Run Your Twitch Stream Like A Business

Gamers reading this are probably cringing after reading the words Twitch and business in the same sentence. We get it, you don’t want to feel like it’s a job. However, if you want to use your Twitch stream as your primary source of income, you need it to be successful. Any project that gives you a profit should be treated like a business.

Here’s how to apply business concepts to your Twitch stream. 

Spend Money To Make Money

This could be as simple as using StreamOZ to boost your account, or as elaborate as buying a new hardware console. The point being, that you should invest in your business if you want it to grow. You may also need to splurge on the latest games. As with any business, if your streams are old and outdated, you may not find any interested followers and lose your viewership.

Marketing Strategies Are Important

Any business owner will tell you that they have a clear, well-thought-out marketing strategy based on market research and consumer behavior. How does this translate to streaming? These are a few marketing concepts to keep in mind for your gaming stream:

Know Your Audience

Any successful marketing strategy will be based on research done on the behavior of the consumers that are potential customers. As a streamer, you should take note of the preferences of your viewers. Your research should be able to answer the following questions:

• What type of games does my audience prefer watching?
• Which demographic or market segment does my audience belong in?
• Which streams do my viewers dislike, and what is different about them?

Create Promotional Events

A great way to attract new customers (in your case, viewers) is to create promotional events. Of course, the more hype there is surrounding your event, the more you can expect to attract heavy traffic towards your stream. Use other social media platforms likes Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook to advertise an upcoming event. You may even choose to give visitors to the promotion some kind of incentive to watch.

For example, pre-order a highly anticipated game (if you can get a prerelease version that would be better), and advertise that you will be trying it out for the first time online. Make sure to inform your audience that they will get a discount on subscriptions or any other type of incentive.

Many will be tempted to watch your stream, and a portion of those who watch are sure to take advantage of those discounts. In this way, you can market your stream and gain new followers.

Customer Service

You’ve probably already heard the saying, “the customer is always right”. Your viewers can be considered your customers, and it is important to interact with them regularly. Find ways to answer the many requests of the community watching you, and make it a point to cater to their needs. 

Consistent Work Hours

Whenever you visit a brick-and-mortar store, you will probably find a sign with their working hours listed. Customers will come during regular working hours because they expect that the store will be open. Whenever a shop closes during their advertised work hours, their regular customers feel frustrated, and if this happens frequently they might choose a different store to conduct their business. 

This same concept applies to your Twitch stream. If you keep a consistent schedule, your viewers will tune in at the times they already expect you to be online. It may feel a little too organized for gaming, but remember that your viewers probably lead scheduled lives and will appreciate knowing exactly when to find you online.

As long as you are not haphazardly streaming at all hours, your viewers will make a habit of turning on your stream at your specified regular hours.

Quality Over Quantity

If you are spending hours doing nothing online but browsing, your viewers will quickly get bored. So remember to be prepared for the gaming experience and keep things moving. No one likes dead air on a radio show, and no one will like a boring stream either. 

Also, remember that your streams are being uploaded on the internet live. For that, you will need a quality internet connection to avoid lagging and buffering streams. Your viewers will quickly get frustrated if your live stream is pausing and they are missing out on some of their favorite moments of the game.

Getting a high-speed internet connection also ensures that your live stream is of high quality and isn’t reduced to a lower resolution. Viewers will always appreciate the best graphics and clarity they can find, so give them what they want. 

By running your Twitch live stream the same way a business is run, you can successfully grow your audience easily. Apply the concepts and principles of business and marketing to earn as much as you have the potential to.