Helpful Tips and Tricks For New Twitch Streamers

So you've finally taken the plunge to become a streamer on Twitch.

Welcome to the grind, my friends.

Starting off can be a bit tough for those trying to find their niche on the site. In the beginning it can be difficult where to start and how to navigate the platform. Several questions will arise:

"What game do I stream?"
"Should I be a variety streamer or be known for one game?"
"How do I gain followers and retain viewership?"

Scouring the internet for answers, watching hours of "how to" videos on YouTube and consuming hours of Twitch streams is vital to learning what you'd like your steam to look like. Yet, this can be quite time consuming. I wished I had someone to guide me through the grind when I first jumped into the broadcasting biz; so right now, I'd like to give out a few helpful tips that will help new streamers find their footing on Twitch.

• Complete your bio. It really does make you look credible and stand out among those that have the default "This user has not provided a bio."

• Have an About Me section filled out on your profile. Better yet, add games you play, your schedule, contact info for social media, etc. This let's people know who you are and what games you enjoy playing. Again, it makes you look more credible.

• Create a name for your broadcast, a mascot or group name for your followers. Welcoming new followers to, for example, The Brad Brigade makes them feel they are part of a gaming guild.

• Make up an interesting title before going live that will bring attention to your stream. Ex: 

"Sans...Time For You To Get DUNKED ON! (200 Follow Hypu!)"

• Stream with a microphone and/or webcam. Those unable to get a webcam, make sure you have a mic. I understand some may be shy or nervous when first hitting that "Start Stream" button. You'll be alright. We've all gone through this. Two reasons why this is beneficial:

• viewers see your reactions and mannerisms while streaming

• without either one, typing responses to questions in stream slows down the entertainment and makes for a quiet stream. Twitch is designed to show off your personality. If the stream is live, put a voice and a face to it. Go all in! More of that below.

• Stream games that you enjoy. This game should also have a following. Playing Blade Dancers 4 (may or may not be a real game) may be fun to play yet has no following on Twitch. Here are just a few that I recommended and that also maintain popularity:

• The Binding of Isaac
• Borderlands 1 & 2
• Minecraft
• Mario games
• Bioshock/Bioshock Infinite
• Dead Space
• Garry's Mod
• Team Fortress 2
• Rocket League
• The Sims
• Five Nights at Freddy's games

• Pay attention to chat often. It is very important to welcome new viewers to the steam. If after one minute goes by and the viewer is not welcomed to the stream, he or she is gone forever.

• Never. Stop. Talking. Fill dead air with anything that is on your mind or going on in the game. Viewers enjoy coming to streams where they see the streamer enjoying themselves rather than a quiet one. Yes, it may seem weird talking to yourself yet it is what gets viewers to settle in to your stream.

• Once you start playing a game, stick to that game. It is your stream. Run it the way you want. Listening to recommendations is nice. Check out said games off stream on YouTube or Twitch and try a demo to see if you enjoy it. Switching games during a stream, especially early in your streaming career could cost viewers and followers.

• When not streaming, visit other streamers with a similar follower/viewer count, playing games you enjoy. Strike up a conversation and get to know the host and his/her viewers. Refrain from advertising in another streamer's chat. This is heavily frowned upon. Instead, if you enjoy their content, follow them and host them after one of your streams. Of course this is after you have gotten to know them.

• Be generous and giving within the community. Make it a point to leave each stream you visit or broadcast better than before you arrived. Always strive to make people's days better, both your viewers and a friend's or stranger's you've found while browsing the Twitch game queue. This is the best way to network and build a great reputation. Reputation is everything here.

• Update your stream often. Install new bots, update info and list upcoming events you're planning for future streams.

• If you can, keep a consistent schedule for your followers. Here is a link you can use to keep them up to date: https://streamcal.tv/index.html. Advertise this link on your profile. 

• Advertise your stream on Twitter with @TwitchSharer @TwitchGrow, @TwitchRaid and other Twitch retweet profiles you can find. Do this every time before you go live. Make sure you have an interesting tag that catches other's attention and shows off your personality. Adding pictures of the game will gain more eyeballs to your ad. Ex: 

"Such salt, much gameplay! Witness the struggle LIVE! @Twitchsharer @Twitchraid Twitch.tv/YourNameHere"

• Add your Twitch handle to all your social media profiles. Make sure it is visible to all that visit. 

• Be patient. This is one of the most important tips in this guide. Patience is the name of the game. Temper expectations and set reasonable goals. Stay the course, folks. You will experience ups and downs with followers and consistent viewership. Just keep streaming

• To piggy back off the previous tip, go all in when you start streaming. What I mean by that is stream as often as possible. Have a full time job? School schedule? Stream in between or when you get home. We all have 24 hours in a day. If you really want to be a streamer, just stream.

• Set giveaway goals and make it visible in your info or on your stream. Do this every now and then. Ex:

• Follower goals. I will host a giveaway stream each time a follower goal is reached. Be sure to smack that follow button if you enjoy the stream. Much appreciated!
• 100 followers
• 200 followers
• 500 followers

• Play games with your followers on and off stream. This will build trust and loyalty with your community. Take the time to get to know your followers and they will repay you with consistent support.

• Dual stream with other streaming friends. Both of you will benefit as your followers get to know each of your communities. It's an excellent way to network, advertise and grow your community at the same time.

• Respond to all questions on social media platforms. All of them. This is the most enjoyable part of being a broadcaster other than playing games for and with your followers. This creates more of a human touch from you to your community. I've seen so many new streamers on Twitter who use Crowdfire to auto respond to new followers on Twitter and other platforms... this can be good if you follow up with real engagement afterwards. Yet just having that be the default response to a follow is not enough. Every follow you see on your Twitter mention, visit the person's page, get to know their likes, tell them thank your and comment on what they like. If they are a streamer, ask them what they stream or how long they have streamed. Treat everyone you come into contact with as a new friend instead of a number. Trust me. You will stand out and surprise people. They will greatly appreciate it. 

And there you have it, folks. Some tips to use on your journey to becoming a more comfortable Twitch streamer. Be sure to hit me up on Twitter @Kaitality if you have any further questions. Stop by my stream on Twitch to chat it up with myself and my community. We'd love to have you.

Also let me know what you found helpful and what else you would like to know about starting out anew on Twitch. I'm always here to help in any way I can.

Until next time, folks. Share this with your friends if you enjoyed it. Keep being awesome!

Fandom Frenzy! War or Freedom?

Which murderous animationic is the best in Five Nights at Freddys? Is Flowey the Flower really just misunderstood? Will we ever get that spaghetti promised to is by Papayrus? What is the true story of FNAF? Fans ask themselves these questions and more in two of the most popular gaming fandoms today: Five Nights at Freddy's and Undertale.

There are, however, those that do not share such enthusiasm; the majority on the other side of the fence would love nothing more than to see each fan base, *ahem* "disappear," never to pollute the interwebs again. (That was my attempt at putting it lightly) Love or hate it, the groups that adore each or both are here to stay.

Just to preface this a little before your eyes zoom across this piece (I thank all your eyeballs), think of this as more of a rant of sorts. I had come across this "war" if you will over the past few weeks and couldn't get it out of my head. The only way I knew how was to just write everything out and share it with you lovely people.

And now without any further ado, my perspective/rant on these gaming fandoms and those who would love nothing more than to Hulk Smash them to bits.

The FNAF Craze

Personally, I enjoy both. More so, FNaF. It was the first game that brought me back into the indie gaming world. Who knew possessed automatons could be so kawaii and complex that furious (yet friendly) debates were sparked all over the internet; fans debate anything from when the "Bite of '87" took place, when and where, who the phone guy is and what role each security guard served in each game. I blame and thank YouTube's Game Theorist MattPat for this.

Even though all that is discussed may or may not be true in the eyes of the game's creator, Scott Cawthon, theories cooked up from Matt and others are very fun to learn and talk about. The game is shrouded in mystery. So much so, out of hundreds of guesses and "factual confirmations" about the story and characters by fans, a good one or two were confirmed as true. To this day, after four spine-tingling titles, no one has yet to crack the code of what really happened in those creepy pizzerias. The mental exercise is way too real.

Aside from all the mystery and bait and switch trolling (thanks Scott), FNaF has brought forth a creative explosion. All over Tumblr and Instagram are beautiful fan made art, comic strips that fill in the blanks of story arcs and popular shipping of characters. Most prevalent being Foxy and Mangle. I say Mangle is a girl bot. Check the lipstick, folks. I digress. The point is, the mass acceptance has been nothing shy of positive and happy.

Stay Determined...

Speaking of joy, the newest of polarizing popularity in games, Undertale. This indie title tells a humorous, 4th wall breaking, feels fest that would bring tears to the eyes of the toughest gamer known to man. The music slowly grabs a hold of you, guiding you into every funny, dangerous and quirky scenario and never lets go. Even when getting pummeled by Sans...wait, sorry... "dunked on" by Sans, those tasty grooves are absolute eargasms.

Fans were quick to show their support, wearing their hearts on their sleeves for this twisted tale. The week of launch, art work from every corner of the net sprang forth. The seeds were already sewn; gamers just had to water the soil with their love (*tear*). Papayrus and his unique brand of puns, Sans with his play on words and of course everyone's favorite Goat Mom, Toriel was represented. Flowey, the demonic flower, shows up as well. He gets his second chance to make a good impression through the artful expression of fans. This time, he uses his petals for good.

I feel this game gave birth to a bit more in the creative department given its three endings and play-through types: Neutral, Pacifist and Genocide. Forgive me, Mama Toriel. I didn't mean to hurt you. It's fun to see the plethora of untold stories in fanfiction. It's like a celebration of something I know all to well: being different and embracing the strange. Yet as the party was happening, a dark cloud of hate and indifference was looming overhead, as it always does. Although I am not on board with the negativity they bring, I do see how they get fed up with these types of fandoms.

No love for you!

Those opposed have just as much a right to voice their opinions as those that adore. Seeing eye to eye isn't a rule or a law; sometimes ideas and likes differ. There are many reasons why this crowd chooses to dislike it: boredom, annoyance of the fanbase, fed up with the games, too much shipping, fanfiction is just not their thing. All are credible reasons. The members of such vocal individuals tend to permeate the interwebs with their strong opinions. So much so some enter the fandom circles, causing all out chaos. Memes are traded, insults are hurled and Reddit forums are never the same again.

Yet can we really blame the "haters," as they are referred to, for all of this toxicity? There are always two sides to any argument. Even as a lover of the art and gameplay and silliness I have to say, the "victims" of hate are not completely innocent here. Some notice the push-back and automatically try to convince the critics their way of thinking and expressing themselves is bad. Allow me illustrate my point if you will.

Imagine walking through the mall shopping for a pair of jeans. You know, because your mom or girlfriend just can't stand the ones with the patched up hole near the back pocket. Yes, I know they are your favorite jeans....anyways, I'm getting distracted. Without warning, and without your authorization, employees from the perfume department spritz you with the latest cologne. In their minds, it is what they feel will improve your status, smell and life....for the season at least. How generous of them, right? Bombarding you with what they feel is just the right fit and smell for you? It is very much so a peeve.

And this goes for both sides. Retaliation doesn't calm the flames anymore than hurling the first insult. People will choose to believe what they will. That's the beautiful power of free will. No matter the reason for their allegiance, for or against these wonderful indie games, the opinions are set in stone. I've always been at peace to know that my love for the experiences gleaned from each title does not diminish with negative views from the other side. Working tirelessly to defend a video game is never-ending work. I choose not to join in. I love a good debate yet this is not one of them. More like a food fight except instead of food, they're tossing grenades back and forth.

Conclusion

All in all, I'd just like to just end this rant on a quote that I feel is very fitting for this topic:

“Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.” 

                                                                                                               ~Albert Einstein