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!