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Twitch “success” does not come easily. Although there are a number of unwritten formulas for success, none of them can guarantee a long-term career as a full-time content creator. As a result, a number of channels will fail, but why? In this article, I’ll go over some of the most common causes of channel failure, as well as the steps you may take to avoid them.
About Twitch
The most popular live streaming site, Twitch, attracts more than two million broadcasters each month who use it to show off their hobbies, interests, and daily routines. Because of the ease with which people may live stream, and because of sites like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, the number is increasing each year. Share what you’re doing right now with friends and strangers alike with the press of a button on your gaming console or mobile device!
Top Reasons We See Twitch Channels Fail
There are many reasons why Twitch channels fail. Below we have listed the most problem areas and how to fix them to improve your channels performance.
Unoriginal Content
Everything you say is exactly the same as what everyone else says in your category (same content, face cam, title, etc.). Your broadcasts have nothing to offer viewers that makes them more eager to watch your material than any other content.
With the sheer volume of content available on Twitch, why would someone choose to watch yours? They most likely won’t.
How to Create Original Content on Twitch:
Make a name for yourself in the broadcasting world. Take advantage of your abilities. Alternatively, you may want to rework your material so that it better reflects your strengths. Perhaps one day a week might be set out for a different type of broadcast.
More Tips: How to Watch Twitch on Roku
In addition, pay attention to the titles you use. In order to entice passersby into subscribing to your channel, consider what you want to convey about the content you’ll be presenting in your titles.
No Personality or Goals
What do you want to do with your channel? What kind of personality are you going for, and how are you trying to express that to your viewers? Do you have a long-term goal in mind, or are you just doing it for fun? Without these answers in mind, others will not know how to approach tuning into your content.
How to Fix Goals:
Add some flair to your streams and set attainable goals of what you want to accomplish with your channel. Please note that Twitch is still a video game streaming site, so you can’t just be on there to discuss your personal family issues.
Lack of Creativity
From the time you choose the title for your channel and the first moments of each broadcast, your audience must be able to tell what kind of content they’re going to get. Uncreative names and unoriginal content will only turn people off. If they think they’re tuning into a channel that has no personality, they’ll move on as quickly as possible.
To create a successful channel, you must have a clear sense of how you want the channel to be perceived by those who tune in. This results in something known as channel branding, and requires you to think about why people are watching your material and what message you’re trying to convey through it.
How to Fix Creativity Issue on Twitch:
Think about creative ways of branding your channel. There are tons of sites out there that can help you with this. You can start with making sure you have an eye-catching banner. This is your first impression to a new viewer so make it resonate. Learn about creating banners and Twitch Banner Size.
Low Viewer Count
Twitch is an incredibly popular site, with each broadcaster doing more than two million viewers each month, but even so, if your viewer count drops too low (below two million), you will not be able to maintain a revenue stream off of Twitch. You may be able to borrow some money from your family or friends to get by, but it won’t last forever.
How to Fix Twitch Low Viewer Counts:
Your goal should be to always be in the top five of your category. You can start with just keeping up. Investing the time into making your content well-made and promoting it is an important way to build a following, because no matter how large a channel’s viewer count is, people will still tune in for brand new and interesting content.
No Presentation Skills
The key word here is “presentation.” Although entertaining content is the most important part of a successful Twitch channel, it can’t help if you don’t have presentation skills.
For example: Is it clear who you are and what you do? Can your viewers easily find other channels to follow, or will they be lost? Are all of your graphics, clips, and titles visually appealing and simple to understand?
How to Fix Presentation Skills:
Your Twitch channel is a public representation of you as a broadcaster. You need to make sure everything you do is presented in the best light possible. This can be done by sticking with a simple set of graphics that are consistent across all of your broadcasts, or improving your presentation skills in a number of ways.
Using quality equipment for your broadcast is also important. A good webcam, microphone, and lighting setup can make a world of difference in the quality of your broadcast. Removing my clackity keyboard and moving to a quiet gaming keyboard really helped with my stream quality.
Inconsistent Graphics and Titles
Consistent is the key word here. When you update a channel’s banner or title, it should show up everywhere on Twitch – that means in the broadcast title tab, on individual broadcaster profiles, and on the player interface itself.
How to Fix Graphics on Twitch:
Make sure your graphics are branded and follow the same color scheme. Even if you’re just starting out, consistency is key because it helps viewers to recognize and understand your content.
Everything is Overly Promotional
Twitch users are not interested in being bombarded with ads and promotions when they come to your channel. Everyone knows how the Internet works, and no one wants to be marketed to constantly. If you put too much effort into selling your own stuff, viewers will quickly get tired of it and never come back for more.
Resolving Over Promotional on Twitch:
You want Twitch users to discover your channel passively. When they come along, they should be able to view your content without being interrupted by more ads and promotions. They will tune in once, and return if they enjoy the broadcast. This style of communication is known as “earned media”.
No Personalization
Twitch is a streaming site – that means it’s highly personal. Although there are plenty of broadcasters who aren’t interested in keeping a high viewer count, many others are, and they will customize their Twitch profiles in a variety of ways to get there. Not having personality for your channel is a sure way why twitch channels fail.
How to Resolve:
If you can’t find a way to make your channel feel personal through customization, you may have to reconsider what kind of content you produce. Aim for things that have an appeal to the masses, rather than the niche.
Poor Marketing Skills
Marketing is essential to a successful Twitch channel and there are many creative ways to boost traffic. Being creative with how you market your channel can make all the difference when it comes to growing your viewership. Paid advertising can work, but it’s important for you to gauge your return on investment (ROI). Otherwise, you may find yourself in a position where you’re spending more money than you’re making off of the site.
Improving Twitch Marketing Skills:
Twitch marketing involves creating effective strategies that attract attention and hold an audience. This can take many forms, from posting new content along with a call to action through social media, to setting up special streams for specific time zones and focusing on the best keywords. There are a number of quality sites you can use for Twitch marketing.
No Advertiser Support
If you’ve ever seen the ads on Twitch, you know that they’re not nearly as creative as the rest of the content. This is due to the fact that Twitch ad space is generally reserved for those who are willing to pay. If you’re not willing to pay, your advertisements may look out of place compared to other ads on the page.
How to Fix:
It’s important to remember that ads look different on each site, and not every channel will work with every brand. You can start by asking around what brands are interested in non-gaming content. Try reaching out and seeing if you can get involved in any extra partnerships.
Not Having Quality over Quantity
While you can certainly broadcast the same content at maximum quality, you should zoom out and look at your channel as a whole. The quality of your video and audio should be outstanding, with all equipment working in perfect sync (can you hear me? Can I see you?) but otherwise there’s no need to push the limits – this will only turn off viewers.
How to Add Quality on Twitch:
It’s a good idea to have a limit on the length of time that you stream per day. That way you can spend more time reading your chat, interacting with viewers (answer questions, etc.), and otherwise maximizing the quality of your broadcast.
A great tip to increase interactivity from viewer is to stream games with Twitch integration. These games let your chat directly impact the game, making for a more interactive experience.
No Viewers Previously
When you have no viewers, there is little reason to invite others to watch your broadcasts. If you’re hoping that being on Twitch will bring in more viewers, you have another problem to solve. Meet the viewer where they are. Ensure that your content is interesting and engaging – before you seek more viewers.
How to Fix:
Not only should you keep working on your channel, but you should also think about how you can reach out to current viewers and get their opinions. Even if they don’t share your exact preferences, they may share something else and give you a new perspective.
Spoilers
Similar to the point above, if you’re planning on making money off of Twitch, it’s important that you don’t spoil what’s going to happen in the next game – even if your viewers are experts in the game yourself. Good luck trying to make money from your supposedly “expert” viewers.
How to Not Give Spoilers:
Create a hook while not spoiling the game for viewers. Mention what the viewer is going to be playing, say why they should join you, and also tell them exactly when to tune in so that they won’t have to worry about missing any action.
Straight Up Self-Promotion
When your channel becomes successful, you’ll want to promote it at every opportunity. This can become a problem if your self-promotion becomes overwhelming. Besides that, it’s important not to spam Twitch chat with various promotional messages.
How to Fix:
You should avoid using Twitch chat as an advertising platform or a self-promotional tool. There’s no need to constantly say things like “thank you, this stream is AMAZING”, and rather give viewers a reason to tune in. In particular, it’s important that you don’t cross the line into excessive self-promotion, such as making it seem like other users are streaming in order to get viewers when they’re not.
No Followers
Twitch doesn’t even exist without viewers. After all, there’s no reason to spend money on ads if nobody is watching them.
How to Get Followers on Twitch:
Ensure that your stream is visible and that you’re meeting the expectations of your viewers. Offer something interesting and exciting to them, beyond simple gameplay. Some of the best Twitch streamers offer laughs, new perspectives, and brilliant analysis.
Poor Communication Skills
A personal touch goes a long way on Twitch. A huge part of a successful broadcast is the ability to communicate effectively with your audience – both in private chats, in messages, and during broadcasts. If you can’t communicate effectively with your viewers, they may not have a good time. In addition, failing to moderate and block banned words on Twitch can make your viewers uncomfortable and cause them to leave.
We’ve all been there – in games or other streams, or even on YouTube – where people aren’t responding to us or making us feel special. Poor communication is one of the biggest reasons we see why Twitch Channels Fail.
How to Fix:
There are three core ways to improve communication on Twitch. The first is through sound; the second is through visuals; and the third is through interaction with your viewers. The article here is a great overview of how to improve your interaction with viewers.
Conclusion for Why Twitch Channels Fail
Success is obtained through persistence, innovation, and listening.
–Alfred P. Sloan
The above not only applies to Twitch but life in general. By taking a look at yourself and identifying what areas of broadcasting skills need improvement by following these tips you will have your channel on top of the Twitch world in no time.
Have any other tips or tricks running a successful Twitch stream? Share them in the comments below!