Why Twitch Is Terrible for New Streamers Starting in 2022 (+ Better Alternative)
Even before the pandemic, live streaming yourself doing close to anything was all the rage.
Post-pandemic, it’s all the rage and then some.
Much like being a YouTuber or TikTok star, Twitch has taken the world by storm. Millions of people, young and old set out to reach the likes of shroud and pokimane.
Armed with USB mics and decent computer setups, they enter the fray. And they soon find out that the fray is already more than just chock full.
It’s poorly organized.
This is what the main page of any category looks like on Twitch. In this case, I’ve chosen the popular first-person shooter game Valorant:
Wondering what 2007 interface you’re looking at? Yeah, me too.
Twitch is notorious for being a tough place to begin your online career, but few people reflect on why. If you’re unfamiliar with the platform you may be wondering — what are some top tips for rising to the top of this hodgepodge pile?
Let’s see…
“Stream consistently. Have a set schedule and stream as much as possible.”
“Interact with your viewers.”
“Put in the hours. You have to grind and stay patient.”
Alright… fair enough. These are decent, foundational “brick” tips that are necessary. But do they help you rise through the ranks?
Not really.
It is honestly fascinating to me that we even get new famous livestreamers popping up. Why? Because it’s damn near impossible to get there!
Twitch has managed to design a website that is as popular with streamers as it is clunky. How are you expected to get anywhere sitting at 10 viewers at the bottom of the page, if even that?
The answer: you aren’t.
The most unproductive thing you could do as a new streamer is stream on Twitch. There, I said it.
You have no reach, Twitch doesn’t give it to you. You’re forced to stream niche or esoteric categories (see: not very popular) to have a fighting chance for visibility.
Twitch rarely promotes new streamers and instead opts for people who already have a sizable audience. This isn’t Youtube. You aren’t going to “blow up”, no matter how many all-nighters you pull.
“It gives me streaming experience,” you may argue. “I become a better streamer even if I’m streaming to zero viewers.”
This is partially true.
But you’re forgetting that 1. streaming is largely about audience interaction and 2. again, you’re not climbing the ranks!
If you take Twitch seriously or semi-seriously, do yourself a favor. You’re not going to go full-time by sitting at the bottom of the page with the rest of Twitch’s hopeful newcomers.
You could already feel it, couldn’t you?
Now that I’ve peeled down your Twitch dreams into a tiny onion — let’s build a new narrative. What will get you soaring to the top of the page?
I just might have the answer.
At least, I have the answer of how people much more enterprising than I do it.
This is it:
- Make content about your streaming niche/category on YouTube (& TikTok if you’re interested).
- Slowly gain a following as YouTube & TikTok are search & algorithm-based (in a much more sophisticated way than Twitch).
- Advertise your stream in your videos. Create incentives through your content for people to tune in. Review people’s stuff, answer questions and play games with fans. Utilize the live format to incentivize people to stop by.
- You’ve successfully funneled a following into your Twitch channel.
I know what you may be thinking.
“But… I wanted to be a livestreamer.”
It’s true. If you don’t just see Twitch as a hobby, you’ll have plenty of things that aren’t purely streaming.
Even full-time Twitch streamers have a bunch of business and marketing-related operations orbiting around their streaming. It’s almost impossible to be “just” a livestreamer.
You have to be a businessperson, a content creator, a designer, and a social media marketer.
This is not to undermine the streaming aspect. Of course you have to be entertaining to watch, have interesting insights, show up almost every day, and offer something unique to your audience.
But these aspects are held up by a web of surrounding operations that make your stream a popular and profitable one.
How to Actually Make it As A Livestreamer
I already outlined three (four) steps above that’ll get you on the right track.
The truth is that you’ll need a lot more details than that to make it.
Depending on your niche/category, growth will come differently and it’s crucial that you optimize your path for success.
I’m looking to write a lot more extensively on the topic of Twitch, streaming and getting paid to go live in general.
In the meantime, here are some articles that will help you with the content creation part of getting your stream noticed:
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