How to Be Successful on Twitch? | 9 Secrets of Successful Twitch Streamers

Playing games on streams and earning enough money to be independent of any other job - it may sound like a dream, but it has already come true for many guys and girls using Twitch.

Do you want to be among the top Twitch streamers? Then check out these nine secrets that popular influencers use to reach the sweet peaks of success.

1. Be Yourself and Find Your Niche

Gamers are not one personality cloned to millions - we all are unique. We play different games, use different devices, and enjoy life in countless ways.

You are also unique, so just be yourself on Twitch! This is the best and the most complicated advice you can find on how to become a successful Twitch streamer.

• Play games you really love. To figure out what to stream on Twitch, create a list of your personal top games and check whether they are currently popular through TwitchMetrics. Choose something you sincerely enjoy and viewers are interested in too.
• Create your style. It’s nice to check out how others are streaming on Twitch, but it’s never a good idea to blindly copy anyone. This simple axiom refers to almost everything, but here let’s try and focus it on the visual and audio style of your channel and videos, on how to set up a Twitch stream. Think about: what’s behind your back during the streams? What do people see upon entering your channel? How do your videos start? Which shirt do you wear in front of the camera? Each and every aspect has its power, so nothing can remain unnoticed. Put yourself in the position of a viewer and look for any chance of improvement or personalization.
• Open yourself to the audience. Imagine you are meeting close friends and having fun together. When you don’t try to be anybody else, you can express yourself freely. This is the best way to behave on streams. The most followed Twitch streamers do this, so they feel comfortable during long hours of being online.

2. Take Care of Equipment

You may have heard that you need to use the best microphone and camera, stream through the best possible hardware, and use expensive accessories. The reality is not so straightforward, and this recipe of how to start streaming on Twitch isn’t suitable for many people. The best equipment is really expensive, so you should find a balance between these two directions:

• Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. You may wait for years to have a chance to buy top-notch devices. And… don’t do this! Look around yourself. Do you have a laptop? This could be enough! Even if it is not powerful enough to run games and stream simultaneously, such cloud services as GeForce Now may help. What do you need to become a streamer? Most gamers already have everything for the initial steps, so start with this stuff.
• Use any means to improve the quality. Start developing your skills as a streamer by using basic equipment. That’s how to start Twitch streaming! Then, think about how to improve your equipment if you can. First of all, buy a good mic - it’s hard to overestimate the importance of a good sound on streams. Then, do the same with all the pieces of gaming equipment you have, starting from the computer and finishing with the mouse. Even if people don’t see the keyboard you use, it definitely affects your mood, your style, and your streaming success.

3. Be Persistent. Stream Often.

The life of your viewers does not revolve around your streams. They have lots of things happening, and even the biggest fans could be unable to watch your sudden appearances online.

Also, your viewers are easily distracted by all sorts of things. If you only stream once in a while, they could forget you and start watching someone else. Frequent streams are also a way to give your fans a chance to join you in their busy personal duties - that’s how to get more Twitch viewers. So,

• Make a schedule of your streams and strictly follow it. Make it public and remind viewers when they can catch you.
• Stream as often as possible. It’s also good practice for your skills.

These are the basic answers on how to get more viewers on Twitch. Of course, persistence and frequency should be combined with other advice from this article.

Persistence is needed for many other types of a career too. The best CS:GO pro players know this for sure.

4. Do Your Best

You should approach this secret from two directions:

• Invest all your talent in your streams. Don’t hide anything for later. Don’t allow yourself to be lazy. Just do your best in this direct meaning.
• Don’t be too hard on yourself. Prevent short- and long-term burnout. “Your best” changes because you become better with every stream. Give yourself the freedom to make mistakes and move at your own pace.

You should be really good at the games you stream on Twitch. This includes your skills and your skins. The appearance of your virtual character can have the same significance as your physical appearance. This aspect is worth the investment. For example, if you play Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, buy CS:GO skins on DMarket and create a special mood in your streams.

5. Communicate with Your Audience

People on the other side come to have fun and many of them don’t like to be passive viewers - they want to actively interact with you and each other. Give them this opportunity! Read the chat and answer questions. Remember the names of your regular viewers and address them personally. Start relationships with them so you will be able to build your regular audience. That’s how to get people to watch your stream.

Don’t limit the communication with just the actual streams. Like with 9 Easy Steps to Start Your Pro Career in CS:GO, you should get social. Start your Twitter and Instagram accounts. Fill them with interesting and relevant content. Share your thoughts on your specific niche and ask the opinion of others.

6. Follow the Trends

Popular games come and go but your channel should survive through all the changes. Trends help you to make content people are interested in. And trends have the power to destroy your work if you ignore them.

Regularly check out the best games to Stream. For example, after the release of Apex Legends, this game was on top, suppressing even the all-time hit League of Legends. Almost the same with Valorant, which is in high demand while in beta testing. Make your list of upcoming releases (such as Life Beyond), choose interesting potential trends, and add them to your streaming schedule.

Be flexible in your niche. After Blizzard suspended full support for Heroes of the Storm many professional esports players and Twitch streamers became put out of the business. Play other games apart from your primary niche. This will also be an additional entertainment for your audience.

Don’t forget about the biggest esports events - talk about them and maybe discuss the most interesting moments on your streams.

7. Look For Collaborations

Many popular streamers are glad to combine efforts and bring fresh shades of joy into their videos. They jump into multiplayer matches together. They organize amazing shows, hilarious events, and many viewers enjoy them even more than solo streams.

Interesting collaborations attract a lot of attention. It’s a chance to find new viewers, share the experience with new people, and boost your skills.

8. Use Various Opportunities to Earn Money

Everyone has its own understanding of success on Twitch. Some streamers want to become the most recognizable influencers. Others just want to share their passion for video games with like-minded people. In any case, earning money from streaming is a very good idea - it will help you to concentrate on the process and stream with the best equipment.

There are a few ways to start earning:

• Play a lot and trade virtual assets. Getting lots of items into your inventory is a natural sequence of spending many hours in games such as Dota 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. So why not just (sell CS:GO skins)[https://dmarket.com/ingame-items/item-list/csgo-skins] for some cash? It may be especially helpful in the early stages of your streaming career. The same is possible if you prefer playing MOBAs - use DMarket to sell Dota 2 items that you’re not using in the game.

• Earn on advertisements. You need quite a lot of viewers to make this way possible, but it’s a good milestone for beginners. If you wonder how many Twitch followers do you need to make money, the answer is - the more the better. The affiliate program starts from 50 followers, but there are other criteria as well.

• Ask for donations. Some fans willingly support their favorite streamers. Good communication with the audience is key to success here.

• Get sponsors. It’s the primary source of income for most of the top streamers. Ninja even abandoned Twitch and 14.7+M followers to get a sponsor contract with Mixer. Other influencers get money from game developers, manufacturers of the equipment, and various other brands. Although you will need to become very popular to get sponsors to notice your channel.

Check out other options how to earn money while playing Counter-Strike.

9. Live Life Beyond Twitch

When you have a goal, it’s nice to be determined and put all the effort in to achieve it. Still, you should be aware of burnout. The risk is absolutely real - some streamers jump into this career with full enthusiasm and then become exhausted from the process and throw the very idea away.

To prevent such a situation, be reasonable in your dedication. Keep some space for your personal life and activities beyond streaming. Support your physical and mental health, so you will be much more interesting to watch, and the streams will bring real excitement into your life. Enjoying the process of streaming is an essential part of being successful on Twitch.

Are you still reading this? Congratulations! Now, the biggest secret will be revealed. It is so powerful that we decided to keep it hidden. There are no proven ways of success. This fact includes the process of becoming a twitch streamer and many other aspects of life. And you know what? This is a good thing to discover. You have full freedom to do things your own way and find your own success. But this doesn’t mean you should ignore the advice from this article. Just take them into account - as well as other Twitch tips you may encounter.

Trade on the go - install the mobile app of DMarket from Google Play or App Store. Never miss great prices and unique skins. The best CS:GO, Dota 2, and TF2 marketplace is always at hand!

For more information on gaming, esports, and your professional career in these areas, stay in touch with DMarket on Facebook and Twitter.