I Think I Was Losing Viewers Before I Even Started Streaming
I used to think the first 10 minutes of a stream didn’t really matter. I’d put up the “Starting Soon” screen, make some coffee, fix my mic, check everything twice, and then finally start. Looking back, that was probably a terrible way to make a first impression.
If someone finds your stream and joins during that time, they have no reason to wait. They don’t know you yet, there’s nothing happening, and the chat is usually completely empty. They just click on the next stream. Honestly, I’d probably do the same.
I started doing cold starts instead. I go live and get straight into the game or whatever I’m doing. No long countdown, no spending five minutes adjusting things while everyone watches. I’d rather have a slightly messy start than make someone sit there waiting for the actual stream to begin.
It made me realize that those first few minutes are basically your storefront. If someone walks in and sees an empty room, they leave. If they walk in and something is already happening, they might stick around.
Do you guys still use a “Starting Soon” screen, or have you ditched it completely?