If you’re trying to become a content creator in the busy world of game streaming, consider this: in 2020, Twitch, one of the most popular streaming platforms, boasted over 140 million monthly active viewers. Viewers watched a staggering 13 billion hours of content on Twitch alone that year.
Streaming isn’t just about high scores and epic battles – it’s about charisma, consistency, and a commitment to your community. With the sector growing at an annual rate of around 9%, standing out from the crowd requires more than just gameplay.
Learn from you heroes
One key to becoming a great streamer may lie in learning from those you admire as streamers. Take a moment to curate a list of top streamers who not only enjoy massive success but also mirror your taste, style, or niche in streaming. Observe their content, engagement techniques, branding, and overall digital presence. This isn’t about being a copycat (which you shouldn’t be). It’s about learning strategies that match your taste and vision. Authenticity combined with the right inspiration can be the secret sauce to forging a profound connection with your audience.
Be consistent and dedicated
In order to become a top streamer, you need to put in a lot of hours a month, and treat streaming like a job. Being consistent creates expectations and a reputation. People will start anticipating your stream, they’ll gather in the chat and wait for you. When users don’t know when to expect you, viewership will drop – so consistency is very important.
Choosing the best time to broadcast
Unless you are streaming to one specific country, your aim should be to catch as many viewers as possible, globally. 6am PST is considered a great time to hit the European primetime, and it’s also a good time for Asia. Getting an early start also means you’re broadcasting before others wake up, so you’re working in a less saturated “market”.
Keep creating
A lot of streamers get stuck in the planning stage, overthinking things. Don’t try to make everything perfect – nothing is perfect, and it can also make you anxious.
Put stuff out, don’t wait until you have the perfect setup. Also, stop counting views and likes. Create content that makes you happy, that you enjoy creating. Users prefer watching streamers who enjoy and believe in what they do. Traffic can go up and down, you can’t always break your own records. Just keep pushing forward, and the results will come.
Cross-platform
Using more than one online platform can help you reach more people and get noticed faster. If you mostly stream live on Twitch, you can take the best moments, edit them, and put them on YouTube. This way, you’re not just stuck in one place, and people who don’t watch live streams can still find and enjoy your content on YouTube. Plus, if something goes wrong on one platform or viewers start to change where they hang out, you have a backup.
Watch your own content
It might sound a bit odd, but one of the best ways to improve is to become a viewer of your own streams. When you sit down and watch your content, you see it from the audience’s perspective. You might catch moments where things got really exciting or spots where it felt a bit dull. This helps you understand what works and what doesn’t. Maybe you talked too much during an intense game moment, or perhaps there was a funny incident that viewers loved. By reviewing your streams, you get a clearer idea of where to make tweaks. It’s like re-reading an essay to catch mistakes and make it better.
Engage with your audience
One of the unique aspects of streaming is the direct interaction with viewers. Engaging with them by reading comments, answering questions, or even just giving shoutouts can make viewers feel valued and more likely to return.
Diversify content
While many streamers start with a primary game, diversifying your content can help you reach wider audiences. This could mean occasionally playing different games, hosting Q&A sessions, or collaborating with other streamers.
Stay updated on platforms and monetization
Platforms such as Twitch, YouTube Gaming, and Facebook Gaming are constantly changing. They regularly introduce new features that can enhance the streaming experience or fresh monetization options that can provide content creators with diversified income streams. To truly thrive in this environment, it’s imperative to stay updated.
It’s not just about seizing new opportunities; it’s also about ensuring continuity and safeguarding your channel’s reputation. As platforms evolve, they often revise their guidelines, setting new rules and regulations. Being updated on these guidelines is a necessity. Ignorance can lead to inadvertent violations, which could result in penalties, or in some severe cases, channel bans.
Networking
Engaging with other streamers, joining communities, and attending events can significantly impact a streamer’s growth. Collaborations can introduce you to new audiences and vice versa.
Think of yourself as a brand
Branding is like giving your channel its own special personality. When you think about a big yellow “M”, McDonald’s instantly comes to mind, right? That’s the power of branding. Having a unique logo for your channel serves a similar purpose. It’s like giving your channel a face that viewers can instantly recognize.
Overlays are another aspect of branding. These are the designs or frames you see around videos. A good overlay can make your streams look more professional and interesting, making viewers more likely to stay and watch.
Then there are emotes, those tiny images or icons viewers use in chat. Emotes can reflect the spirit of your channel, maybe through a favorite catchphrase or an inside joke you share with your audience. It’s a fun way for viewers to engage and feel a deeper connection with your content.
Lastly, think about merchandise like t-shirts or mugs that sport your logo or catchphrases. Not only is it an avenue for fans to show their loyalty and support, but every time they wear or use the merchandise, it’s like they’re introducing your channel to others. All these branding tools play a crucial role in making sure viewers keep you in mind, even when they’ve logged off.
