{"id":27786,"date":"2021-07-14T16:28:51","date_gmt":"2021-07-14T21:28:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/golightstream.com\/?p=27786"},"modified":"2021-07-14T16:28:51","modified_gmt":"2021-07-14T21:28:51","slug":"how-to-write-killer-stream-titles-that-compel-viewers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/dev.prlxweb.com\/golightstream\/how-to-write-killer-stream-titles-that-compel-viewers\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Write Killer Stream Titles that Compel Viewers"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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What was the last title you used for your stream? I\u2019ll hazard a guess that it was something along the lines of the following:<\/p>

\u201cJust playing some chill Apex games. Come hang out!\u201d<\/p>

\u201cTrying out Dark Souls for the first time.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cFinishing up my Ghost of Tsushima run.\u201d<\/p>

At first glance, there\u2019s nothing wrong with these titles. They\u2019re descriptive, they are more than likely saying something true, and most viewers can easily understand them. Unfortunately, they lack something important.<\/p>

They\u2019re not compelling the viewers to click on your stream and join your chat. Telling your viewers to \u201ccome hang out\u201d doesn\u2019t say much because…newsflash! – You\u2019re live.. Unless you\u2019ve turned follower or sub mode on, it\u2019s implied that people can join your chat and interact with you. What you need is a title that gives your viewers a reason to join your stream in a sea of channels that are offering, more or less, the same thing you are.<\/p>

So, how does one write a compelling stream title? In this article, I break down all the details on the craft of titling your stream, but let me start you off with some basics first.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Why Are Stream Titles Important?<\/h3>

The title of your stream is your first opportunity to communicate with your prospective viewers. In other words, it\u2019s the first impression they get from you. I\u2019m sure you know by now that first impressions matter. They are what makes or breaks the beginnings of every known human relationship, from friendships to business partnerships.<\/p>

It\u2019s precisely the same with streaming and content creation. You\u2019re expecting your audience to spend their valuable time on you and your creativity. But so is everyone else around you, which is why you need to put some extra effort into the things that most content creators tend to overlook, such as stream graphics<\/a> and stream titles.<\/p>

It all starts with the value you\u2019re providing.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Provide a Unique Value Proposition<\/h3>

A unique value proposition or UVP is essentially the answer to the question every viewer is asking at the back of their skulls:<\/p>

\u201cWhat am I getting out of this?\u201d<\/p>

You may be thinking that you\u2019re providing free entertainment, but money isn\u2019t the only form of currency Twitch users have. Time is far more essential, and you have to both respect it and give something in return for it.<\/p>

Determining the UVP of your stream is wildly going to depend on what you\u2019re planning to do to entertain your viewers. This has to be beyond the obvious gameplay they\u2019re going to be watching. Personality streamers have gags, jokes, stories, and silly challenges they\u2019re doing. Educators are teaching or otherwise providing information that helps their viewers improve. Pro players are pushing themselves in terms of performance. Whatever your UVP is, it\u2019s got to be front-and-center in your title. Beyond that, it\u2019s got to be framed and written in a compelling way.\u00a0<\/p>

In other words, your titles have to be clickable.<\/p>

Here are some examples:<\/h4>

\u201c1st Borderlands Playthrough – Can A Casual Survive?\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>

\u201cDrawing Custom Twitch Emotes – Secret Design Tips & Tricks!\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Clickable vs. Clickbait<\/h3>

I find very often that content creators confuse clickable for clickbait. The difference between the two isn\u2019t immediately apparent. Both imply that a piece of content is compelling to click on. However, the proof is in the pudding. Clickbait titles often end up taking you to content that either entirely or partially mislead you. Clickable titles, on the other hand, should always meet the expectation set by the title.<\/p>

Let\u2019s say you\u2019re doing a Dark Souls challenge run, and you\u2019re planning on one-shotting every boss in the game. You title your stream accordingly to set the expectation you\u2019re going to do something challenging so viewers will join in:<\/p>

\u201cProof I\u2019m a Dark Souls God – One-Shotting Every Boss in The Game\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>

However, instead of doing the challenge properly, you install a cheat that gives you infinite power that allows you to one-shot bosses. This is the worst form of clickbait, and it\u2019s something that gets you viewers but maybe not the kind you want. There are situations in which clickbait is okay, but it has to be a part of your content.<\/p>

Now that we have the foundations out of the way let\u2019s move onto the five elements we can leverage to make a clickable stream title.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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What Elements Make a Compelling Stream Title?<\/h3>

Numbers<\/h4>

Every person on the planet loves numbers. I\u2019m not talking about financial ledgers and spreadsheets. I\u2019m talking about the actual numbers from 1 to 10. Content and marketing agencies have been using numbers for decades to get people to buy products and services.<\/p>

Having a number in your title can easily set your stream apart from someone doing the same content as you.<\/p>

Here are some examples:<\/strong><\/h4>

\u201cRank 2 Widowmaker Player Making Big Plays\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>

\u201cTaking Down 3 of The Toughest Bosses Blindfolded\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>

\u201c0 Hits Taken Run\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>

Imagine these titles without their numbers and ask yourself which one looks more compelling.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Rewards<\/h4>

People love free stuff, and the same goes for stream viewers. The prospect of something free so compels human beings, they\u2019ll gladly take useless trinkets and booklets from anyone handing them out. Just ask the swag hunters at gaming conventions.<\/p>

You\u2019re likely already familiar with the giveaway strategy, but you can\u2019t always shell out money for prizes. You can give your viewers other free things as rewards for contests and other events, though. Some fun ideas include playing with viewers, being a moderator for a day or even gifting some emotes, art or merch. Let\u2019s see how one of the above titles shapes out:<\/p>

\u201cRank 2 Widowmaker Playing with Subs All Stream\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>

Now, you\u2019ve got two value propositions for your viewers.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Novelty<\/h4>

If there\u2019s one thing you, me, and the rest of humanity crave besides free stuff, it\u2019s novelty. We\u2019re always looking for something new to experience and consume. This is why there are so many ups and downs in the content creation game.<\/p>

Of course, novelty doesn\u2019t mean the next big new idea or concept. It simply has to be either different from other channels in your space, or it could be the tension borne from the unknown. So let\u2019s look at our evolving title in two different ways:<\/p>

\u201cRank 2 Widowmaker on a Guitar Hero Controller Playing w\/ Subs\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

\u201cRank 2 Widowmaker Playing w\/ Subs Doing 50 Squats for Every Loss\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

The first is a crazy prospect that likely no other pro player in the same space is doing. The second title has tension because your viewers don\u2019t know how many times you\u2019re going to lose – if at all!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Emotions<\/h4>

I don\u2019t need to tell you that we\u2019re emotional creatures, us human folk. I\u2019m not necessarily talking about whether the death of 5 puppies in a basket brings tears to our eyes (and if it doesn\u2019t, you\u2019re a monster!). I\u2019m mainly referring to how compelled we are by other people being emotional.<\/p>

By adding words that convey emotion to your title, you provide people with a story prospect. Our feelings come from the journeys we go through, whether in IRL or in a video game. These journeys can lead to compelling narrative elements such as drama and hilarity. So let\u2019s upgrade our example title further:<\/p>

\u201cAngry Rank 2 Widowmaker Doing 50 Salty Squats for Every Loss\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

There\u2019s so much to unpack from this title, and your viewers will click to find out why you\u2019re always so angry and torturing yourself.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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References<\/h4>

This one is not a personal favorite of mine, but it does work. Especially if you\u2019re abreast with the latest memes and pop culture, adding references to them can be a powerful tool in your title-making arsenal. In a nutshell, this makes you relatable to the majority of people who hang out on Twitch.<\/p>

I\u2019m going to do my best with this one as I\u2019m not that great with memes but, hopefully, you\u2019ll get the idea:<\/p>

\u201cPikachu Face! Rank 2 Widowmaker Playing w\/ Guitar Hero Controller!\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>

My feeble attempt at using a meme aside, using these 5 elements will help you craft compelling titles that viewers will find intriguing enough to check out. Remember to keep things ethical and avoid clickbait.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What was the last title you used for your stream? I\u2019ll hazard a guess that it was something along the lines of the following: \u201cJust playing some chill Apex games. Come hang out!\u201d \u201cTrying out Dark Souls for the first time.\u201d \u201cFinishing up my Ghost of Tsushima run.\u201d At first glance, there\u2019s nothing wrong with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27947,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[59,60,74,136],"class_list":["post-27786","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-growth","tag-gamer","tag-gamers","tag-how-to","tag-tips"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/dev.prlxweb.com\/golightstream\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27786","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/dev.prlxweb.com\/golightstream\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/dev.prlxweb.com\/golightstream\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dev.prlxweb.com\/golightstream\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dev.prlxweb.com\/golightstream\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27786"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/dev.prlxweb.com\/golightstream\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27786\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dev.prlxweb.com\/golightstream\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27947"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/dev.prlxweb.com\/golightstream\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27786"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dev.prlxweb.com\/golightstream\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27786"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dev.prlxweb.com\/golightstream\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27786"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}