Tips on How to Grow and Promote Your Streaming Channel

Streamers are entertainers and entertainers need publicity. Marketing yourself out there is essential if you are serious about streaming. No one will know you exist if you won’t make a loud noise.

Your battle-station is ready, and your gaming channel is up and running. You fired your streaming software and played your favorite game, but no one is watching. You are still confident, maybe after a few minutes, someone will show up, but no one is still there even after an hour.

What is wrong? Did you miss anything?

The answer is yes.

Streamers are entertainers and entertainers need publicity. Marketing yourself out there is essential if you are serious about streaming. No one will know you exist if you won’t make a loud noise.

So, where to start? Streaming is huge. Well, here are tips that can help you evaluate your channel and give you an idea of building a solid fanbase!

Don’t Go in Blindly –  Set Goals!

” I want to be the next Ninja! By tomorrow.”

Set a goal for your channel, whether it is to have 5 subscribers by the end of the week or have your first sponsorship three months from now.

Goals should have parameters, so following them will be easy. Make sure they are well laid out and attainable. Making goals thoughtlessly will just leave you frustrated and wasting time. Before drafting your goals, ask yourself these questions first.

Is this short term or long term?

The time frame is important, you need to have a clear picture and a firm deadline for your goals. It is OK to be ambitious, but also be reasonable when setting your milestones.

Are these goals attainable? 

Take baby steps – you can’t be the next DrDisrespect by the end of the week. Make your goals achievable by making them realistic. Remember going overboard most of the time leads to disappointment.

Am I clear with what I want?

Your goals should be well-defined. Instead of establishing goals like ” I want to have tons of subscribers,” change it to “My subscribers should grow by 20 by (this date).”

Make Sure You Are Bringing Value to Your Subscribers!

“Hello, Guys! I will teach you the best way to defeat this boss!”

There are millions of streamers out there, so why should they watch you? Well, you should be giving them something. Streaming is a business and should be treated like one. You are the seller, and your content is your product. Here are samples of content specialties that you can adopt in your streams.

Be the ultimate entertainer

You are an entertainer, so entertain you must! Engage your audience and earn their subscriptions.

You can offer comedic content – entertain viewers by making them laugh. Wow them with your antics and make sure they will come back for more. Many streamers follow this route like Asmongold and CDNThe3rd.

Some streamers also ‘up’ the entertaining game by a notch by donning an online persona. One example is DrDisrespect, the persona that he adopts makes him unique and exciting. Create something that viewers identify with; be original. You could do this by thinking of novel approaches that can get attention.

Some take it to the extreme like Sneaky, whose Cloud9’s ADC has made waves online for his streaming antics. This guy is cosplaying female characters while streaming. His high-end costumes are so phenomenal, that brought him tons of online followers. Did I mention that he also participates in esports events wearing female costumes?

Help Them Buy Games and Stuff 

We can all relate to this. Sometimes before purchasing a game or hardware, we will ask our friends and check online first for reviews. You can review games or share your impressions online because this is an excellent way to build a following. Make a name for yourself by being the ‘go-to’ game guy.

Be Exceptional in A Game 

Okay, you can’t be the next Faker overnight; however, I’m sure you have a game you excel at. You can capitalize on this by becoming known as someone legendary at a specific game or even a particular gaming character. For example, we know the streamer Boxbox for his Riven (League of Legends) plays. The reason his fans watch him is to see his Riven moves and outplay.

Stick to a Streaming Schedule

“You can catch me live Monday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday from 8 PM to 1 AM PST! See you there!”

At first, it will be slow, but if you stick with a schedule, people will know when to watch you.

When you are a new streamer, make sure you are easy to find. Remember, no one knows your channel yet, so you must make your channel available to viewers until they notice you.

Viewers have viewing routines and habits, and they watch Twitch at the same time every day, so if someone notices your channel live every time that they are online, they will be curious and check you out.

In choosing on the schedule, see what is best for you and stick to it! Consistency is key! Having chosen a schedule, post it visibly on your streaming channel, you could also mention it once or twice during the live feed. Get the word out, advertise yourself!

Consistency and frequency will bring you results, imagine if a new viewer peeks into your channel and enjoys it, they will know when they can see you again. Once they are familiar with your schedule, you will see a higher viewer count result.

Choose Your Game Wisely 

You want to stream popular games like Apex Legends, PUBG, Fortnite, and League of Legends. However, with the competition that streamers face, the percentage of you making it is slim.

But don’t lose hope, no need to give up showing off your amazing headshots – you need to make a following first.

Pick A Safe Ground First 

To make yourself visible, try to find new or niche games that most streamers don’t pay attention to. Niche games have a cult following, target these groups to grow a fanbase first.

You can also check Steam for new indie games or gaming websites to discover obscure yet amazing titles that will interest you and your viewers.

If you are struggling to pick a game, you can try playing games similar to the top games but unpopular. Streaming early access games and those still on beta is a good way to go.

Play A Game Genre You Love 

A viewer will not be entertained with a streamer who is not having fun. Though you need to pick a non-saturated game, please make sure that the one you chose is something you like.

Love Battle Royale? Then pick a not so popular version or any other FPS games. Horror games? There are tons of indie games online that you could explore. Remember, PewDiePie plays indie horror games, so this route is a path worth taking.

Love Your Viewers 

“Thank you for the support, guys! You are the best!”

Your viewers are the lifeblood of your stream, make sure you take care of them. To be successful on Twitch or any other streaming platform, you must value the audience interaction. The stronger the rapport with your viewers, the better.

No dead air. Keep talking.

I know it’s hard when no one is there. But this is good training, even if you are alone the show must go on; you never know when somebody stops in for just a second.

If a new viewer is on the channel, catch their attention pronto, because if they see how quiet your stream is, they will leave you.

If you run out of things to say, comment on the game surroundings or anything that will hold your viewers’ attention. Even comments on current events will qualify to keep the ball rolling.

Asking questions is also a way to go. Questions like “Do you like horror games too?” or “Tell me about the scariest game you ever played!” are good conversation starters. Engage the audience by making them part of the stream and not just spectators.

Making viewers feel welcome and involved will help increase levels of viewer retention that will ultimately translate to a larger following.

Never Neglect the Chatroom 

I know that it might be hard to play then keep an eye on the chatroom, but failing to give importance to this aspect may prove fatal.

Give attention to your chatroom by posting conversation starters. It could be a question or a topic your viewers can discuss.

To help you out, use chatbots. There are a lot of bots online that you could use, some examples are StreamElements, Moobot, and Xanbot.  

If you already have a fast-growing channel, you could get yourself some volunteer moderators.

Moderators will assist you with channel rules. They will be responsible for curbing inappropriate content and dealing with bullies. Your moderators can also interact and chat with your viewers. Assigning moderators is a smart choice to keep viewer activity and channel engagement high.

Run a Contest

Running a contest is the ideal way to build your audience and reinforce your relationship with current viewers. A well-thought contest will encourage the social sharing of your channel, market you to new audiences, reward your loyal subscribers, and show gratitude to the community.

Never Underestimate the Power of Social Media 

Social Media: A Force to be Reckoned With

Publicity is important, sure good content is essential; however, no one would know that you are good at something if you won’t tell the world you exist.

Remember, your progress as a streamer doesn’t just depend on Twitch alone. Having a social media presence is essential for your growth.

Facebook, Twitter, And Instagram 

The big three – presence on these platforms will work wonders for your channel. Especially if you are a new streamer, cross-promoting yourself on social media is essential.

Place the links of your Social Media accounts in your channel, in a way they are easily spotted and accessed.

Facebook 

Facebook is the biggest social media platform, and having engagements will be useful. Use this channel to post your schedule, share relevant content, and other promotional campaigns. You could also make a private group for your subscribers so they can interact outside your streams.

Twitter and Instagram 

Next are Twitter and Instagram. The users of these platforms are the younger crowd. So, it’s an optimized platform for spotting people with a passion for gaming that will ultimately translate to potential subscribers.

YouTube 

YouTube is an invaluable tool for growing your streaming career. The platform will help you successfully highlight your content and attract an audience.

YouTube can market your channel by posting video highlights from previous streams. These videos should serve as a ‘trailer’ for your content. Remember, your uploaded videos should be a ‘free-taste’ of what your channel is all about. For these types of videos, you can upload catchy bits of streams; this can be funny moments, achievements, or epic fails. Present your content creatively to convert those who saw your highlights into a certified subscriber.

Discord 

Discord is an online chat app that is committed to gamers. It enables users to create and be part of groups that share their passion for a game or a genre.

Publishers and streamers have made use of Discord to build a community around their content.

In this platform, you can have servers dedicated to announcements, giveaways, or use it just as a space for hanging out. Discord is an excellent way to keep a connection with your viewers. You could also use this to nurture a sense of camaraderie between your subscribers.

Posting Checklist 

Remember that when you post online, it’s vital you incorporate details that will up your chances for scoring new followers. Here is a short checklist you can add in your future posts:

  • A short description of the games or content you will stream. That could be a very brief summary just for them to know the context.

Example: “Skyrim belongs to the Nords! I will play as the Dragonborn. Join me as I become the hero of Skyrim!” 

  • An image, a video, or something else that will spark their interest and make them click. Remember, some folks are just skimming their news feeds. Make sure you will stand out visually.
  • Always include the link to your Twitch channel or whatever platform you are using. Make it easy for your viewers to reach your stream; being accessible will work wonders.
  • Use the power of hashtags to increase the probability of your tweets and posts being discovered. Make sure it will include you in the search result by using appropriate tags.

Example: 

Playing League of Legends 

#leagueoflegends #lol #moba #game #gamer #gaming #gamingcommunity #twitch #streamer 

  • Make it a habit of tagging relevant users such as publishers, streamers, sponsors, or even other influencers to broaden your reach. Playing Fortnite? Tag its official fan page! Doing a collaboration with a streamer? Don’t forget to tag them too. In the event that you got a sponsor, make sure you acknowledge their efforts by thanking them online and with the proper usage of tags.

Example: Steel Series sent you a mouse 

“Gaming now is such a breeze! Thank you to my friends @SteelSeries for the awesome Rival 600 gaming mouse!”

Use Quality Streaming Gears 

“Hi (Breaking voice)..uys! (Static) ..elcome (Inaudible sound)”

No, don’t buy that green screen…yet, and don’t be the guy that checks every 2 minutes if everyone can still hear them.

You already know how critical it is to communicate with your audience, but to do that, you need to make sure they can hear and see you perfectly.

So, it is crucial that you invest in a good camera and a reliable microphone.

The camera will enable viewers to see your face and expressions clearly, so a connection will be formed. A reliable microphone is also a must because if they can’t hear you well, they won’t be able to enjoy the experience as much as they should.

Aside from a good camera and mic, you also need to make sure you have a good router and a stable internet connection. Jitters and buffering during the broadcast are unappealing and will cost you your subscribers.

Also, make sure that your streaming broadcast software is configured. There are tons of free and paid applications online, pick the best that suits you. Though I would recommend that you use OBS, it’s not just free but also user-friendly.

Wrap-Up 

“Success is a science; if you have the conditions, you get the result.”
– Oscar Wilde 

Use these tips and love what you do. Remember, you are an Apply these things and love what you do. Remember, you are an entertainer. Own the stage. Don’t expect shortcuts and ‘hacks.’ Loyal subscribers are priceless and definitely worth the hard work.

Tracy has been working for RealGear since the first day it went online. She reads every e-sports related newspaper and website. She is a huge Twitch.tv fan and a gamer with a soft spot for Lineage 2, WoW, and Guild Wars 1 and 2. She says she does not suffer from PvP insanity, she enjoys every minute of it. Tracy defines herself as a person who’d spend two hours customizing a character rather than indulging in an activity that would not be as nearly rewarding as playing games and testing hardware.

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