With the success online live streaming has seen over the past decade, making a career in the industry has never been more appealing. However, with so many things to do, numerous competitors, and so much to cover, becoming a success in this profession is nowhere as easy as many take it to be.
One barometer for how far a content creator has come is the number of followers they have on their channel, which can be in the form of subscribers or followers, depending on the platform. A healthy number suggests that the online personality has been doing good work that is being appreciated and followed by hundreds or thousands of netizens.
It is common knowledge today that building a loyal following on platforms like Twitch and YouTube is the cornerstone of success for streamers and content creators. The benefits are far-reaching, from increased visibility and engagement to potential monetization opportunities.
But how can a budding (or even established) internet star work towards attracting more followers? This guide explores the fundamental streaming tips that help Twitch and YouTube growth strategies.
Growing Twitch viewership
The purple platform has been the go-to for many fans of online content creation for years, so much so that it won't be a stretch to call it the biggest name in the industry. Twitch is not only a big name when it comes to regular IRL broadcasts but also special events and esports live streaming. While some fans, pundits, and critics may argue that YouTube Live (Gaming and Non-Gaming) remains the gold standard, there is no doubt that both have pushed each other to reach new heights.
Certainly, the Amazon-owned service has legitimate claims to having the more recognizable and watched faces representing it to the global online user base. Names like xQc, ibai, auronplay, and pokimane represent the best it has to offer across segments and demographics, their fame is more than enough to attract millions of viewers to the site each time they go live.
So, what have these personalities done to reach such a stage in their professional careers? What have they done right (and avoided doing wrong) to become household names and legitimate celebrities worldwide? Here are a few pointers that budding influencers can follow to follow in their idols' footsteps and make it big:
Consistent streaming
Consistency is crucial on Twitch, as establishing a regular streaming schedule allows your audience to anticipate when you'll be live, fostering a dedicated viewer base. Whether it's daily, weekly, or specific days, stick to a schedule that suits you and your audience.
This commitment also establishes reliability and familiarity for your audience, allowing them to connect with you on a more personal level as they see more of you. Maintaining this consistency builds trust with viewers, encouraging repeat visits and fostering a dedicated community around your content. Consistency also aids in discoverability, as it aligns with viewer habits and improves the likelihood of attracting new viewers who appreciate regular content.
The likes of Kai Cenat or xQc have been known to come online as often as possible and leave a mark with their engaging content. That is why both consistently feature on lists of the most watched influencers, while their airtimes also register on the high side.
Engaging content
The lifeblood of successful streams on Twitch, this point goes beyond mere entertainment, encompassing interaction, entertainment value, and audience participation. By actively involving viewers through engaging commentary, responding to chat, involving them in decisions or challenges, and creating an inclusive environment, you cultivate a sense of belonging.
Incorporating unique elements like contests, Q&A sessions, or interactive games keeps viewers hooked, fostering a vibrant and lively community. A balance between entertainment, interactivity, and authenticity ensures that your content resonates with your audience, encouraging longer watch times, repeat visits, and word-of-mouth recommendations.
Good examples of broadcasters who fall under this category include ibai and Gaules, who delve into multiple genres and always manage to attract the attention of viewers. The former is also known to host various special events, competitions, and programs on his channel, resulting in him becoming arguably the biggest Twitch name today, certainly within the Hispanic community.
Networking and collaborations
Meeting and connecting with colleagues and companies is pivotal for expanding your reach on Twitch. Engaging with other streamers and communities opens doors to new audiences and opportunities. Joining Discord servers, participating in gaming events, or networking through social media allows you to connect with like-minded creators.
Collaborations — whether through joint streams, tournaments, or projects — introduce your content to different viewer bases, fostering mutual growth. Shared audiences from collaborations often result in cross-promotion, broadening your reach organically.
Building relationships within the streaming community amplifies your visibility and creates a supportive ecosystem where creators uplift each other's content and foster a sense of camaraderie among viewers. Someone like Mizkif has done a fabulous job of partnering with colleagues and brands to push his image to the next level, and the fact that he is co-founder of One True King, popularly known as OTK, has also helped as the group conducts so many different activities that produce must-see content throughout the year.
Utilizing Twitch features
Strategically Leveraging Twitch features amplifies audience engagement and retention. Raids, an impactful tool, allow you to redirect your viewers to another creator's channel at the end of your stream, fostering goodwill within the community and potentially introducing your audience to new content creators.
Hosting enables you to broadcast another channel's content when you're offline, keeping your channel active and offering your viewers continuous entertainment. Channel points incentivize viewer loyalty by rewarding them with custom rewards or privileges based on their engagement, encouraging prolonged interaction and a sense of investment in your channel.
Incorporating these features not only enhances viewer experience but also strengthens community bonds, contributing to sustained growth. A prime example of a streamer who effectively does this is Pokimane, one of the most prominent female names on the platform.
She leverages various features to engage her audience and foster community interaction, including conducting raids at the end of her streams, rewarding her viewers with unique perks, and offering tiered subscriptions with exclusive perks. The Moroccan-Canadian's adept use of these tools has contributed significantly to her channel's success, allowing her to create an engaging and inclusive environment for her viewers while supporting the growth of other content creators within the community.
How to build your YouTube subscriber base
YouTube might well be the earliest avatar of what a streaming site looked like back when the internet and video-sharing sites were still a novelty. However, the head starts it got and the ease of access and usage have made it the monster that it is today — a tech giant that can do what it wants when it wants, with enough of a fanbase salivating to back its every move and activity.
Of course, having the likes of PewDiePie, IShowSpeed, Valkyrae, and Sykkuno as part of its content creation roster is a big plus. They are some of the most followed and popular influencers the red platform has to offer, and their regular activities have ensured that it remains at the forefront of public consciousness despite its biggest rival sometimes stealing its thunder.
So, how to do your best to get the most subscribers on this most wonderful of video-sharing sites? Read on to find out.
SEO optimization
It involves strategic keyword usage in titles, descriptions, and tags to enhance video discoverability. Optimize titles with relevant keywords, craft detailed descriptions, and use specific tags to improve visibility. Encourage engagement and interaction within videos, create eye-catching thumbnails, and maintain a consistent upload schedule.
Providing accurate transcripts or closed captions aids accessibility and search engine understanding. SEO efforts aim to align content with viewer search intent, increasing the likelihood of appearing in search results and YouTube recommendations, and ultimately driving growth in subscribers and viewership.
A creator who excels in leveraging SEO optimization on YouTube is DrLupo. Primarily known for his expertise in gaming and charity streams, he effectively implements SEO strategies to enhance the visibility and discoverability of his YouTube content. Through strategic optimization and consistent engagement, he effectively caters to his existing audience and potential new viewers interested in gaming, establishing a strong presence within the YouTube gaming community.
Consistent uploads
Consistent uploads on the Google-owned site are crucial for audience engagement and channel growth. Establishing a regular posting schedule — whether it's daily, weekly, or bi-weekly — creates anticipation among subscribers, encouraging repeat visits and fostering a loyal viewer base.
Consistency signals reliability and dedication to your audience, prompting YouTube's algorithm to favorably recommend your content. Regular uploads maintain viewer interest and encourage subscriptions, as users are more likely to subscribe to channels that consistently offer new, high-quality content.
It also improves overall channel visibility, aiding in the steady growth of your subscriber base and increasing the likelihood of video recommendations across the platform. MrBeast, known for his attention-grabbing challenges, philanthropy, and entertaining content, emphasizes a consistent upload schedule as a cornerstone of his channel's success.
His dedication to being consistent has played a pivotal role in his channel's rapid growth, high engagement rates, and enduring popularity on YouTube. This example underscores the importance of consistency in uploads as a key strategy for channel success on the platform.
Audience engagement
Audience engagement on this streaming service involves fostering interaction, building community, and encouraging participation among viewers. Responding promptly and thoughtfully to comments cultivates a sense of connection, showing viewers their opinions and feedback matter.
Encourage discussions by posing questions, seeking opinions, and acknowledging viewer contributions within your videos. Incorporating audience suggestions and feedback into your content makes viewers feel valued and invested in your channel's growth.
Host live streams, Q&A sessions, or interactive challenges to directly engage with your audience in real-time, forging stronger connections and creating a more vibrant community around your channel. Engaging content coupled with active interaction fosters loyalty, boosts watch time, and encourages viewers to return for more content.
PewDiePie, one of the most well-known and influential YouTubers globally, excels in audience engagement through various approaches, including comment interaction, community engagement, fan interactions and contests, and celebrating milestones.
The Swede's consistent efforts to actively engage with his massive audience across various platforms and formats have contributed significantly to developing a dedicated and loyal fanbase. His interactive approach showcases the importance of building a strong rapport with the audience, making them an integral part of the content creation process.
Diversifying content
Diversifying content involves offering various videos while maintaining a consistent theme or niche. Experiment with different formats such as tutorials, vlogs, reviews, or how-to guides within your niche to cater to diverse viewer interests.
Introduce new series, collaborations, or special events to keep content fresh and engaging. While diversifying, ensure that your content aligns with your channel's overarching theme or purpose to maintain viewer expectations. Analyze audience feedback and metrics to gauge the success of various content types, allowing you to refine your strategy and focus on the formats that resonate the most with your audience.
Diversification keeps your channel dynamic, attracts different segments of your audience, and prevents content fatigue, ultimately contributing to increased viewership and subscriber retention. A notable example of a content creator who effectively diversified their content on YouTube is The Try Guys. Originally known for their videos on BuzzFeed, this account — run by Keith, Ned, Zach, and Eugene — ventured out to form their independent channel, where they diversified their content to engage a broader audience.
Their successful content diversification via exploring different themes, formats, and collaborations demonstrates how a versatile approach can attract and retain a diverse audience. Their ability to evolve while staying true to their brand has enabled them to sustain engagement and expand their viewer base on YouTube.
Cross-platform strategies
Leveraging social media
Utilize social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Discord to amplify your Twitch and YouTube content. Share highlights, behind-the-scenes snippets, and upcoming stream schedules to engage with your audience off-platform. Interact with followers, join relevant groups or communities, and use hashtags to expand your reach.
Leverage the different features of each platform — stories, polls, and live sessions — to create diverse content that drives traffic back to your main channels. Building a presence on multiple platforms increases visibility and allows you to connect with a broader audience beyond your Twitch and YouTube followers.
Valkyrae, a prominent name in the business, demonstrates an adept approach to leveraging social media for audience engagement and content promotion. Her strategic use of social media to engage her audience with diverse content, active participation, collaborations, and authentic storytelling exemplifies a successful approach to building a dedicated and engaged fan base across various platforms. The American's efforts in fostering community interaction and sharing relatable content contribute significantly to her influence and growth as a content creator.
Collaborations and cross-promotion
Collaborate with fellow content creators in your niche or complementary fields. Joint streams, guest appearances, or shared projects introduce your content to new audiences while providing value to both sets of viewers. Cross-promote each other's channels or videos through shoutouts, mentions, or dedicated content, encouraging your respective communities to explore each other's content.
Collaborations foster a sense of camaraderie among creators, leveraging combined audiences for mutual growth. Partnerships also introduce fresh perspectives and diverse content styles, enriching the viewing experience for both sets of followers.
Sykkuno showcases a unique approach to collaborations and cross-promotion that has significantly contributed to his rise in popularity within the gaming community. His collaborative and cross-promotional approach showcases a friendly and supportive demeanor that resonates with fellow creators and audiences. His diverse collaborations contribute to maintaining viewer interest, expanding his reach, and cultivating a sense of community across various gaming and content creation platforms.
Analyzing performance
Utilize Twitch and YouTube analytics to gain insights into your audience behavior, content performance, and growth trends. Track metrics like viewer demographics, watch time, engagement rates, and peak streaming hours. Analyze which content types or topics resonate the most with your audience.
Use these insights to refine your content strategy, focusing on what works best while experimenting with new ideas. Regularly reviewing performance metrics helps in making data-driven decisions, optimizing content for higher engagement, and strategically planning future streams or video uploads to continuously grow and meet your audience's preferences.
One notable internet personality who diligently analyzes their performance and engages with audience data is MatPat, known for his channels The Game Theorists and The Film Theorists on YouTube. His approach to content creation involves a balanced blend of data-driven analysis, audience engagement, and adaptation based on performance metrics. His commitment to understanding audience preferences through analytics plays a pivotal role in shaping his content strategy and ensuring continued engagement with his viewers.
Growing your following on Twitch and YouTube is a journey that requires dedication and strategy. By maintaining consistency, creating engaging content, networking within the community, and leveraging cross-platform strategies, you can steadily build a dedicated audience.
Remember, the key lies in connecting authentically with your audience and continuously refining your content based on their preferences and feedback. This expansion should provide more depth to each section, offering actionable insights and guidance for streamers and content creators looking to expand their presence on Twitch and YouTube.
