Live streaming is difficult, how should we do it?

This article deeply analyzes the current challenges of the live streaming industry and the difficulties faced by practitioners, provides a deep insight into the current state of the industry, and encourages everyone to maintain a positive attitude. I hope it will be helpful for your exploration and growth in the live streaming field.

The topic we are talking about today is a bit heavy, and the article we write may be a bit like chicken soup, but to be honest, this is what I have seen, felt, and realized recently. Through this article, I also hope to discuss with you how to solve the mentality and solve the problems of future development in the current environment of the live broadcast industry.

1. It is difficult to be a platform, and the industry is regulated in the economic downturn

With the changes in the live broadcast industry, the live broadcast industry has entered the era of "oligopoly" from the era of "thousands of live broadcast wars". With the withdrawal of many live broadcast platforms, the live broadcast industry is no longer "a riot of colour". The live broadcast industry has entered the era of giant players, with fewer and fewer players and a more and more difficult market.

From the beginning of this year till now, Audiovisual Observation has come into contact with quite a few live broadcast platforms. As usual, each live broadcast platform has its own corresponding plans and actions at the beginning of each year, and will also make some noise in the market. However, from this year till now, the overall feeling is very different from previous years. To be honest, everyone is too low-key this year.

Most of these live streaming platforms are very low-key and cautious, and tend to be conservative in both marketing activities and publicity. Many platforms have begun to lay off staff and even reduce investment in live streaming business. Of course, there are still some live streaming platforms that are still aggressive, but we will talk about them in another article.

It can be said that under the current environment, the live broadcast industry has entered a period of adjustment. Some people say that this year can be said to be the most difficult year for live broadcasting in recent years, but it is also the best year for the next ten years.

With the improvement of the supervision of the live broadcast industry and the adjustment and upgrading of live broadcast content, the challenges brought by live broadcast will become greater and greater. Now, in addition to some live broadcast platforms having a hard time, guild leaders, anchors, operations, etc., everyone is having a hard time. Here are a few examples to illustrate.

2. It’s hard to run a guild: unfinished tasks, unretained anchors

First, let’s talk about the days of being a guild leader. Do you know how volatile the live streaming industry is now? According to estimates by industry insiders (informal statistics are for reference only), there are about 20,000 Douyin guilds, about 10,000 Kuaishou guilds, and about 10,000 video accounts guilds. This does not include guilds on other platforms. In total, there are about 100,000 guilds of all sizes across the country.

The competition is too fierce with so many guilds. Newly trained anchors are poached by other guilds before they can even broadcast a few shows. Many guilds keep offering anchors high commissions to poach them. As a result, many anchors who were doing well, after several temptations, are preparing to terminate their contracts and go solo. As a result, guild leaders are busy with lawsuits all day long. Last month, there were several lawsuits for termination of contracts that were not heard in court, and this month, there are several more lawsuits for termination of contracts of anchors.

In addition, the tasks that the platform assigns to the guilds are becoming heavier and heavier, and the requirements are increasing, such as attracting new members, turnover, growth, duration, short videos, etc. It is becoming increasingly difficult for the guilds to complete these tasks. Once they fail to complete them, the points on the platform will become lower and lower, and the profit margin of the guilds will be very narrow. Coupled with various operating costs, it is very likely that the guilds will have a monthly turnover of 1 million and only make 8 yuan.

I have been in the live broadcast industry for nearly 8 years and have witnessed the ups and downs of too many guilds. To be honest, there are very few guilds that have survived from 2016 to now. Every year, a large number of guilds disappear in the live broadcast industry. Their appearance and disappearance are like bubbles in the sea, briefly reflecting the sun's light in the live broadcast industry, and then bursting silently.

It’s too difficult to run a guild, and if you fail, you may go bankrupt.

3. It’s hard to be an operator: endless nights of sleep and endless cigarettes

What exactly is operation? A live broadcast practitioner said: I have been in the industry for seven years, but I still don’t understand what operation is and what I am! Another man said: Being a broadcaster, I feel that the operation is conscienceless, and being an operator, I feel that the company is conscienceless. Being an operator, I feel that both the company and the broadcaster have no conscience, so what exactly is operation?

As a live broadcast operator, it is possible that you accompany the anchor every day and stay up until 5:00 in the morning, but the anchor has not shown any improvement. You are anxious, annoyed, and blame yourself, but this is the norm in the live broadcast industry.

Most of the time, operations mean begging and complaining like a nanny or a dog, to pull those people who originally earned three or four thousand yuan a month to be anchors, and to train and coach them, so that these people who originally earned three or four thousand yuan a month can earn tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands a month, or even more!

Operation means that you have to do everything a boyfriend should do, except being the boyfriend of a female anchor. You have to do it to the extreme, not fighting back or refusing to talk back. The anchor is responsible for coaxing the big brother, and the operation is responsible for coaxing the anchor. Being a bootlicker is the standard of the operation. When an operation leads an anchor, it is like being both a father and a mother, and raising a child to grow up.

In fact, the operators don’t earn much and have no bad intentions, they just want the anchors to earn more so that they can have enough food and clothing. But the reality is that many operators are paid a few thousand yuan, but they need to help anchors who earn tens of thousands of yuan a month to do live broadcasting well. As a result, anchors think that the operators have no conscience, and bosses think that the operators are incompetent.

It's too difficult to be an operator. I look good on the surface but I'm miserable on the inside. I'm confused after staying up all night!

4. Being a host is difficult: the big brother cannot stay, and there is no way out behind

Many newcomers start to be anchors. They feel fresh at the beginning, but after a long time, there is no traffic and no rewards. From the little excitement at the beginning of the broadcast to the anxiety of no one paying attention, the anchors will have a mental breakdown and eventually quit the industry.

Many anchors complained that live streaming was difficult, with no traffic, no big brothers, and no turnover. Many anchors felt that it was too hard to persist. Some anchors, whose live streaming had improved a little, found that it was becoming increasingly difficult to fool their fans, and that the big brothers were more sophisticated than the anchors.

In fact, in the live broadcast industry, everyone knows that the growth cycle of anchors is generally three months , but most people cannot make it through this hurdle. In addition, anchors often have to face the situation of reversed day and night work, reduced private space, and cancelled gatherings with friends. An anchor has to overcome a series of problems such as physiology, psychology, social relationships, and social opinions. It is really too difficult.

Some anchors said they would find a class, but they didn’t know that the work was even harder. If you stop being an anchor and work in other industries, you can earn 30,000 to 50,000 yuan, 100,000 to 100,000 yuan a month, but you have to pay more, experience more, and bear more!

It’s difficult to be a host. You can’t keep the big brother and there is no way out.

5. Even if things are difficult, life must go on

Live streaming is difficult, no matter what role or position we are in, but a true warrior must have the courage to face difficulties and failures. The most important thing is that we must maintain a good attitude and always have a high-spirited fighting spirit.

Accept failure, recognize the reasons for failure, face your own shortcomings bravely, maintain a good attitude, and we can start over after failure.

Don't lose your spirit when you lose, and don't lose your composure when you win. Winning and losing are both normal in life. If you take winning and losing too seriously, you will be very tired. You must learn to travel light. If you fall, you must stand up bravely, face it with a smile, and start over again.

Romain Rolland once said, "The most valuable thing about people is that after seeing through the essence of life, they still love life." I hope that all kind-hearted people who work hard will not be misunderstood by the world, and can get what they want and resolve their worries.

Author: Liu Bugong WeChat public account: Audio-visual Observation