What Makes a Streamer Successful [Twitch & YouTube]

How to Become a Successful Twitch Streamer

The following tips are things you can do to increase your success on your Twitch or YouTube Gaming channel:

1. Create content outside of your stream channel.
2. Improve the quality of your content.
3. Create and stick to feasible streaming goals.
4. Maintain a stream/life balance.
5. Connect with viewers on Stream
6. Run Your Channel Like a Business.
7. Network with other streamers.

1. Create Content Outside of Twitch

If you’re only banking on the time you actually stream to grow your channel, you are neglecting a wide range of passive growth opportunities. Potential viewers will rarely stumble on your offline channel on their own, and even fewer will bother to check out your profile or VODs without a prompt to do so. Spend time to create content outside of Twitch, Facebook Gaming, or whatever platform you have chosen to use. Here are a few suggestions:

• Create compilations, highlight videos, or original content for YouTube. 
• Release short, humorous clips for TikTok. 
• Build an Instagram following
• Create a blog about your favorite game or topic

Whatever you choose to do, make it unique and redirect people through it to your channel. Soon, you’ll begin to receive followers even when you are offline, and a few of them will return to watch your stream.

2. Improve The Quality of Your Content 

Don’t become complacent. Continually look for ways to make your content more interesting and entertaining. If you grow stagnant, people will eventually stop watching you. 

• Master your game or category – learn the ins and outs of the topic of your stream and be willing to share some of your secrets with your viewers. People loved educational material. Your popularity will grow the more you develop your skills and share it.
• Upgrade your equipment – new technology is developed at a rapid pace. Continually upgrade your equipment and software as you can afford it to give your viewers the highest video and audio quality.
• Give yourself challenges – find ways to challenge yourself on stream. Give yourself extra quests or handicaps in a game. Include your viewers in this challenge by letting them come up with ideas. 
• Look for new ideas – continually seek out new ideas for your stream. Watch what others are doing and see if there is a way you can improve on it and incorporate it into your stream. Brainstorm fresh ideas with friends or with your viewers. 

3. Create and Stick To Feasible Streaming Goals

Create goals and milestones for yourself. Whether these are follower/subscriber counts, the number of views you receive in a stream, or the number of times you’ve raided someone, always have an idea of something you can push toward. 

Don’t rely on your broadcasting platform to give you all your achievements. While it can feel good to unlock them, there are times where there could be weeks or months between them. Having your own goals and milestones will let you have that accomplished feeling (thanks to the dopamine release in your brain), which will keep you pushing forward to the next one. 

Keep your goals in a place where you will see them frequently. If you want, you can even post them in your profile description so that your viewers can help you keep track of them and encourage you forward. 

4. Maintain a Stream/Life Balance 

To remain productive, you need to take frequent breaks, eat healthily, and regain your focus. Make sure to prioritize things in your day-to-day life and spend time with your friends and family. Streamers who make sure to carry on with lives outside of their broadcasts tend to return to building their channels renewed and more energetic. 

Establish routines throughout your day to ensure that you complete all of your tasks. When you accomplish something, dopamine is released in your brain, which naturally improves your mood and presses your forward. Your viewers will be able to sense when you are stressed and when you are happy. Keep yourself happy. 

5. Connect with Viewers on Twitch or YouTube Gaming 

Your viewers are the lifeblood of your channel. In order for you to meet your streaming objectives, you must successfully connect with your viewers by interacting with them. As they grow to like you, they will be more likely to support you in the future. There are four main ways that you can connect to your viewers on a day to day basis. 

• Show gratitude. People love to be appreciated. When you thank your viewers they feel as though you have valued their contributions to your channel. 
• Keep up with your chat. Try to respond to your viewers as often as you can. One of the reasons people choose to watch live-streams is the chance to interact with the broadcaster. When you respond to someone, they will continue to chat with you and your community, which will grow your channel. 
• Include them in your content. Have days where you play with viewers. Let them come up with challenges for your games or direct where you should go. People will often stay around on a stream just to see what happens when you let people help direct the content. 
• Create a Discord server. A stream Discord server for your channel will let you interact with your followers outside of your stream. They can give you valuable feedback and vote on new emotes and graphics.

6. Run Your Channel Like a Business

Nobody is going to grow your channel for you. You have to put in the hard work in planning, streaming, and promotion. Here are a few things that successful streamers do on a daily basis. 

• Show up on time for your broadcasts. Even with a small following, you might have people waiting in your lobby, ready for the show to start. Don’t let them get anxious. If you can’t make it to a show, let people know ahead of time on social media and update your chatbot to explain the delay. 
• Study statistics from SullyGnome. Frequently look at how your stream performed and analyze some of the reasons why people came or left when they did. While not every viewer will leave due to something you said or did, if you have multiple people leave within a two-minute time period, study to see how you can improve your content. 
• Don’t brush off important tasks. We all have little chores we don’t want to do when it comes to growing our business. Follow the 2-minute rule. If it can be done in 2 minutes or less, do it immediately. For everything else, set aside a time once a week for you to tackle all your menial tasks. Write them down to keep track of them. This way, you don’t have the chore hanging over your head and you can get everything done at once. Afterward, reward yourself with a special treat. 
• Ask for help. Outsource tasks where you struggle – like graphic design or video editing. Very few people have the natural talent in everything required to make a professional channel. Your viewers may be happy to help you as well.  

7. Network with Other Streamers

While networking doesn’t necessarily grow your channel, it does help you find people who are willing to review your content to give you constructive feedback on what you could do better. You can also find collaborations that can improve the content for your viewers.

Conclusion

Building a stream channel is a lot of work, but with hard work and dedication, you can be successful. Many people have gotten to the point of earning livable incomes, even after struggling for a couple of years to get more than 10 viewers. Continue to troubleshoot your channel and find ways to improve and promote your stream.