It is hard to build a brand by streaming alone. One of the most important things a streamer can do to increase their brand is to build a following on another platform and funnel it to their Twitch, Facebook, or YouTube channel.
Sponsors will often check socials before reaching out to a streamer, so even if you make it big on Twitch, having a strong social following could increase your monetization substantially. Funneling from your personal socials can also help you become a Twitch Affiliate fairly quickly.
This post will cover 7 ways that you can increase your socials so that you can grow as a broadcaster.
1. Post Consistently
Post consistently about your stream and things that would interest your target audience. Make sure that only one out of every 4-5 posts is promotional. Retweet posts from other creators or brands whose content you enjoy. Make sure that every Tweet or post you make invites others to engage.
Plan your posts in advance and schedule them. Research the best times to post for your genre and social platform and make sure to publish the best posts during those time frames. Planning ahead will likely help you.
2. Network with Other Streamers
Use social media to network with other streamers. Follow people who play similar games to you. If you are a console streamer, find gamers who play on the same console and ask if they would like to collaborate with you on stream.
Look for people who you find entertaining as your audience will also likely find them so. If you have good chemistry on stream, their viewers may check out your channel when the other broadcaster is offline. Networking with others can also encourage raids or hosts which can give your channel some exposure as well.
3. Follow Larger Streamers for Tips on How to Engage
Follow larger streamers’ socials and pay attention to what they post and how they interact with their viewers. Take note of the types of posts that do well and when they were posted. While you should never copy another person’s post (sharing is fine), you may be able to find inspiration to create a unique post based on your channel.
Try to follow streamers who play similar games to you or have similar taste. This will give you the best insight on how to build your socials to funnel into your channel. It is also worth reading up on and learning about platform statistics such as Twitch demographics. Understanding the audience in terms of gender ratio and average age is a great first step in figuring out what appeals to your demographic on socials.
4. Post Insightful Opinions on New Games or Updates
Post insightful opinions about new games or updates and shout out the developers in your message. You can also make comments about the game on one of their posts or answer questions that others have about it.
Check any hashtags relating to the game or content to see if there is anything that you can engage with. Look for posts that have some engagement but not so much that others are less likely to check out your channel.
5. Create Something Unique To Be a Talking Point
Not only should you plan your posts in advance, you should also take time to create something unique that will spark the interest of other gamers and streamers. Whether it is a funny image, a meme, or a YouTube video explaining how to beat a difficult level, creating content will make it more likely that you can spark conversation and get engagement on your posts.
YouTube videos explaining how to set up streaming software or how to work various aspects of broadcasting altogether generally do daily well on the YouTube algorithm. Most people focus on creating gaming compilations and they don’t do much to bring new viewers to the channel (though they can if you manage to do something unique in the game).
6. Help Other Console Streamers
Engage on forums and social groups created for streamers. Interact with other streamers and help them set up their streams. Console streamers generally have a difficult time setting up their channel due to complicated setups and lack of experience. You can let them know that they can easily set up their stream with Lightstream with clean overlays and other graphics that will make their channel look professional.
While you typically won’t get many viewers on your stream from interacting with other content creators, you will get a few. More importantly, if others can see how helpful you are, you will become more of an authority and people will want to collaborate with you.
7. Communicate to Your Existing Community
As you build your socials, don’t forget to communicate with your existing community. Periodically post inside jokes or thank them for watching your stream. Give them updates on what you plan to do on your channel over the next week or ask for suggestions on what they would like to see.
Your viewers will want to engage with your posts and this engagement will help inspire others to engage with more posts overtime, allowing you to build a healthy social community that sponsors will love.
