According to TwitchTracker, Twitch TV averages around 3 million unique viewers every day. The platform had grown a lot recently, especially when it stopped being a hub for gamers and welcomed different content creators.
It also helps when some of the mainstream celebrities, such as politicians or athletes, are streaming on the platform as well.
Add the fact that there is a worldwide pandemic causing people to seek new forms of entertainment, and it is no surprise to see Twitch TV doing so well.
Since the platform is so big, it provides opportunities for aspiring streamers to create a source of income. Let’s see how to monetize and grow your Twitch channel.
Think About Monetization Methods
Figure out how you are going to monetize your channel. Besides the obvious donations and subscriptions, it is recommended to expand the possible methods even more to get a better income.
For example, you could open a custom merchandise store down the line to sell products with your brand on it. A unique t-shirt or hoodie design would give the viewers a means to support their streamer and get a nice piece of memorabilia.
Some streamers also go as far as opening an online store without custom merchandise. Dropshipping works well so long as they can drive traffic from their stream to the store. After all, the top 10% of ebay dropshippers made $92k / year profit in 2019, which indicates how worthwhile the idea is.
Finally, you have sponsorship deals. When you attract enough viewers, you can expect to receive offers from various companies that will ask you to promote their goods or services.
Invest in Proper Streaming Equipment
Proper streaming equipment is a must if you want to succeed on a platform. Having a cheap microphone and a webcam is not enough these days. No, as a streamer, you need to make sure that your video and audio quality is good enough.
If you mainly play video games, you should also consider getting a proper PC and a reliable internet connection. FPS drops or disconnects mid-stream is not great for your channel.
A second monitor is also worth a shout. It will be easier to manage switching tabs and keeping up with the stream’s chat when you have a separate screen for it.
Those who are reluctant to invest money in streaming equipment because it can be quite expensive should remember that streaming will be their source of income. Thus, spending money is worth it for the long term.
Stream Consistently
A consistent schedule is another important aspect. You will struggle to build a loyal audience if your streams are irregular. Top streamers stick to a strict schedule. Some even stream every day, including weekends.
You do not have to sacrifice your entire life to stream, but remember that if you want to become a top streamer, you will have to put in those hours to entertain your audience.
Interact With an Audience
Speaking of the audience, you will want to interact with your viewers as much as possible, especially early on when you will likely have a few regular viewers. Show them your appreciation and respond to their comments.
Being a robotic streamer who focuses on themselves and forgets their audience is not a good strategy. Even if you feel like responding to every comment is putting too much of a strain on your mentality, you should still try to do your best.
Get Reliable Chat Moderators
Once your stream grows, you will struggle to keep up with every chat participant. While there are filters to block links and commands to enable subscriber-only mode, it is still worth your while to get reliable moderators who can keep an eye on the stream’s chat and time out offenders who break chat rules.
Try Variety
Some of your viewers might ask you to try playing different video games or do variety streams where you join a podcast or host one yourself, react to videos, or go outside and stream from there for a bit.
Variation can be a nice change of pace, especially if you notice that your audience is unhappy with the direction the stream has been going or if you feel like you are starting to burn out yourself.
Collaborate With Other Streamers
Collaborations with other streamers are usually beneficial for both parties when streamers do not share the same audience.
Thanks to the nature of Twitch TV, you do not have to meet other streamers in real life for a joint venture. No, something as simple as playing a video game together will work.
Advertise Your Channel
Do not rely on new viewers to discover your channel randomly. You should look for marketing opportunities. Social media and online forums could attract more viewers. You might also start a YouTube channel and grow it with the intent to redirect YouTube viewers to your Twitch channel.