Setting Clear Expectations

Table of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. How to Approach Content Creation (in General)
  3. Things to Consider Before Starting (for VTubers)
  4. How to Be Entertaining When No One is Watching
  5. How to Stand Out as a Content Creator

Summary

The thing I see the most among people who want to get into streaming is wanting to get paid for just playing games and then quickly getting disappointed by their lack of growth. What many people seem to forget is that, first and foremost, streamers are entertainers and entertaining is not easy. While anyone can launch OBS and stream, you need to be able to captivate your audience in order to be a successful streamer.

This section will go over what your expectations should be when getting into VTubing and content creation in general.

How to Approach Content Creation (in General)

While not explicitly related to VTubing, YouTuber Coffeezilla put out a video talking about his 10 years of content creation. In it, he highlights a number of lessons he learned during this time making content that I feel is very relevant to people looking into getting into content creation today.

I would recommend watching the full video, but for me the most relevant takeaways were:

  • Focus on the Long-term - Wanting to get into content creation with the sole goal of making money will show in your work. Getting paid to do what you love would be great but it should not be the immediate goal.
  • Things Take Time - Not everyone is able to be successful right off the bat. Expect to fail. A lot. It’s important to focus on knowing what kind of content you want to create while being flexible enough to course-correct when needed.
  • It’s More than Luck… - Not everyone is going to go viral. In fact, having one “successful” video go viral does not necessarily turn into long-term success. Focus on honing your craft and learning from your mistakes in order to make better content rather than trying to game “the algorithm” or clout chase.
  • …But Luck is Still a Factor - While hard work is key, between “the algorithm” and real-life factors, luck still plays a role in all of it. It’s a matter of what you’re able to do with that luck that determines your success.

Things to Consider Before Starting (for VTubers)

In addition to all the above, content creation is not as easy as it seems—there are a lot of things that happen behind the scenes that most people don’t realize.

In the video above, artist VTuber Squiiji does a real good job highlighting the time and money sinks that most people don’t consider when first trying to get into VTubing and content creation in general.

I think a lot of very important things are covered in this video but the most relevant takeaways for me are:

  • Consistency is Key - Upload consistency is a key factor the algorithm looks for and also lets your audience know when you’re streaming next.
  • You Need to Be a Jack of All Trades - Being a VTuber requires a wide set of skills such as video editing, thumbnail creation, social media management, etc.
  • You Need to Be Entertaining - What makes you stand out from the competition?
  • Networking is Important - This is covered in a later section in-depth.
  • You Need Drive/Passion - If your goal is to sit around and play games all day while simply broadcasting your footage, you might not get very far. Your interest and passion (or lackthereof) will show in your work and your audience will be able to tell.
  • Models/Assets/Art Can be Expensive - Think long and hard about your character design because rebranding can be costly.
  • Computer Hardware - This is covered in a later section in-depth.
  • Investing in Upgrades - This is covered in a later section in-depth.
  • Prepare for Negative Interactions - This is covered in a later section in-depth.

How to Be Entertaining When No One is Watching

When first starting out as a content creator, one of the most important things you need to learn how to do is being entertaining, especially when no one is watching.

The video above by Zekos covers a few things we’ve already discussed but at around the 1:35 mark, it talks about how to stream to 0 viewers. In it, he highlights the fact that if you are actively watching your view count and only entertaining when you see that someone is watching, chances are it’s too late and they may have already left. Your question to yourself should be “At any given time, if someone clicked into my stream, would they have a reason to continue watching or would they click away?” Think about your own experiences clicking into a stream or video and closing it out because it was either boring, too busy, too loud, etc. and use those to gauge your own content.

How to Stand Out as a Content Creator

Lastly, in a sea of millions of content creators and tens of thousands of people streaming online at any given time, the novelty of being a VTuber is no longer enough to stand out.

In the video above by Randon Neuring, an ex-corporate VTuber, he goes over what you should be focusing on if you want to start being a VTuber today at around the 2:13 mark.

The most relevant takeaways for me are:

  1. Find something you’re passionate about and is uniquely you. Find something not many others are making content about or something you are extremely knowledgeable about and make content about that.
  2. Don’t try to copy what other people are doing. There’s always going to be some sort of overlap in interests but do not simply copy what other larger VTubers are doing.
    1. A lot of VTubers (and streamers in general) are about to do variety streaming or stream mainstream content because they already have a following, not the other way around.
    2. Large IRL streamers such as Ludwin and Jerma started out their streaming careers streaming niche content like Smash Bros and Team Fortress 2 respectively.