There are lots of books and guides written by famous people on the subject of how to become successful in life. They give pieces of advice to help us live easier, applying one or the other approach. What about Twitch? It is a separate universe where ordinary tips are not applicable sometimes. It is getting more and more populated by content creators. The competition is increasing, and you have to learn to stand out from the crowd. That is why we have made a list of Twitch tips to have it at arm’s length. It will provide you with pieces of advice on how to grow your broadcasts and succeed in a streaming career. Gain knowledge, and win!
#1 Test different streaming time slots throughout the day
Look for the most suitable time slots both for you and your audience. Find and do not miss them. For some streamers, evening works better than morning. You can draw conclusions only after being live in different time throughout the day. However, do not force yourself to get up at 6 am if it is unbearable. There is also an alternative to find. Make it comfortable for you but take into account what time slots attract more average viewers.
#2 Set a fixed schedule for streaming
All these materials regarding time management have not appeared without a reason. You need to learn how to manage your time properly and stick to the plan. If you create a schedule and be regularly on air, your viewers will be very grateful. It is like your favorite show or cartoon on TV. Imagine how you would live in your childhood if you didn’t know the time it would go on air. Do not make your viewers get nervous but look forward to your broadcasts as you did when you were a child. Provide them with a habit of logging into Twitch at a definite time.
#3 Communicate with your viewers
Silence is golden but not in this case. You should always talk while streaming. Most of the viewers come to Twitch for the entertainment, and you have to become one. Call your viewers by their usernames when greeting or answering the questions. Comment on your actions, and make jokes. Communication is an active way to interact and build strong relationships inside your community.
Do you struggle with knowing what to talk about while you stream? This random question generator for streamers can help! With 100s of questions, it will automatically feed you questions to answer while you stream. From absurd to serious – this generator has questions that will get you and your viewers talking.
#4 Set up your stream with high-quality webcam and microphone
To cope well with the previous point, it is necessary to invest in high-quality equipment. You should be heard well without any creaking sounds and interferences. Streaming with web camera creates a welcoming environment and personable experience for your viewers, and make them have a feeling of full immersion. Check The Logitech C920
#5 Preserve a safe chat experience
Twitch has got 15 million daily active users. It is so much hustle and bustle on the platform. Trolls are lying in ambush to suddenly attack you. To avoid this, remember that moderation is a key to a comfortable presence on Twitch without a flood. Set AutoMod to catch potentially risky messages in the chat, and block hyperlinks. It is a golden rule for new streamers and event channels.
#6 Set up chat rules
It is obvious that civil manners are important both in the real and virtual worlds. Create your own set of chat rules and make your viewers comply with them. Apply word-blacklists, AutoMod, or certain bots. Nightbot is the most famous to be used for moderation. Do not afford an abusing manner and annoying viewers in your chat. You deserve to be treated politely, don’t you?
#7 Use Bots
I have already mentioned Nightbot earlier. However, there are lots of other assistants that you can delegate some tasks to, do not worry about your chat, and spend more time engaging with your audience. Check Moobot, Deepbot, Wizebot, StreamElements chatbot. Follow this link to learn more about the best Twitch bots.
#8 Learn chat commands
There is a set of commands and features that will allow you to closely monitor and moderate the chat. Again, they are extremely useful to get rid of your chat of spam. Go to this page to find the list and learn the commands by heart.
#9 Add a few channel moderators
They say that robots will replace human beings very soon. Nevertheless, this “very soon” has not arrived yet. You need a real person or several to moderate your channel. Together with bots or AutoMod, a moderator can do a good job. Just choose a reliable person that you can completely trust.
#10 Play less popular games
This tip is more applicable for new streamers. Anyway. I agree that World of Warcraft, Fortnight, and League of Legends are very attractive games that made a lot of streamers famous. However, competition is huge there. Try streaming less overcrowded games but attract more attention.
#11 Pick an informative and catchy stream title
You should make people click. A catchy stream title can help you get more attention. Include your streaming language, your rank, personal records, the character you are going to play if there is one. Keep in mind the proverb: As you name the boat, so shall it float. Switch on “a creative mode”, and invent an attractive title!
#12 Benefit from your uniqueness
It is obvious that each person is unique. However, you should use something particular to attract more viewers and make them stay on your channel longer. Perhaps you have got a cute pug that can sit still while you are streaming? Are you good at singing or making super funny jokes? Use your talent, and it can help convert bystanders into your permanent viewers.
#13 Adorn your channel
Do not be lazy and work on filling your channel with info. You will need to create Info Panels to tell viewers what your channel is about, and who you are. Include such info as your streaming schedule, description of yourself, rules for chat, social media links, game configs, donator button, etc. If you are familiar with graphics editors or know somebody who is – create appealing visuals that will explain to viewers who you are non-verbally.
#14 Develop and grow your own brand
We have already discussed the importance of visuals and adopting a unique trait. It is time we discussed the necessity of crafting your personal brand. Define colors, create a logo, choose the mood of your channel – are you a super positive streamer or perhaps a reserved and moody? The latter is not very recommended if you want to know. Be flexible, and test different options to see your viewers’ reaction. They will point in the right direction.
#15 Get people to host your content
Hosting other people’s content on your own channel and ask for hosting yours in return is a cool method that can bring new viewers. If you get a chance to be hosted on the channel with many followers, you’ll get in front of a large audience. You can also try auto-hosting that will work even when you are off. It’s not guaranteed that other streamers will reciprocate your kindness to promote them this way. But it is worth trying!
#16 Team up with other streamers
Besides hosting, you can team up with other streamers. Viewers prefer watching several streamers working on the same deck. You could stream a local multiplayer game that you play against a friend or two. If you are good at teasing or making jokes, this skill will benefit your broadcast a lot. Make entertainment for your audience, and it will be glued to the screen.
#17 Join a community and build alliances
I hope you know that networking is the key to success. It is a good idea to join a streaming team or a streaming community to gain popularity. Making a part of a team, you will be involved in various activities such as podcasts or multi streams. Follow this link to find out more about Twitch teams. You can also engage with other streamers beyond Twitch commenting on their posts on social media, getting involved in streamers’ chat, discussing plays, etc.
Keep in mind: there are countless communities directly on Twitch. Join as many as possible.
#18 Set up your stream overlay
Overlays make your stream look better, and provide your viewers with some info in the form of an interface. You can add there everything you want your audience to focus on. For example, notifications, subscriber count, donators’ names, the number of followers, etc. There is no limit in effects and data you can use. Just make it appealing and informative. You can find custom overlay designs here.
#19 Promote yourself
No blame attaches to self-promotion. Nowadays, it is crucial to present yourself via several social media, carry your message to the audience, and make them familiar with your channel. Be present on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, game forums, etc. Benefit from all the contact points possible where you can interact with people that might be interested in your stream.
#20 Set up Stream Extensions & Alerts
There is no doubt that stream extensions and alerts help to attract more viewers and engage them on the channel. They also assist in stream management to share important information, interact; improve broadcasting by adding game overlays.
Every alert can be customized with audio and animations. The most popular stream extension is StreamLabs. However, follow this link to find out more about Twitch extension and how to install, configure, and activate them.
#21 Comment on your gameplay
I have already mentioned above that communication with the audience is a ticket to a better streaming future. Being a silent fish is not relevant in this case. Do not neglect the option of commentating on your gameplay to provide the context of your thoughts. Viewers want to be part of the game. Allow them to feel engaged. Verbalize everything.
#22 Create personal emotes
You know that Twitch has got a standard list of Cheermotes used on all channels, but Partners can provide their channels with a unique style by adding their own variants. The personalized approach really matters that is why you have to create your own exclusive emotes. There is an ultimate guide to acquaint you with Cheermotes. Follow the link to get to know this feature deeper.
#23 Raid other streamers
Sharing is caring, isn’t it? Raiding a channel can be a great way to introduce your audience to a new channel, and help another streamer grow his or her community. It is necessary to send your viewers to another live channel at the end of your stream. Do good, and help another streamer with a little few extra viewers.
#24 Manage giveaways
I do not know people who refuse to get presents. Giveaways are one of the effective ways to attract and retain followers. The conditions may be different but the award should be worthy of participation. For example, a viewer should start following you on all social media, and in exchange, he will enter a lottery to win something.
#25 Become a Twitch Affiliate
After you succeeded in making a regular high-quality stream and gathering your people by your side, you can start earning money. There is a set of requirements to join the Affiliate Program. Read this guide to find out more.
#26 Become a Twitch Partner
There is a long way before you become a Twitch Partner. However, it is that every title you should strive for getting. The main requirements to become one are content, average concurrent viewership, stream frequency, and schedule. Reaching Partner rank allows you to get revenue, video quality drop-down, etc.
#27 Set up a Donation Goal
In the Universe of video streaming, it is really noble to support streamers donating several dollars to help fulfill their dreams. When you have already become famous and recognizable, it is high time you benefited from your activities. Set up a donation goal, and allow your viewers to feel useful. Just do not forget to thank your followers for their support.
#28 Link PayPal to Twitch
One of the most comfortable ways to receive earnings on Twitch is with the aid of PayPal. It is easy to donate via this online payment system. It is safe and swift. Glance at this blog post to learn how to link PayPal to Twitch.
#29 Make your stream Google friendly
If you or somebody close to you have some SEO knowledge, benefit from it. Spread your channel’s name, information, and URL. What is more, submit your details to a “streamer database”. It costs you nothing but enables you to get discovered more easily by the crowd of viewers.
#30 Use Twitch Prime Subs
Twitch Prime Subscriptions is one of the numerous perks you get becoming a member of Amazon Prime. It is a regular payment to individual channels, made by the viewers to support the streamers financially. Read here and learn how to use Twitch Prime Subscriptions.
#31 Monitor and adapt your goals
It is extremely important to keep a record of your goals. If you are a regular streamer on Twitch, you are likely to realize why and what for you have chosen this path. During our lifetime, we modify or change our goals. Keep your ears open, monitor and adapt the goals, and get dividends.
#32 Use Twitch tags
Twitch tags are a kind of filter that helps streamers describe their broadcasts in more detail and make it easier for viewers to find the types of streams they’re interested in most of all. Tags usually appear everywhere for viewers to see them: directory pages, the homepage, search, channel pages, etc., and they are shown alongside the video thumbnail, stream title, and the game or category.
#33 Fall in love with Twitch transcoding
Transcoding closes the question of a smooth stream. It allows viewers to choose lower resolutions for the Internet to handle, and enjoy a stable and high-quality broadcast. The members of Twitch Partnership Program get these options automatically. When the rest have to undergo the algorithm which tracks necessary data about your presence on the platform and evaluate your chances to get the option.
#34 Play with your audience
Entertainment is a core thing to get your viewers hooked. It is also a good way to get to know them better and then adapt to their preferences. Allow them to determine a course of the game, invite them to your streams. This is how loyalty is formed that transforms into a word of mouth and increases your brand awareness.
#35 Create compilations of your best streaming/gaming moments
Sometimes, showing off your experience is a good thing. Pick out the best moments, create compilation videos of your best gameplay clips, and post on YouTube, Facebook, etc. This way you can make people interested in you and funnel them into your stream.
#36 Monitor your stats and progress
The main idea of this tip is similar to #31. Keep track of your stats going to the Channel Analytics Page, where they are gathered in one place.
Please note: it is highly recommended to create a spreadsheet, and keep the data there, as this info on Twitch is not available after 30 days.
#37 Use Follower-Mode chat now and again
To avoid toxic people in your chat, use Follower-Mode only now and again. Enabling this feature you can force the chat area of your stream to allow only followers to chat with you. Quite a cool feature that will be useful enough in everyday life as well 🙂
#38 Invest in audio mixer
A headset microphone is not enough for a high-quality stream, you know? The sound of your stream is crucial. You should not forget that some of your viewers do not watch your live stream and just listen to it in the background. In this case, gaming does not matter, the sound does.
#39 Have fun
Always remember when you are sincerely having fun, this feeling is conveyed to your viewers. Crack jokes, be funny, and have a good time.
#40 Be yourself and love what you do
Be natural. It is so easy to catch in a deception. Viewers will be able to sense your genuine love for what you’re doing, and they will appreciate it. Sincerity is always à la mode.
Conclusion
You have just got “food for thought”. Blend hard work with a positive attitude, and strive for having a good time. It is a recipe for success. Move towards your goal with small steps, and you will definitely reach it. The tips above will not allow you to lose the right way.
