How To Become A Successful Streamer On Twitch

How to become a streamer on Twitch

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How To Become A Streamer On Twitch?

There are plenty of people who want to take their love of video games to the next level.  It would be the ultimate dream to get paid to live stream their favorite video game, interacting with a community they already love whilst making a name for themselves.

Not to mention making Twitch affiliate (or better yet a Twitch partner), becoming their own boss and setting their own hours – and even getting sponsored or an exclusive partnership by their favorite tech and energy drink brands.

But unfortunately, many gamers are too scared to get started.

Some of them are scared of failure, and others just don’t know where to start, believing they need to have all the equipment their favorite streamers have on day one; popular twitch streamers such as Shroud or Pokimane.

They fail to realize that even these now huge streamers started off with a simple computer and headphone setup before they started earning money through advertisements on their channel and subscriptions from their fans, which allowed them to level up their streaming setup which is what you see them using today.

You also don’t need to be the best at the game you play to be successful.  There are plenty of content creators such as LIRIK or Syndicate who got their fame from being entertaining rather than being ridiculously good at their chosen video game(s).

What we are trying to say is, whatever the excuse you are trying to give for not chasing your dreams and becoming a top streamer on Twitch is, it’s not good enough.

Because we believe in you, we are going to help you step by step so there are no excuses left and you’ll have no choice but to take the first steps and start your streaming career today.

Getting Started As A Twitch Streamer

top twitch streamers

Since streaming has taken the gaming industry by storm, there have been quite a few platforms that have come into popularity to compete with the streaming giant that is Amazon’s Twitch. Even streamers who made their name on Twitch have moved to these other platforms such as Facebook Gaming or YouTube gaming. This may be because each platform offers its own features which have enticed these streamers to move.

Though, we would recommend beginning on Twitch, as the other platforms haven’t had the longevity that Twitch has had just yet, so we are unsure if you can even get long-term success on these platforms. And who knows they might randomly shut down just like Microsoft’s Mixer did recently. Whichever platform you choose to go with, our advice can work for all of them.

And if you’re unsure as to which platform you should choose, we would recommend starting with Twitch. Since that’s the most popular streaming platform to date, which will give you a better chance at success as there are far more eyes to catch here than anywhere else.

Check out: How To Get Verified On Twitch In 2021: Ultimate Guide

Pick A Good Name

First things first, is your name.

Your name is like your company name, so it is important as a streamer that you pick something that people are going to remember and also something that you will want to be known/called by.

Here are some of the things you should be thinking about when picking your name:

  1. WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE CALLED BY THIS NAME? This might sound like a silly question, but a streamer’s name will replace their birth name, so you need to make sure it’s going to be something you don’t mind being referred to over and over again.
  2. IS IT EASY TO REMEMBER? People try too hard to be unique, sometimes it works out for them and other times it doesn’t. Stick to something simple, like a singular word, and stick to using proper English; avoid names like xL33TxG4M3Rx.
  3. MAKE YOUR NAME CLEAN. Don’t have a rude name for the sake of looking edgy, you will regret it down the line when you’re wanting sponsors to sign you up.
  4. BUT MAKE IT UNIQUE. With all that being said, you’re still going to want something that is unique to you and your stream, perhaps it even represents the streaming experience your viewers should expect when tuning in.

Create Your Profile

Twitch Account Setup

Great, you’ve picked your name and you’ve just signed up to Twitch (or your streaming platform of choice) and you are ready to be one of the biggest Twitch streamers of all time!

Hold on, there is more to do before you can start Twitch streaming, but don’t worry we can help you get there.

Next, you’re going to want to properly set up your profile, adding things like an avatar, a description, and social links so that you can ensure that your profile looks professional when new fans come to watch your stream.

There is nothing worse than having a blank profile as it could very easily turn away potential new fans as they might think you’re not even a streamer or even taking this whole thing at least a little seriously.

Most popular streamers out the will have something filled out about them self or the game system they play on.

And besides, your profile can act as another way to get your personality across along with your name, so attuning this accordingly will help get across who you are and what viewers can expect from watching your stream.

Things you should be thinking about when setting up your profile:

  • YOUR AVATAR. You could add your face here, but that’s not necessary, many successful streamers use some form of avatar which doubles as a logo for their personal brand. But don’t go out spending $$$ on a sleek-looking avatar, you could always use something simple for now and change it later.
  • ADD A DESCRIPTION. As mentioned, you’re going to want to add a description to your profile. This can include a little bit of information about you, the streamer, as well as what people can expect from watching your stream.
  • SET UP YOUR STREAM SCHEDULE. If you’re going to take this seriously you’re going to want a stream schedule so that your fans know when you’re streaming. This will also help show potential affiliates and sponsors you’re taking this thing seriously.
  • LINK YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS. Networking is everything in streaming, using social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook to engage with other streamers as well as your fans will help keep your channel growing even when you’re offline.

One thing we didn’t mention is a donation button; we believe at the very start of your streaming career you shouldn’t bother adding one just yet.

With small audiences, you’ll make it look like you’re just doing it for the money; at the very start, it should be about enjoying yourself and entertaining your viewers.

You can add your donation button later; usually, your fans will demand you do as they’ll want to give back as a way to thank you for the endless hours of entertainment.

Use this link to create professional-quality streaming panels without costing you a penny!

Check out our review of the Best Free and Paid Twitch Alerts/Overlays!

Be Consistent

Streaming on a schedule is one way to consistently give your Twitch viewers what they want, YOU!

The top Twitch streamers out there are not the ones with the best deals or the most expensive capture cards, they are the most active streamers.

Showing up is a BIG PART and is one the best ways to ensure you are one your way to being a full-time streamer.

No matter if you play a variety of games or just want to sit in chat rooms with viewers watching a live video of you doing, ANYTHING, you just need to be consistent with what you do.

We guarantee that if you stay consistent with your stream schedule, you can log into recent statistics on your Twitch account and see the difference.

Pick Your Niche

Full-time job Twitch Channel

A niche is essentially a specialized section of a group of something. So for example; Twitch is a niche within the entertainment industry. Though what we mean when we say to pick your niche is we are asking you to pick what sort of community you wish to identify with and hopefully connect with through your stream.

So, are you someone who plays FPS? Do you enjoy MMOs? Or are you into Sports games?

Whatever it is, you’re going to want to make sure your community can identify this so they know what to expect in terms of the games you’re going to be playing throughout your stream.

People try to be variety streamers, playing any game they like, which is fine, at the end of the day it’s up to you as to what you want to play on your stream.

But it can seriously hinder your growth if you’re not placing yourself into a niche because then you are targeting too many people and you’re going to have a wide range of fans who enjoy many things – and you won’t be able to please them all with the games you play at once.

To help you better understand, here is a better example;

If you’re someone who enjoys playing a particular game such as Call of Duty, you’re going to be bringing in FPS fans as well as Call of Duty fans to your stream.

If you ever wanted to change to a different game, then you should lean towards FPS-focused games like Apex Legends or other COD games in the franchise, as this is what your fans have come to expect of you.

Leaning away from this expectation may lose you, viewers, as if you ever decide to play other popular games like League of Legends or World of Warcraft, this is something you are not known for and it might turn loyal viewers away if you stopped playing a game they first came to your channel to watch.

Turn On Your Stream!

The most important thing of all is to actually start your stream.

Login to your Twitch account, open up your Twitch chat, and play your favorite game!

Some of the biggest streamers had small beginnings and it all started with a first stream, then eventually it turned into a full-time job.

You can spend hours, days, and even weeks messing around deciding how your stream looks, what sort of games you wish to play, and what days you want to stream on.

And that all matters to some degree, but it means nothing if you don’t actually turn your YouTube channel or Twitch channel on and begin your streaming career.

So, spend a few hours taking in the previous information and setting things up, but remember to actually do what is important and actually turn your stream on and start growing your channel so one day you can quit your 9-5 and make all of your dreams come true.

Now that your stream is set up, check out “7 Ways to Make Money on Twitch”, for additional information on how to start earning so much money like all of the top streamers!