Success on Twitch: My Take & How To
Twitch is an amazing platform. It gives anyone with a semi-decent computer and internet with average speeds the ability to entertain hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people on a daily basis. Many ask though, how do you maintain hundreds, or thousands of viewers? What do you have to do to become successful?
Start streaming as a hobby, not as a career.
Many people have signed up to Twitch and started broadcasting content for hours every day — only to achieve five or six viewers within their first week. They immediately get discouraged and their consistency dwindles down to one stream a week, to nothing. Understand that broadcasters that have been able to turn creating content on Twitch, or any other platform into a career, have created content for years, and started out exactly like you are, unknown with a lot to prove. Have patience, success won’t come over night, it may not even come within the first few months of you streaming. If you put effort into your broadcast, you’ll eventually start to see results.
Be entertaining.
Time and time again, I’ve entered streams where the broadcaster has their camera on, and they’re staring at the game they’re playing and barely speaking. Personally, as a viewer I see that as one of the biggest mistakes a broadcaster can make, and ultimately it’s the most common. By nature, people are more attracted to broadcasters who are constantly interacting and having a good time. Remember, if you’re having fun, your viewers will pick up on that and enjoy themselves more.
A lot of people ask, “How can you interact if there’s no one there to interact with?” when the answer is simple. There is always someone there to interact with, you just haven’t thought of it. Remember, just because you’re the broadcaster, doesn’t mean you’re not there as well. Talk to yourself! It may seem awkward at first, but after you do it for awhile you’ll get used to it and it’ll become second nature, and no, before you ask, no one will think you’re crazy… other than the lady in the apartment next door..she might think you’re crazy.
Be unique.
So, you just watched the newest episode of your favorite TV show, and you start scrolling through the list of things to watch. Are you going to watch that same episode over and over again? Probably not and if you do, then….well….bad analogy. More often than not, you want to see something different, right? Well, it’s the same on Twitch. As a viewer, why would we stop watching the channel we normally watch to go see something pretty much exactly the same somewhere else? We wouldn’t. Give your viewers something new and exciting to watch.
A great example of this is General_Mittenz, a Partnered Twitch Streamer who plays a variety of games, with a twist of course. You see, General_Mittenz is a talking cat. I’m not joking, a cat that talks.
Viewers are attracted to something new and exciting. A talking cat streaming a variety of games is something that had never been done before. So instead of doing what hundreds of people do on a regular basis, try and come up with something new and exciting! He also provides an amazing channel and community for those struggling with all types of mental disabilities.
Be consistent.
Stream more than one day a week, and try streaming at the same times on the days that you broadcast. Viewers love having a schedule, that way they know when you’re going to be online and can properly allocate their time to the other broadcasters that they watch. Most of the time, you will not be the only broadcaster your viewers watch, and more often than not, they’ve found you in between the streams that they normally watch, so be sure to stick to the schedule you create so they have the opportunity to come back!
Make sure that you’re approachable.
Congratulations, you can stream on Twitch, and you may even have some viewers. This does not give you the ability to stand at the top of a podium and look down at people. By this, I mean if your viewers can’t approach you on social media and have a conversation with you because you think you’re “too good” for that, you’re in the wrong industry. Any established content creator or Community Manager will tell you that the show goes on even when you’re offline, and you should dedicate some time with your viewers outside of your broadcast.
In short, don’t be a dick, communicate and have fun with your viewers, don’t just push them away when you’ve pressed the “Stop Stream” button.
Network
Twitch is all about community. Network with other broadcasters, see if you can collaborate on streams sometime, by doing this you’re exposing your viewers to a new broadcaster, and they’re exposing their viewers to you. You can also use this opportunity to brainstorm new ideas together, and work towards establishing both your stream, and theirs.
You’re putting on a show, act like it.
Are you having an absolutely terrible day? Sometimes we all feel like we’re going to snap at the next person that talks to us, and with that, it’s probably not the best time to stream. You’re there to provide a fun and entertaining environment for your viewers. While some people might find entertainment in you going off on some poor viewer, the vast majority of people will think that your attitude is toxic, and will be likely to not return.
Don’t get discouraged.
If your numbers aren’t where you want them to be, don’t get discouraged. For some people, success on Twitch comes pretty quickly, while for others it may take some time. This is just the nature of the beast, and you have to accept it. As they say, sometimes success comes to those that wait… just make sure that you’re actually working hard while you’re waiting for the success to come, because if you’re not you’ll be waiting for a long…long time.
In conclusion.
I haven’t hit on all the key points on being successful and there’s a reason for that. No one can tell you 100% how to be a success. There will never be a “How-To” guide that’s “100% guaranteed” to get you where you want to be. I’ve also probably said some things that a lot of people probably think are wrong or may disagree with, and that’s okay. This is just my take on success on Twitch from my standpoint. This is what I’ve seen in my time as a Viewer, Moderator, and Community Manager for established broadcasters on Twitch and I hope that this provides some insight into building your broadcast to what you want it to be.
