makes perfect” and while practicing can help you overcome your fear of being in front of the camera, the good news is, you don’t have to be perfect to create engaging live video. Win, right?

Though you shouldn’t be aspiring for perfection when it comes to your live videos, the more time you spend in front of the camera, the more comfortable and confident you’ll become. It’s that easy. Ecamm Live offers a couple of solutions for helping you practice in front of the camera. 

Record Only 

In the Destination menu, select the “record only” option. This allows you to record a video using all the awesome production features that Ecamm Live has to offer without actually going live. Nothing to be scared of here. You can play around with features, practice what you want to say and how you want to say it, and see how everything looks once you’re done. 

Broadcast to Your Timeline (only me) 

Ready to try your hand at pushing that “go live” button, but still feeling a bit unsure? This option will allow you to broadcast live to your personal Facebook profile, but only show the video to you. Now you can practice how it feels and looks to go live without having anyone else watching. 

Broadcast to a Facebook Group 

Once you’re feeling more comfortable and want to be able to see comments and interact with live viewers, you can try our Facebook Group destination. Create a small, closed Facebook group of your biggest fans and make sure you give Ecamm Live access to broadcast to the group. Practice going live with friends and family who will cheer you on and give you helpful feedback so you can get comfortable before engaging a larger audience. 

2- Authenticity is Key!

If you’re feeling anxious about saying the wrong thing or pushing the wrong button, we’ve got great news for you. You don’t have to be perfect when you’re live. In fact, it’s better if you’re not. When it comes to livestreaming, viewers are looking for authenticity. They want the real you. 

The most important thing you can do is be yourself. If you’re passionate and knowledgeable about the content you’re bringing to your livestream, then you’re going to be great — even if you push the wrong button or choke over your words. 

Remember that livestreaming is very much like a real life conversation or get-together. You can ask questions of your viewers or ask for their patience if you need to reset your green screen or are experiencing technical difficulties. Your audience will understand.

3- Pre-record Your Video Content 

Now that you know all about the “record only” option within Ecamm Live, you can use it to create professional quality pre-recorded video. 

You can use this video content in a couple of different ways. You can share completed videos on your website, blog, via email, or on any social media channel or you can create shorter video snippets and insert them into your live broadcast.

How does this help with overcoming your fear of live video? Inserting well-produced, edited videos into your livestream gives you a bit of a break in the process so you can catch your breath, grab some water, and remind yourself that you’re doing a GREAT job. It’s also a nice way to vary your content for your audience. 

4 – Create An Outline 

Spend a few minutes creating an outline for your live broadcast and clearly define your goals. This will help you stay focused when you’re live. If you forget what you were going to talk about next, you can always quickly glance at your outline as a reminder.

Ecamm Live allows you to create pre-set scenes, which help you to stick to your outline. For example, your first scene can include your name and your logo for an introduction. Your second scene can be a prerecorded video that you can play with the click of a button. Your third scene can include an overlay for a Q&A. Lastly, you can create a scene that includes your contact information (website, social links, etc) in the bottom third so your viewers know the best way to reach you. Now you have an outline built right into Ecamm Live. When you hit that “go live” button, you can simply work your way through the scenes, clicking from one to the next to change the look of the livestream.

Having an outline for your broadcast and creating preset scenes will not only make you feel more confident about livestreaming, but will also create engaging content for your viewers. 

You Can Do This!

The more you livestream, the more comfortable you’ll be, and the better your livestreams will get. We believe in you. There are thousands of people each day who are using live video to grow their businesses, engage with other users, and build communities. Don’t miss out.

Want to learn from others? Join our online community to ask questions, meet livestreaming professionals, and grab awesome tips and tricks from other Ecamm Live users.