My 4 Tips To Streamers Everywhere
Over the last few months, I’ve had the chance to watch so many great streamers who have managed to create a positive and fun community around them. As I find new streamers every day to watch I started wondering what it actually took to become a great streamer.
So for a good few weeks now I have been looking at a huge number of streams with a critical eye and tried to figure out what methods work best to build a happy thriving community! Now after all my ‘research’ I’ve made a guideline that will hopefully help you look at your own streams and see if you have all the qualities to create the best streaming community you can :)
1 – Don’t worry about the numbers
First of all, becoming a great streamer doesn’t mean you have to have a hundred or more followers. I see a lot of streamers take their viewers for granted by focusing more on the view counts they have because they try and push to get to affiliate status too quickly. This is still valid if you want to make a career out of becoming a streamer, however, don’t forget about the people who would sit hours with you because they enjoy your company. You’ll get to affiliate when you get there. For now, just enjoy chatting with the people who join you for your personality. Chances are that they’re going to be here for the long haul so treat them right!
2 – Remember to say hi
Also while we’re on the topic, let’s go back to the basics. If a bunch of new viewers pops into your stream it’s important to say “Hello” and introduce yourself. Viewers love hearing stories and learning about the person they are watching. Plus if you want them to come back and continue watching you stream it’s important to form a bond with them.
After you’ve introduced yourself and captured the hearts of your viewers you now have to keep their attention. I see many streamers especially the newer streamers forget that they need to continue to talk and radiate positive energy in order for the viewers to stay. You’re there to entertain them and interact with them so be sure you are putting the best version of yourself in front of them!
3 – Avoid running giveaways just for extra viewers
Although I see the potential of giving away free things on your stream I don’t really agree with it if you are a new small streamer. If you are using giveaways to gain more traction and in your streams then I suggest save it and wait for a better opportunity. Many competitions require you to follow and share. I myself am a victim to this, I enter a lot of giveaways and I follow them to try and have more opportunities to win but I’m usually only interested in what the prize is and not the person offering it… it sounds harsh but you have to realize that so many of the people entering also feel the same as me.
What I’m trying to say is that sometimes I forget to go back and actually interact with the streamer who is putting in all this effort to try and get more views and attract new people to their streams. Also in most cases, I personally think its wrong of the streamer to just want us to follow to try and win. Is it not meant to be about building an interactive community instead of gaining followers who might never come back?
4 – Do it for the right reasons
Yes, you are trying to play video games and build a community. However, you have to ask yourself “What is streaming all about?”. Somehow it’s not about the game you play, it’s about the viewers who come back and watch you play the game. You as a streamer have the potential to make or break a game for the people watching. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve watched a streamer stream a game, and the person streaming made it more interesting than the game itself. I’ve actually bought a few games I was otherwise uninterested in because I enjoyed the experience a streamer had on stream with the game.
Why? Because I like watching how they react to a situation, how they laugh, scream, and rage even. Sometimes it’s just fun having a stream run in the background while I work, it’s somewhat motivating to see streamers enjoy what they are doing and it’s even better when their viewers are so involved in it too!!
So in short, in my opinion, what makes a great stream (and someone I will continue to watch) is streamers who really genuinely care more about the viewers they have with them at that moment, rather than the number of viewers they clock a stream. Someone who is nice, funny, positive, and inspires all generations of gamers, showing us how games are meant to be fun and entertaining for everyone.
With all this being said, I myself am not a streamer (though it’s something I would like to do in my free time when our tiny little town gets fibre internet or I move to a location that has it) so take everything I’ve written with a pinch of salt. However, for now, I enjoy just sitting back and watching and supporting streamers. I’ve been lucky enough to see steamers grow, streamers who have cried when they have gotten raided for the first time or subbed to for the first time, and it’s such an incredible thing to be a part of.
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