The creator economy is booming, and thanks to interactive livestreaming services like Twitch, communities are creating together live on stream through casual gaming, esports, music, anime and even art. As many as 8 million streamers go live on Twitch every month, while on average, there are over 2.5 million people tuning in to Twitch at any given moment—together, this global community comes together every day to create unique, live, and unpredictable experiences from the interactions of millions.

Are you looking to share your passions and keen to get in on the livestreaming action by becoming a Twitch creator yourself? Or, are you already active on Twitch and looking to take your livestreams to the next level? Below, Twitch’s Lewis Mitchell, APAC Content Director, shares his top tips to help creators one up their content.

Starting your livestreaming journey

It’s very easy to get started on Twitch, with only a few steps required before you turn that camera on and broadcast to the world.

First, create your free account and build out your profile! Twitch communities are drawn to a creator’s personality, so spend some time customising your About page to give your audience a sense of who you are and what they can find on your channel. Add some fun facts about yourself, your favourite games and Twitch categories, and even change up the background. If you’re not sure where to start, check out your favourite creators and see what information they share that resonates with you the most. While you’re there, have a think about what it is that makes these streamers so successful, and how you might emulate it in your own way.

Your streaming setup is important, but you don’t need to invest heavily to get started. The essentials are: a good Internet connection; a computer with a processor that can support several apps running at the same time; a headset or mic for audio; a webcam; and a quiet place to stream with good lighting. If you’re looking for streaming software, Twitch Studio is free and has been designed to take the guesswork out of setting up and managing your stream.

From here you’re almost ready to go! Update your channel so viewers know who you are and where to find you, then start live streaming.

Consider your local audience

Creators in Australia and New Zealand are in such an exciting time zone for live streaming—North America’s nightly ‘prime time’ kicks in at the start of our morning, and our evening aligns with Europe and the UK’s morning.

This said, sometimes we see new Aussie and Kiwi streamers starting out have a laser focus on reaching audiences in the Northern Hemisphere, and yet there are incredible communities and passionate viewers closer to home who cannot be overlooked. In 2021, Twitch saw a phenomenal 40% year-on-year growth in hours watched across the Asia Pacific, meaning there are more and more viewers tuning in from your metaphorical backyard. Plus, our Australian and New Zealand Twitch communities are some of the most diverse and passionate in the world, and as a bonus, there’s a strong chance they’ll get your ‘down under’ colloquialisms—though there’s the everlasting esky vs. chilly bin debate!

If you’re just getting started or you’ve been livestreaming for some time and are looking to expand your reach, look down under and consider live times where local viewers can tune in and say hey in the Chat.

Embrace what makes you unique

Your personality and authentic content are what attract and hook viewers! Gaming and non-gaming content alike has taken off on Twitch, and no matter your niche, there’s a community out there for you and your content. Leverage this; tap into your unique passions and you’ll create something special for those around you. If your passions lay in cooking, animation, comedy, music or whatever it might be, why not stream it!

Gaming is always popular, and you’ll notice that while so many successful Twitch creators might have a ‘go-to’ game, they stream a variety of games and content to attract a variety of viewers and keep their communities coming back for more. At the same time, it’s important to remember to stick to the games you like and that best represent your engagement style.

And, don’t forget that Twitch is meant to be an interactive experience, not passive. You want to engage your viewers on Chat, involve them in the content, use bits and subs to give shout outs and even have your audience use channel points to ask a question. You want to create ‘you had to be there’ type moments for your community.

Consistency is key

Now you’ve got some fresh ideas to target a local audience, setting and sticking to a regular schedule is the best way of letting your audience know when they can tune in.

Have a think about who you’re looking to reach, where they are and what they want to watch. You can even ask viewers what works for them. Once you know your schedule, throw it up on your socials and Twitch profile then stay consistent in producing content at the set times.

But don’t stop there. You want to continue engaging with your audience outside of your livestreams. This could mean setting up a dedicated community hub on Discord, or simply sharing memorable clips from your recent livestreams across social channels.

Like anything in life, planning and preparation is the key to being successful. To take your streaming to the next level, don’t forget to set aside time before and after your streams to plan what you’ll talk about and evaluate how you went after.

All in all, remember success doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a whole lot of patience, hard work, and dedication, so stick with it!

And, if you’re keen to learn more about levelling up your stream and the pathway to Affiliate and Partner, check out Twitch Creator Camp for tips and tricks from Twitch and successful partners to support you at every step of your journey.