How to Use TikTok to Grow Your Stream

In a single year, TikTok has doubled its user retention time, surpassing Facebook and Twitter. Users on TikTok spend more time using the app than nearly every other social media platform.

With all this being said, how can Twitch streamers leverage the explosive organic growth potential on TikTok for their live-streaming careers?

Let’s look at some methods you can incorporate to grow your TikTok and stream.

Can You Promote Your Twitch Channel Using TikTok?

You can promote your live stream through Tiktok. This can be done in several ways, although it is worth knowing that for most streamers there won’t be a massive surge in Twitch followers from one viral video on Tiktok.

Though, the audiences on both platforms are very different. TikTok is home to short-form content that people consume quickly, while on average, a Twitch user spends roughly 120 minutes on a favorite content creator.

However, with consistent posts and CTAs, it is totally possible to use TikTok to grow your Twitch channel.

TikTok Growth Strategies

For you to funnel TikTok users into Twitch or YouTube Gaming, you will need first to grow your TikTok. Here is a list of several strategies that you can use and how they work:

Video Content

The most optimal strategy for new TikTok users is to create short clips ranging from 13-18 seconds long. The ideal structure for an engaging video is:

1. Intro (2-3 Seconds)

   The first two to three seconds should be reserved to direct the audience into what’s going to happen. You can achieve this by stating exactly what they’re going to see, or you could infer it.

2. Body (10-13 Seconds)

   This is reserved for the content itself. The content ideally falls into categories such as Trending topics, Educational content, Surprising content, Self-reflection, and more.

3. End (1-2 Seconds)

   The final seconds should be reserved for a CTA (Call to Action). You’ll likely be using these seconds to ask your audience to follow for more content.

Hashtags

A massive topic of discussion is what hashtags a TikTok video should have. There are a few strategies you can experiment with to see what works with your content. It’s also worth noting that hashtags help you become more discoverable and help you to reach your target audience on TikTok.

At this point, it’s important to mention TikTok rewards repetition. If you find a hashtag strategy that works on a video, it’s in your best interest to continue using them indefinitely.

1. 2 Trending + 2 Niche

   Trying 2 trending and 2 niche hashtags is a great starting point. Select two trending hashtags for the day. You’ll see these listed on the discovery page with a blue icon.

   After that, you’ll select two niche hashtags that are relevant to the content you’re making. For example, if it’s a cat video, you experiment using: #cat #cats

2. 2 Trending + 2 General

   Another combination you can try is using two trending hashtags with two general hashtags. For example, this could be #fyp, #foryoupage, #viral, etc.

3. No Hashtags

   In reality, hashtags on TikTok don’t bear much weight on the algorithm. However, they help with indexing your content. If you’re consistently replicating the same type of content, eventually, you’ll find you won’t have to use hashtags at all.

Music

Music choice is important, as this allows TikTok to sort certain types of videos under a content category. For example, if a popular trend happens with a specific song, and you use that song, TikTok will understand which audience will likely watch that content.

1. 1. Examine Your Competition

   If you’re creating Minecraft content, it’s in your interest to scope what other popular Minecraft TikTok creators use for their music choice. Replication is always preferred on TikTok; you can save the song they’ve chosen and use it yourself.

   

   You can also hop on trends that use specific soundtracks on TikTok. It’s a quick and easy way to be seen by new users and to gain more followers.

2. 2. Custom Music

   I have used custom sounds or songs in my TikTok videos, and they’ve succeeded. You don’t necessarily have to use popular trending songs in your niche (in fact, the best practice is to use music that is DMCA-safe) to have a successful video. Ultimately, the most important factor is the content. If your music choice helps, it’s worth pursuing it.

Analytics

A few markers spell out that a video on TikTok will be successful. We’re going to take a look at the most important points:

1. Watch Time

   For a video that’s 13-18 seconds long, you want 95%+ watch time on your video. Videos that get this amount of watch time % are likely to get served on the “For You” page, which will cause your video to go viral.

2. Audience

   Your biggest priority is for your video to be served on the “For You” page. As a result, when you check your analytics, a successful video will have a 98-99% of its views come from the “For You” page.

3. Comments

   If your video gains a ratio of 1 comment per 10 views, it will be served more.

4. Shares

   If your video gains shares, it’ll be exposed to a user’s follower list. As a result, it’ll have a massive surge in viewership.

   Here’s how you can view your TikTok Analytics:

   1. Go to your TikTok profile and click on the three horizontal lines in the upper right corner.
   2. Open Creator Tools.
   3. Click on Analytics.

Post Times

Experimenting with Post Times is crucial in a successful video on Tiktok. Your goal is always to reach a new audience and not your existing audience.

As a result, you’ll have to see when your content works for you and remember that your post times are geo-located to your location. So these times will be exactly relevant in the context of where you live. Try posting your video at these times in your timezone:

1. 10 AM – 11 AM
2. 3 PM – 4 PM
3. 7 PM – 2 AM

Make sure to have at least a one-hour gap between posts.

How to Convert TikTok Users to Twitch

There are four different ways of promoting your Livestream through Tiktok. You can reach potential new viewers for your Twitch stream by doing the following.

• Promoting in Video 

  The first way is to promote your content through the videos that you post to your TikTok account. Psychological studies have shown that people remember the content of what they memorize at the start and the end. If you want to promote your Livestream in your TikTok video, it’s worth mentioning your Livestream at either the start of your video or towards its tail end.

  In addition, you can promote your Twitch channel by posting stream highlights on your TikTok account. Since TikTok is home to short videos, make sure that you use Twitch clips that are exciting, interesting, and fun to watch.

  Promotion can be handled in different ways through video. You can directly ask users to visit your Livestream page if they enjoyed the video, or you can direct them to your page if you’re handling a giveaway or an event there too. 

• Promoting Through TikTok Live

  TikTok has an in-built live streaming feature. If you reach 1,000 followers, your account is eligible to Livestream on the Tiktok platform. The best method for converting Tiktok Live viewers to Twitch or YouTube is to create a CTA stating that you will continue the Livestream on your preferred platform.

  For example, you can host a TikTok live stream for 30 minutes, discussing what you’re doing on your Stream later on; and then direct your audience to your upcoming live stream. And if you are hosting giveaways on your Twitch channel, TikTok Live is a great place to promote this event.

• Promoting Through the Description

  Another method is to make a CTA in your video’s description(s). For example, the description could display, “if you’d like to catch this content live, visit twitch.tv/example. Users on Tiktok have become culturally accustomed to reading and interacting with descriptions.

• Promoting Through Your Profile Page

  The last method is, when you have enough followers engagement, Tiktok will allow you to paste a website link directly on your profile page. You can use this opportunity to link your live-streaming page. It’s also best if your TikTok username is the same as your Twitch channel name.

Conclusion

In summary, Tiktok can be a platform for new creators to grow a niche and ultimately create a successful live-streaming career.

TikTok is still in its infancy and, as a result, has massive potential for explosive, organic growth. It’s never been a better time to use the platform to forward your social media.