How to promote your Twitch stream the right way

Live streaming means broadcasting video without first editing or storing it anyway. It sends video over the internet for a global audience to see in real-time.

And it seems like the gaming industry has taken the lead in this niche. Twitch, a live-stream platform for gamers and other lifestyle casters, is the crowned King of Live Game Streaming! 

Participants can live-stream tournaments and invite audiences to be a part of their gameplay virtually on Twitch. But what makes it unique is its ability to bring together a community of gamers from far and wide, allowing them to communicate with one another in real-time. 

Ten years ago, who could have believed the immense popularity of live streams, let alone a whole community dedicated to online gaming?

What makes live streaming so popular?

Thanks to live streaming platforms like Twitch, video games have become the leading medium for creating brand awareness for businesses across all niches and industries. 

It is believed that 82% of all internet traffic will be contributed to live streaming by the end of 2020. So it’s no wonder that marketers are already taking notice, with 57% of them using live videos as a bonafide social media marketing tactic.

If you are looking at live streaming as a marketing tactic, there’s good news on that front as well. Research shows that 67% of audiences who watch live videos will purchase a ticket for a similar event later on. 

And while YouTube, Facebook and Twitter are trying their best to compete, Twitch is still beating them at the live streaming game. As more prominent brands turn to this platform, it has started hosting non-gaming content as well. 

If you want to be a part of this growing industry and build a live streaming presence for your brand, this guide is for you. 

How can you get more people to watch your Twitch stream?

Besides knowing about how to increase your viewership, we will also cover aspects of what you can do to make a high-quality live stream that renders professionalism and engagement.

Stream on Twitch to a fixed schedule

Regardless of your live streaming content, it is vital to give your audience a sense of consistency and clarity above all else.

Broadcast your time and schedule and stream unfailingly at that particular time. Twitch offers widgets that you can use on your Twitch stream to make your subscribers aware of your plan. 

For example, you can set up a timetable with Google Calendar that shows visitors a countdown to your next stream online and information to access the stream in their time-zone. 

Additionally, if your channel streams on various topics, you can create a consistent theme and set specific colors about each subject that matches your particular brand. This way, viewers will be aware of what issue your next stream will be about.

For example, Dr.Lupo Stream has a consistent template and colors for all their videos. TimtheTatman is also a recent example of rebranding Twitch panels with a consistent theme.

Create an eye-catching banner for your Twitch stream

If you want to take your streaming game (pun intended!) to the next level, making an attention-grabbing Twitch banner might be the answer. Creating stylistic and interactive graphics for your banners may be costly and time-consuming, but with PosterMyWall, you can create banners within minutes – and for free! 

Select from various template designs, stock images, and layouts to create the exact look you want to portray. With customizable features available, you can have complete control over colors, type fonts, and illustrations.

If making designs is not your forte, you can check the video tutorials!

Use high-quality equipment to go live

As a professional broadcaster or a stream-service provider, you should know that a low-quality live stream not only takes your viewership away from you but also causes a significant decrease in your revenue. 

According to research, the average amount of time a viewer will spend on your buffering live stream is 90 seconds. This means that your viewers will quickly exit if your stream keeps pausing, buffering, or crashing altogether. 

So how can you ensure a high-quality live-stream? 

• Get a multi-camera professional setup with a hardware or software encoder (for professional broadcasters).
• Use a hard-core professional gaming rig or gaming PC. A good quality gaming rig will be able to dedicate your entire CPU to the streaming process.
• Use software to record your stream that is optimized for sound quality.
• Use a high-quality microphone interface.
• And lastly, get an efficient internet connection to ensure a good quality stream. It is never a good idea to rely 100% on your Wi-Fi, so using a wired Ethernet connection is preferable.

Interact with your audience

The key to achieving successful live streams is interacting and engaging with your audience, both online and offline. Allow them to ask questions and answer them on a live stream so that your new viewership can also get to know you. 

You can also use the live chat feature to encourage viewers to interact with you. A live chat is usually more encouraging for your audiences since it garners instant replies. 

Most streamers use a Discord account to have all their followers on the same page to discuss and follow conversations with ease. You will also be able to play games with your subscribers through a Discord account and take valuable feedback – the best way to improve relationships with your viewership!

Key takeaway

With the rise of video content online, live streaming options have only one way to go: and that’s up and forward.

Twitch even announced that they might expand their services to include live streaming of television shows and partner with the NFL. This means Twitch is here to stay!

So now would be the perfect time to get going on your Twitch channel and make it fun, engaging, and interactive for your subscribers. Don’t forget to step up your design game to create an unforgettable experience for your audiences.

Happy streaming!