What’s the one thing all successful streamers have in common? From the highest paid professional gamers to the streamer who just plugged in her first webcam?
It’s not necessarily a high degree of skill at the games they stream. It’s also not necessarily an outlandish, humorous persona they create.
Instead, all successful streamers are able to develop a connection with their audience. Even if that audience numbers in the hundreds of thousands, every viewer should feel like they know the streamer personally.
An active social media presence is critical to developing this connection. Let’s take a look at what platforms you’ll want to be on and how social media can help grow the audience for your stream:
Streamers generally agree that Twitter is the number one social media platform for streaming. Even if you’re not on any other social network, be on Twitter.
Twitter is simple, immediate and accessible. You can keep your audience up-to-date with what you’re doing that day and into the immediate future.
Send out a tweet about 45 minutes to half hour before you go live. Do so every time you stream. This alerts your followers and lets them know when they can tune in to your stream.
Discord
Discord is a voice and text program which is popular among gamers, especially PC gamers. Available as a mobile app or for desktop, Discord provides an easy way for groups of gamers to chat together in specialized channels.
Plus, many gamers already have a Discord account, so joining a new channel is usually very simple.
You’ll actually want to have at least two Discord channels to start. The first will be open for everybody. This channel is simply an extension of the chat from your stream channel.
You can use this channel to update your schedule (similar to Twitter) as well as stay in touch with your audience when you’re not streaming.
The second channel will be for subscribers only. Typically, a subscriber-only channel will be smaller and a bit more intimate. People will feel more comfortable opening up and making friends in a non-public forum. You’re building a community of like-minded people.
While your stream should have a Facebook page, don’t expect a ton of activity compared to your Twitter and Discord. The main obstacle is that many people don’t set up a Facebook page using their Twitch handle.
So joining your stream page means the viewer has to reveal their real name to your audience. Many people don’t particularly want to reveal personal info in such a way.
However, your stream’s Facebook page can still have some uses. You can post your schedule, screenshots, videos from your stream and other relevant info. Just make sure your Facebook page is set to Public. This way people can view your Facebook content without having to actually join your page.
You’ll want a LinkedIn page for your stream, but the focus needs to be a little different than the other social media platforms. Instead of targeting your streaming audience, your focus will be on developing professional business relationships.
This can include brands who want to partner with you, streamers who want to co-stream a game with you, and other potential business opportunities.
Even if your streaming persona is outrageous and wild, keep your LinkedIn page a bit more professional. Highlight business-centric information about your stream such as your subscriber growth and current endorsement deals.
Don’t worry too much about sticking to the voice of your brand. Your viewing audience is unlikely to stumble across your LinkedIn page.
DeviantArt, Pinterest and Other Niche Sites
In the past few years, Twitch has greatly expanded their commitment to non-video-game based streams. Called Creative streams, they can be basically anything from watching someone build a craft, paint a picture, play a song and more.
If you stream a Creative topic, you’ll want to develop a presence on any related social media sites. For instance, if you create art, create a page on DeviantArt. If you build crafts, create a page for Pinterest. These niche social media platforms are an excellent way to reach specialized audiences interested in your Creative stream.
What Content Should I Post on My Social Media Page?
The three main goals of a social media page are the following:
- Share content with your audience
- Increase awareness of your stream
- Network with other streamers
The content you post should showcase the best of your stream. Each day, you’ll have hours of video from your stream. You’ll want to post the most exciting, funniest and generally most interesting portions on your social media pages.
Keep these highlights short. Under three minutes is usually best. This provides a quick and easy entry point for new viewers. You want to target people who aren’t searching for you specifically but are instead looking for cool videos related to the game you’re playing.
How Often Should I Post on Social Media?
Tweet every day! As mentioned above, when you’re about to go live, give your audience a heads-up about a half hour beforehand. When you’re done streaming for the day, send out a tweet thanking everyone for watching. If you’re not streaming that day, tweet that you’re taking the day off and then announce the date and time for the next stream.
When you’re not streaming, pop into your Discord from time to time and hang out. Your audience, especially your paid subscribers, will appreciate hearing from you.
Posting videos and other more involved content can be understandably time-consuming. Ideally, your viewers will be able to help you out with the creation of highlights. But, even if you have to do all the work yourself, you’ll want to publish at least one new video each week.
Final Thoughts
Social media views, likes and follows aren’t the end goal. Instead, your social media pages should be used to drive people towards your main page on Twitch or Mixer. Make sure every profile page links directly to your main stream page.
Your stream can’t succeed in a vacuum. Your social media pages are a way to reach a new audience who won’t necessarily stumble across your stream within Twitch or Mixer. An active, engaging social media presence can boost your brand visibility, increase your subscriber base and generally help your stream become a success!
