Streaming on Twitch has grown exponentially since lockdown measures were put into place at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, building your own Twitch community is not easy; the platform is really saturated and will only grow each day. Getting started, on the other hand, is not a difficult task at all, as you don’t need a fancy and expensive PC or the latest streaming tech. A lot of streamers on Twitch start out streaming with just basic equipment.
Streaming Schedules
The first thing you will need to do is create a streaming schedule. Decide which days of the week you’re going to be streaming and the times you’ve decided to stream and stick to it. Remain consistent so your viewers will know when you will be on and be ready to watch your streams.
What Will You Be Streaming?
There are many categories on Twitch to stream. Video Games are the main form of entertainment; however, there are other forms such as music streams, art streams and IRL (In Real Life) streams. There are many ways to build a community with what you decide to stream – whether you stick to one genre, one franchise or even one game, there will be people that will come to watch your live playthrough. Alternatively, there are many different streamers out there that stream an abundance of different games as their viewers are interested in the streamer and their personality rather than the game itself. If you’re looking for games to stream that won’t break the bank, consider options such as Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Plus where a monthly subscription will give you access to a huge library of titles to play.
Advertise Your Streams
Make sure you advertise your streams on as many platforms as you can by making use of social media like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Don’t forget other video platforms such as YouTube and TikTok – you can utilise these to post highlights and funny moments from your streams to show people small snippets of what they’re missing. When starting out, it will be a good idea to stream with a few friends and family watching even if they just have the stream open to bump up your viewer counts.
Upgrade Your Streams
As much as basic looking streams can get you far in building a community, eventually you will want to start upgrading your streams so they look more welcoming and interactive. To do this, you’ll want to start pushing for Twitch Affiliate so your followers can subscribe and gain sub perks. Start looking at custom emotes and overlays. Start streaming from a PC or laptop, as this makes it easier to boost the quality by adding good audio with a quality microphone, and a high-quality webcam so your viewers can see you and your reactions.
Getting started as a Twitch streamer can be easier than you think. Connect with other streamers and build your community as one of the best ways to become successful. You can find groups on Discord and Facebook to meet likeminded people for mutual support.