5 Important Twitch Tips for Beginners

Tip #1: Have a clear goal in mind

Why do you want to stream? Is it just a hobby? Do you want to make this your full-time career? What exactly do you wish to get out of it? If you don't have clearly identified goals, you won't know whether you're making any progress because you're like a guy driving a car with no destination. Sure, he might be going west, but west to what destination exactly? Have the main goal and subdivided into smaller ones that you can track. For example, if your main goal is to be a full-time gamer earning seven figures in the next ten years, you can certainly break it down to smaller goals for the next year, leading to that long-term goal. That can include starting and growing your audience to X number of Twitch followers and subs in the next 12 months.

Tip #2: Make the most of your social media

Although it would be great to think that all you need to succeed is to buy the right gaming equipment, set up your Twitch channel, and start producing epic content, and the rest will fall into place. The fact is, you have to be more proactive with attracting an audience because that is the lifeblood of your gaming success. And the best way to attract an audience is to leverage social media because that's where your potential fans are hanging out when they're not on Twitch.

Developing your social presence and building awareness about your brand on the channels you most enjoy is a must. You don't need to be on all platforms, but I encourage you to consider YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook as all these social platforms have large, engaged audiences who love gaming. TikTok is, of course, the easiest place for you to grow an audience from scratch. Still, if you naturally enjoy being on any of the previously named networks, I suggest setting up an account there as well so you can have at least two active social media platforms.

That gives you a place to let everyone know when you go live, which increases the chances of getting more viewers. It also allows you to communicate with your fans and fellow content creators. That will boost your credibility, build up your identity and establish your brand online. One thing you can do is create compilations of funny moments or game highlights that you can share on these social networks.

Tip #3: Collaborate with other broadcasters

The more social you are, the easier it will be to connect with and build relationships with fellow content creators. Then you can cross-promote each other's content and even use dual streams so you can play a game together while streaming. It is a great way to tap into each other's communities.

Tip #4: Stick to your streaming schedule

It's important to create a streaming schedule and train your viewers into expecting to tune in and connect with you at a specific time each day or week, depending on how often you go live. Once you manage to create this pattern, you must stick to it.

That creates a habit in the journey of your viewers and gives them something to look forward to. When getting started, try different slots throughout the day to see what is more comfortable for you and what yields more average viewers. Once you identify this pattern based on data, not guesswork, commit to streaming at that same time each week.

Tip #5: Communicate, entertain and engage your viewers

You have about ten seconds to grab someone's attention on Twitch, and if they don't like what they see and hear, they'll just click away. People will come expecting to be entertained, so make sure you deliver. Communicate clearly, be authentic and leverage your quirky traits. Talk about your strategy, your train of thoughts, and how your feeling throughout the game. Be verbal so people can feel immersed and engaged. That's how you'll grow the channel.