We’ve talked a lot about how to get people to your stream and how to keep them there, but what are some ways of optimizing both your stream and channel to make these results even better? Obviously by me saying that, I’m also saying that you should be able to take [most of] the tactics we talked about during streaming and utilize them on your YouTube Channel as well. For those of you who may have missed this one, here is “How to get more viewers on your Twitch stream”. That was definitely something to learn from, but what else can you do? I want to discuss the top things you should be doing to optimize your results.
Top Things you should be doing (or should have already done)
Are you considered a “Pro”, “Guru”, or “Go to” in your desired Game or Area of Play?
Okay so this ones a little bit in depth, but I’m sure you can figure it out. I named a bunch of different things you could possibly be for the simple fact that there’s a ton of different fields and routes you can go down when talking about a specific title in gaming. You don’t necessarily have to be a Guru or Professional gamer to have people coming to you for whatever it is you’re trying to provide. If the reason you have people coming to your stream or channel is to laugh and you’re into comedy, that works too. That just means you have to be the best at it, and have people think of you first when they think of that funny gamer guy [or girl].
How can you accomplish this?
I won’t leave you hanging. For a second I was going to move onto the next topic, but then I realized you might not now how to gain this status. First off, if it’s comedy or something like it, you’re going to have to be funny, it’s as simple as that. If you’re not funny and people don’t find you funny, what I’m about to say next is definitely not going to even help you. Now let’s assume you’re not going for the comedy side [or something related to that style], we will work on making you the “Go to” person for you’re specific area or game. How do you do this? Number one, you have to believe you’re that person before anyone else will believe it. If you don’t think you’re the right person for them to be coming to how are you going to act like it, and in turn how are they going to see you as it? It’s a vicious cycle that comes back to you acting and believing that you are the go to person. This means, don’t start to soon. Make sure your channel or stream already looks professional, or the people viewing are going to immediately be clicking the back button. First impression is everything, even in the gaming world! There’s a million other gamers out there trying to be better then you, so make sure when people come to your page you’re already something worth seeing. This can go a little further into detail, but it really is all in relation to you knowing you are that person that you are trying to come across as. Don’t fake it, do it.
Is your channel and stream worth viewing? Are the videos optimized?
This is something that may otherwise get overlooked. Are you videos capable of being viewed at the highest settings? That goes for your stream too. Can people see them 1080p HD? If so, is the quality good and not lagging? This matters. Just put yourself in someone else’s shoes. You’re trying to be the best in your specific field but your channel is comparable to that of a five year old doing their first video blogs! Not a good look. If you’re trying to make a good impression on your audience then it’s probably a good idea to have a high quality show. I can understand not having the money for this, but that doesn’t change your viewers opinions! It’s something that eventually must be done.
Are you working on back links to your pages?
This is more of a website term, but it can absolutely be used for your stream and channel as well. I’m assuming you’re already posting it to forums for people to see, but where else can they find the link to your pages? Twitter? Facebook? More social media? Sure, this is awesome if you have the right connections and the right people viewing and finding you, but there’s more to it then that. If it’s social media you are trying to work on, you have to be active, and if it’s forums you’re trying for, you have to make the headlines something the viewers are going to want to click. Open the horizon a bit and make sure you’re always working hard for back links. Optimizing social media exposure, and making sure people click your forum links are two great ways, but there are plenty of other places for your page to be seen. Getting people to share it is another suggestion. This generally comes from having good content, but that you’ll already be striving for.
Are you making a good first impression?
Streaming and YouTube may be a little different, but in a sense it’s the same theory. What’s the first thing the viewer is going to notice, and is it good enough to keep them there? First off it’s the whole page. If the page is dull and not up to par with other people trying to do the same thing, then those potential viewers are immediately lost. Next, it’s what’s happening on stream, or on the initial video on your YouTube channel. You want to make something catch their eye. There are a few ways to do that, maybe say hi to them, or have something eye popping in the background of your camera for streamers. Or for YouTube channels, is your main video segment showing off what your channel is about and giving the viewers the best stuff you have to offer? Because it should be. Make them stay. Optimize what they see first.
Closing Thoughts
There are obviously other ways that you can get people to stay on your stream, but that all goes back into the optimization and making it worthy of viewers. We will constantly be talking about ways to make sure you have the best page for gamers to see. Comparing yourself to other peoples pages is okay, but make sure you leave yourself room to be even better then them! Don’t forget to check out our podcast and listen to what those gamers and streamers have experienced, and learn from their mistakes and successes. Think big, and KNOW you’re the best.