Streaming and video creation are not what they used to be. That type of content creation used to be looked down upon and was considered a waste of time. Now, streaming has stitched itself into the mainstream of society and slowly become more and more acceptable.
So, you’re here to learn how to become a Twitch streamer. Luckily for you, we’ve got seven great tips on how to become a successful streamer. Let’s jump in.
1. Have a Plan
Obviously, your goal is to become a Twitch streamer, but what’s your plan? When coming up with a plan for your first adventure into streaming, you want to know a few things. First, what game are you going to be playing?
When you first start off, it’s a good idea to specialize at first, that way you’re staying consistent. While you may want to jump from game to game every stream, keeping consistent will draw in your first audience, who may not enjoy the other games as much. When selecting that first game to stream, make sure you enjoy it so that you aren’t unhappy while you stream and so you don’t burn out.
Next, you want to set specific times and days for when you’re streaming. Doing this allows you to have time dedicating to streaming, letting you completely melt into the stream instead of worrying about external affairs. It also will keep your audience happy, as they’ll know exactly when you’ll start streaming, letting them set aside time to watch you.
2. Have a Back-Up Plan
There are times when life just happens and you can’t avoid that. So have a back-up plan. If you can’t stream on your original streaming days anymore, let your audience know and have your backup days ready.
If something happens to the game you’re playing or your audience wants a new game or if you’re even just burnt out from the first game, have a back-up selection just in case.
3. Get the Gear
While you can definitely stream with just the video of the game and a headset mic, having the gear is a great benefit. Having the gear will increase the experience for both you and your community. It’ll also boost your confidence, allowing you to really host the stream of a lifetime.
Now, what do you need to be a streamer? Generally speaking, you’ll have a computer, a monitor, a mouse, a webcam, and a microphone. If you’re streaming a game on console, you’ll likely need a capture card as well.
Your first thoughts may be wondering what the best webcam for streaming is or how much does a studio microphone cost, but you shouldn’t worry about those. You don’t have to start with the best gear right away. Use what you have, get what you need, and work up to the best.
4. Join Twitch
If you haven’t already, you need to create a Twitch account. After you’ve done this, you need to download streaming software.
If you go to your icon in the top right corner of the screen, a menu should dropdown. Go to Creator Dashboard.
From here, Twitch explains to you that you need a streaming software in order to go live. They even give you a link to download Twitch Studio which is their streaming software. You don’t need Twitch Studio exclusively, but it’s a good software to start with.
5. Advertise Everywhere
If you were to start streaming right away, you likely wouldn’t get much of an audience. So, it’s time for you to start advertising.
As you first start off, you don’t need to take out ads or anything like that. To spread your stream around, simply tell people about it. Tell your friends and family, people on the street; you’d be surprised how many people will take the time to check you out.
But that’s just in-person advertising. The next step is to move online. Go to Reddit, YouTube, Twitter, even Instagram, and just ask people to come check out your stream.
6. Build Your Community
Once you’ve got a small audience, it’s time to grow it. In terms of actual growth, your audience will get bigger as time goes on. The more they watch you and enjoy you, the more they’ll start to recommend you to people they know.
Being with you while playing the game is one thing, but you need to find other ways to grow the bond and strength of your community. The simplest way to do this is to engage with your community. Ask them questions, have some sort of stream traditions or games you can play with them, create a discord they can join.
Increasing the streamer-community bond will make both parties happy, allowing you to continue making great content and allowing your community to be apart of your journey.
7. Stay Focused
As is with any type of content creation, you need to stay focused. Being a Twitch streamer and creating content is very hard and exhausting work. You have to have the drive or else your streaming dreams are bound to fail.
Another issue people run into with content creation is burn out. Because it such demanding work, overworking yourself can cause you to burn out, leaving you unmotivated to stream. Make sure you stay happy and healthy so you can avoid burn out.
How to Become a Twitch Streamer: Your Dreams Come True
Successfully making YouTube videos and streaming on Twitch used to be nothing but a dream for most, but as the ability to do so has become more accessible, anyone can do it. With this information on how to become a Twitch streamer, it’s up to you to make your dreams come true.
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