As much as students might need to focus up and hit those books, it’s easy to spend a little too much time working and not enough playing, which can lead to burnout much more easily than you might think. One of the hobbies that have recently taken the online world by storm is that of streaming online. If you’ve been watching streamers and thinking you could do that, here are a few ideas on what you need.

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Stream what interests you most

Streaming used to be a thing done predominantly by and for gamers. That’s still true to an extent, but people have found audiences streaming a lot more, whether it’s talking about all manner of topics, art forms including visual art and music, travel, and much more. If you’re going to stream games, know what kind of games you should focus on and, in general, make sure that you have a huge interest in what you’re getting into. Otherwise, it’s going to become a slog real soon.

Find a unique approach

You don’t have to entirely reinvent the wheel, but you should make sure that people have a reason to come to you aside from others. Take a look at some of the most popular streamers online and it becomes easy to see that they have a distinct brand or focus set-up that allows viewers to get what they’re about more easily. Your personality can be your niche, as can your community. But if you’re not confident in the strength of either of them just yet, think about what fun or unexpected elements you could incorporate.

Be visually engaging

Your video game or the subject of the stream might take up most of the screen, but you need visuals beyond that. If you’re using a webcam, try to make sure that your background is visually interesting. Show off merch or decor related to your hobbies, learn how to install LED strip lights yourself to add a flash of color, and so on. Otherwise, think about what overlays can be added to your stream and try to come up with a consistent and attractive visual style.

Be interactive and communicative

Your audience is going to do a lot of the legwork of helping you grow. The better you are at keeping them active and engaged, the more that tends to draw a buzz and more people alongside that. Taking the time to talk to them, get to know them, and remember details beyond just their name helps. However, there is also a host of fun intractable widgets and point rewards you can use in-stream to keep them even more engaged. Remember, they’re not just there to watch you, they could see a YouTube video for that. They’re there for the community feeling.

Before you start streaming, make sure you have some realistic expectations. It’s extremely unlikely that you’re going to be making even four figures from it by the end of the year if you are lucky to start getting paid at all. Treat it as a hobby and have fun.