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Twitch Adaptability

2/25/2018

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Streaming is an ever-changing landscape. If you were to go back only two or three years ago, the amount of features that Twitch had pales in comparison to what it has to offer now. The ability to adapt to the new features and trends that come along with streaming is incredibly important. Some streamers that used to have huge followings have now been reduced to much smaller numbers. One thing that I’ve noticed amongst some of my streamer friends, including myself, is how quickly people write off the new functions and features that Twitch launches. I think this is a huge mistake and I want to discuss how having the right mindset with regards to new features will help you grow your stream.

New Features = New Opportunities.

Every time Twitch releases a new feature, no matter how big or small, Twitch creates a new opportunity for streamers to take advantage of. That time you spent complaining about how a new feature “doesn’t benefit the little guy”? Some other streamer that probably has fewer viewers than you was thinking of new ways they could take advantage of the new feature for their stream.

In the past few months, it seems as if Twitch has been releasing new feature after new feature. With every new awesome feature that people enjoy, there are always people that somehow find a way to look at the negatives of these things. DON’T BE THAT PERSON. Whether it’s on Twitter, on your stream, or other avenues of social media, being the person that always finds things to complain about is always the wrong choice. There is a difference from constructive criticism and whining.

A common complaint I see by many streamers is that certain features only benefit the big name streamers and makes it less likely for smaller streamers to get found. I’ve got news for you: most of these new features are going to help bigger streamers more. This doesn’t mean that it can’t help you though. You have to be able to see the big picture.

A great example of this was the recent introduction of Vodcasts, the finished product of Twitch Playlists. Instead of appearing in their own section, they were now appearing in the normal Live Directory and Following feed. The idea of “always on” is quickly becoming a new reality on Twitch. As a smaller streamer, it can be really daunting to know “X Big Name Streamer” will now have even more opportunities to grow their stream. This makes the primary focus on others, rather than themselves. Your mindset shouldn’t be focused on what others are doing with the feature. You can’t control someone else’s stream. Your mindset should be centered on growth: “There is a way I can use this feature to have a positive effect on my stream, and I am going to find it!”

​Streaming as a small streamer isn’t easy, but the majority of the “Big Streamers” started out there, too. The reason many of them were able to explode in popularity was because they took a game, or a feature, or just one lucky break and used it to propel their stream to a higher level.

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Here’s just a list of new features Twitch has released within just the past year.
- Improved Stats
- Vodcasts
- Interactive Interfaces
- Twitch Affiliates
- Twitch Calendar Events
- Sub Gifting
- Twitch Premieres
- Twitch Rooms


If you’re reading this post, and you’re realizing you haven’t been taking full advantage of these features, now is the time to start changing that!


The Five Steps of Using a New Feature
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I want to break down a process on how you should digest, think about, and employ a new features release. By following these steps, there’s a good chance you’ll start to see some positive results.

1. Do Your Research

I’m assuming most streamers follow Twitch on Twitter, but if you somehow have not done yet, do that RIGHT NOW. Staying up to date on when new features are released is incredibly important, and Twitter is usually one of the first places that features are announced. Once announced, do some research on what exactly the feature entails. The more information you have on the exact product, the more readily you’ll be able to take advantage of the product.

2. Inform Your Audience

You won’t believe how many streamers know about the new products Twitch is pushing, but never talk to their own streams about them. A big part of the reason smaller streamers never take full advantage of a feature is due to the fact they never tell their chat about the feature. When viewers see you’re excited about a feature, they will want to find out why. The more informed your viewers are, the more inclined they are to check it out.

3. Watch Other Streamers

If you really want to understand what works/doesn’t work for a new feature, check out someone who is successful with it. Twitch is full of streamers that are willing to share their secrets and techniques, and all you have to do in order to learn is tune in. Maybe you’ll find something that you can use on your stream, or even make improvements to the method. Don’t just copy and paste what they do, though. Try to find your own twist.

4. Try New Things/Take Some Risks

Whether you stream on Twitch full-time, or it’s just a side hobby for you, trying new things and taking risks are healthy for the growth of your stream. Not every feature that Twitch releases is going to be right for you and your stream, but a lot of times you’ll never know until you try.  I see so many streamers think that it’s a waste of time to give something a shot, then complain when their stream remains so stagnant. What is the harm in giving a feature a shot? Even if it fails on your stream, you’ll learn a ton about why it failed, which will lead to more success down the road. I can’t tell you how many times an idea for a game to play, an event to run, or the use of a feature on Twitch led to later success, even though it initially failed for me.

5. Stick with It

This step goes along with step four as well. I’ve seen a common problem on Twitch where streamers are onto some great ideas that in the long run will greatly benefit their stream, but they give up on it too early. There is always a point where if something isn’t working, you have to move on, but many times streamers never really give something enough time to grow. Sticking it out for just a little longer sometimes is the key to the breakthrough, so don’t give up if it doesn’t meet your expectations right away!


​New features can be daunting, but understanding and taking advantage of them as they come out will help your stream in the long run!

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Follow us on Twitter so you get all the latest updates!  @StreamBigNET

Be sure to also check out our Twitch Streaming Team 


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Short Term vs Long Term Growth

2/18/2018

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If you ever want a sobering streaming experience, I encourage you to check out the front page of Twitch. Depending on when you check, there are countless streamers that have HUGE follower counts, but when you peek at their concurrent viewers or their chat activity, it’s a wasteland. There are so many streams that started out incredibly strong, but somewhere along the way, they lost the momentum that got them big in the first place. The music industry refers to bands that had a real big song, but failed to follow up the hype, as “One Hit Wonders.” Twitch is no different, and today I want to talk about why I believe so many streams burn out. I’ll cover the difference between a Short Term vs Long Term plan, and why slow and steady tends to wins the race when it comes to a successful stream in the long run.

Five Year Plan

One of the first questions you need to ask yourself when considering how you want to approach growth on your stream is “Where do you see yourself in five years?” This may seem like a silly question to some of you who just want to stream as a side hobby. But to those who are looking to take this as a serious career path, figuring out what your five year plan looks like is pretty essential to strong stream growth.  If you’re someone who plays competitive games at a high level, can you see yourself being at the top of your game five years from now? Will that game even have a following in five years? If you’re a speedrunner, will you still want to be doing speedruns and only speedruns for the next five years? If you’re a personality or character streamer, can you see yourself putting on a “character” every time you boot up your stream? These are important questions to ask yourself as you plan your next five years. The more you plan and prepare, the easier transitioning your broadcasts into different phases will be.

SHORT TERM vs LONG TERM

So what exactly is the difference between a short term and long term plan? And is one always better? We’ll look to break down the effectiveness of both over different scenarios to help you make a good decision for your stream! But first let’s talk about them each briefly.

Short Term – Growth strategies on Twitch that tend to rely on one game or a specific gimmick. Can start off fast and strong, tend to slow down after time. (Examples: A League streamer that only streams one character/style, speedrunner who runs one popular game)

Long Term – Tend to be slower at first, but have more sustained growth in the long run. Many short term plans can turn into these if executed correctly. (Examples: Pro player who plays multiple kinds of games, variety streamer with a strong and loyal community, speederunner who runs multiple games)

So let’s take a deeper dive into how these plans work regarding different parts of your stream!

Game Choice

I’ve said many times, focusing on one to two games when you’re first starting out on Twitch is a great starting point! You can get a committed viewer base that will come back again and again. The issue is what happens when you burn out? I think about a lot of very successful League of Legend pro streamers that have transitioned to more of a variety streaming role. Their numbers were gigantic when they played in the Pro Circuit, but when they officially retired those numbers took huge hits. The ones that stayed successful were building up a brand beyond them just playing League. They weren’t just playing League all the time: they were slowly adding casual games to the mix, or even other popular competitive games. The ones that you don’t hear about anymore continued to play only League, and soon lost relevancy due to no longer being a top player. By the time they realized that their audience was dying, it was too little, too late. Their viewership was gone, and their opportunity for growth was greatly diminished.

I’ve seen this trend as part of the speedrun community as well. The speedrunners that seem to have the most success are the ones that are constantly learning new games while still doing runs of the games they are most known for. If you’re a speedrunner reading this, and you want to keep speedrunning but not grinding one type of game, expand your game list! Look for games that are similar to what you currently run. Maybe you love speedrunning, but it’s not the only thing you see yourself doing on your stream. Start incorporating more casual games into your stream at good times! Let people see you be BAD at a game! Some streamers are so self-conscious of their publicly showing off their skill level when they try something new. Relying only on skill will only get you so far. Putting yourself in a position where your personality can shine is always good for long term growth!

When I was popular for running Paper Mario back in 2013/2014, I knew that the time was coming when I wasn’t going to enjoy doing runs on a daily basis. So I did my research and found games that were similar and enjoyable! I branched out to Super Mario RPG, another Mario RPG, and found that a lot of my core audience enjoyed watching runs of this. I also knew that speedrunning would eventually burn me out. I started incorporating more blind playthroughs and races to show people I was more than just the guy that played Paper Mario and Super Mario RPG.  
To put it simply, at some point you’re going to burn out or the game you play is going to lose its relevance. And you won’t be the only one who burns out. Chances are your viewers will eventually get bored of the same content as well! The longer you wait to incorporate new aspects into your stream, the more you miss out on long-term growth!

Community

A short term plan also has very little “community” incorporated in it. It’s crazy to me that when I go into a stream that has a couple thousand viewers but can barely get a couple of hundred subs. These streamers tend to have little to no interaction outside of responding to donations or cheer. They might even get huge donations from certain viewers! They might be entertaining and able to constantly bring in new viewers into the stream, but they have a problem keeping them. Meanwhile you can go into a stream with only a couple hundred viewers but their sub numbers are in the thousands.  It all comes down to the streamer. As the streamer, it’s your job to create a community that people want to be a part of. Are you engaging and talking to your stream constantly while you play your game? Do you still interact with your viewers after the stream is done via social media and community hang-out apps like Discord and Twitch Desktop? I’ve been in Discords where it feels like a group of friends hanging out having a good time, and I’ve also been in Discords where it’s barren and barely any conversation takes place. Streamers who not only bring in new viewers but bring them back because of the strong community they have built are streamers who are working on a long term plan.

The moment I started having people subscribe to me on a monthly basis, I knew that I wanted to give them as much back as I could for continuing to support the stream. I created a sub Discord and made sure to prioritize it in terms of hanging out and spending time with my viewers. I would host sub nights where I’d play games with subs both on and off stream. I gave people the opportunity to have a place to hang out once the stream was done and meet other people in the community. This led to something that extended far beyond than when I was live on Twitch. At any moment I can hop in my Discord and talk with my community and get to know them more. This sort of community engagement shows your viewers you care, and you’re not just streaming for the cash and then bailing. While I’m quick to let my viewers know that subbing does not equal friendship, I can confidently say that over time, some of those who started out subs have become actual friends whom I’ve met and spent time with.

Recently Twitch introduced a new way of subscribing called “Sub Gifting.” It’s been a feature that people have been asking for a long time. I’ve seen a ton of my streamer friends gifting out countless subs and treating it like a free sample or a way to showcase what it’s like being a sub to your channel. I love this idea! But I want to encourage streamers to not only gift subs, but use this as an opportunity to showcase what your community is all about. If people are gifted a sub and hop into your Discord and see that you barely stop by, and that barely anyone talks, there’s a high chance that they’ll thank you for the sub and then never sub again. On the flip side, if they join up and are immediately greeted by a ton of friendly viewers and a streamer that cares, the odds of them coming back are far greater! Have a plan on how you want to showcase just how awesome your community is!

Burn Out

Burn out is a real thing on both the streamer and viewer side of streaming. When you’re stuck playing one game, or you don’t have much of a community to talk to, it’s super easy to lose motivation in streaming! Streamers put all of their time into developing a huge stream, but eventually lost interest in what they were streaming. When the motivation is gone, the fun tends to stop as well. When you’re not having fun, why even stream?

You can see burn out and its results all over Twitch. There are countless streamers that use to average thousands of viewers but now are barely scraping by. They are incredibly inconsistent with their stream schedules, can go MIA for weeks, and when they ARE streaming, they look miserable. They bet their Twitch future all on one game, and now they don’t enjoy it. Oftentimes, they don’t have a plan on what to do next. Or maybe they play countless amounts of games, but the community they built is irritable and annoying. How many streams have thousands of viewers just spewing memes with no real substance? Dealing with that type of chat can be aggravating and stressful.

If you’re starting to see the warning signs of burn out, it’s never too late to make changes to your stream! Some viewers might get upset, complain, and leave. But there will be those who understand and want to stick around. These viewers are the ones that will form the core of your community. The sooner you make the change to your stream, the less growing pains you’ll have down the road.

Conclusion

Streaming is very difficult, and streaming success has a lot of luck involved. It can be really frustrating seeing growth be slower than the speed you want. Seeing others grow faster than you can be super demotivating. But slow and steady wins the race. I’ve been streaming full-time for almost five years and I’ve seen streamers come and go. Some big stars that everyone talked about have burnt out and barely stream anymore. I continued down the path of playing a lot of games and slowly building my community with each new game that I played. I knew that playing so many different games would mean some viewers would only be there for a few weeks and then never be seen again. I also knew that every new game that I played would bring new viewers in who would stick around and become a big part of my community.

You must have this growth mindset no matter the size of your stream. Don’t just be thinking about this week, or this month, or even this year. Be thinking about the big picture and about how you’re creating something you’re proud of four or five years down the road. Stay the course, plan for the long term. When you get there, you’ll be very happy you did!

Be sure to also check out our Twitch Streaming Team 
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Follow us on Twitter so you get all the latest updates!  @StreamBigNET
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Twitch Features - Extensions

2/4/2018

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Not too long ago Twitch introduced a new feature on their site called Twitch Extensions. According to Twitch, “Extensions are interactive overlays and panels, developed by 3rd parties, which put you at the heart of the next evolution in live streaming.” Basically, this opened up the door to a lot more customization on Twitch that gave broadcasters more tools to reach their audience. If you check out the list of approved extensions there are countless helpful extensions that range from listing your equipment you use for streaming, to showcasing the top viewers that cheer in your chat.

Today, I want to point you to the ONE extension that all broadcasters that are looking to grow and network should have on their stream. It’s incredibly easy to use this extension, and the help that it will provide in growing your stream could even be deemed as BIG. If you’re going to dive into extensions, this should be the first on your list.

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Featured Follow Button

What is it?

​The Featured Follow Button is an extension that allows for you to display the follow button of a stream of your choice on your stream overlay. You can have your stream, your friend’s stream, even someone who ended up raiding you that night that you want to shout out, pop up whenever you want. It’s very noticeable, and anyone that is paying attention to the stream will be able to instantly see it. (Disclaimer – This is only visible on Desktop, it will not appear on mobile or the PS4/Xbox/Chromecast apps)
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​How Does It Work
Your first step is installing the extension. You can access the extension by clicking HERE. Once you get to the extension page, you’ll see a button that says install, click that! Once you’ve installed it, you now have to activate it by going to the extensions tab in your dashboard. 

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Once you’ve reached the extensions tab, you’ll see a button under the extension that says activate. Press the activate button, and you’ll now be able to run the extension through your actual livestream dashboard on Twitch. So go to your dashboard and under the extensions widget, choose “Featured Follow Button.” From there you’ll be able to put whatever stream you want in the Channel Name box, and even set up a queue of different channels. To get it to appear on stream, just press the activate button, and to remove it press the clear current button.
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Why You Should Use It
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First off, this is an incredibly awesome way to get people to follow your channel. If you’re noticing a lot of newer viewers in your channel and you have a small break where you have some time to talk, this is a great tool to point to your follow button! It’s a very obvious reminder to new viewers to follow your channel, as it appears right on the main screen and is super easy to find. This may come as a surprise to you, but many viewers simply forget to follow when they go to a stream. Pointing them in the right direction with the right kind of nudge can greatly help! Let’s say you’re about to cut your stream and want to remind people one last time to follow your stream. By simply activating this extension, viewers will be more likely to follow as they are leaving and saying goodbye!

Secondly, this is a great way of promoting other streamers that you know! Let’s say you’re dual casting with another streamer and you want to help point your viewers to their stream. Just drop their channel name in the extension, and now your viewers don’t even have to leave your channel to go follow your friend’s stream! Or let’s say someone raids your channel and you want to give them the counter shout out to thank them for the raid! Pop their channel name into the extension, and now you’ve created a great opportunity of introducing your viewers to the incoming raid stream.
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Finally, this extension is going to be a huge addition to channels that host events on their stream where multiple streamers participate. A stream like GamesDoneQuick could easily showcase every runner’s channel during their run, greatly increasing traffic to these channels. An E-sports channel can now shout out a streamers channel after the player makes a big play during a match, giving viewers who see the big play a chance to easily find the stream. This extension will greatly help promote those participating in events all across Twitch. 

​Extensions In General
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In my opinion, this is the best extension on Twitch just for how easy it is to help streamers gain legitimate followers. There are so many great extensions out there that will help improve your stream experience, so be sure to check out the full list here! The main suggestion that I would make when trying out extensions is always experiment and get feedback from your viewers. Some extensions seem really fun, but can oftentimes distract from the actual stream and keep viewers away. Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback! Thanks for reading and have fun with extensions!

​Be sure to also check out our Twitch Streaming Team 
​​

Follow us on Twitter so you get all the latest updates!  @StreamBigNET
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    About The Founder -
    Iateyourpie

    I'm a 32 Year Old Full Time Streamer most known for speedrunning. I love interacting with viewers and helping people reach their goals with streaming!

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