Although it may not be profitable yet, Amazon-owned Twitch has established itself as a leading platform for live-streamed content. It attracts millions of viewers and has been the proving ground for many online influencers and personalities.
Since originally focusing on video gaming content, Twitch has been embraced by a broader audience, opening the door for individuals to build personal brands and establish themselves as thought leaders or experts in their field. If you’re thinking of following in the footsteps of the likes of Ninja (Tyler Blevins), KaiCenat and Rubius (Ruben Gunderson), here are four key benefits to becoming a Twitch personality.
Community Engagement
Twitch is now famed for its engaged and passionate communities. Twitch streamers can reach out to their enthused audience in real-time using their microphone or even the live chat box.
Some of the largest followings on Twitch right now can be found in the worlds of eSports and online poker. The rise of eSports has been meteoric, with casual gamers now regularly tuning in to watch the professionals do battle on their favorite games. It’s a similar story for poker fans, who enjoy watching live streams of poker professionals playing tournaments and high-stakes cash games to try and learn the tricks of the trade. PokerStars is one of the top poker sites and has been for the best part of two decades. Its platform has the busiest player base for recreational poker players and its “Team PokerStars” ambassadors regularly livestream content to their Twitch community, including the likes of Dutch pro Lex Veldhuis.
Skill Development
Becoming a proficient and productive Twitch streamer is also good for developing your digital and production skills. You’ll learn how to master streaming production software, graphic design for your Twitch channel, marketing for your upcoming shows, as well as honing your public speaking talents.
If you’re someone who plans to work in the media in some shape or form, having a Twitch portfolio to call upon may be very useful as a body of work to showcase to prospective employers.
Opportunities for Monetization
Twitch streaming can also be an effective side hustle for successful personalities. With Twitch, it’s possible to generate a side income using various avenues, not least securing paid subscribers to your channel. You may also receive peer-to-peer donations, as well as “bits” which is Twitch’s very own virtual currency. Twitch streamers will also receive advertising revenue as non-subscribers will be subjected to regular ad breaks.
Experienced Twitch streamers can work their way up the ranks to achieve “Partner” or “Affiliate” tier status. At this point, it’s also possible to attract sponsorships and sell branded merchandise.
Networking With Like-Minded Content Creators
Being a prominent Twitch personality also gives you an opportunity to network with other professionals in the live-streaming space. TwitchCon is one of the most popular networking conventions for streamers, although this is largely restricted to those who stream about video gaming.
Reaching out to other streamers in your niche may open new avenues like collaborations to cross-promote channels for mutual benefit.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re passionate about playing PC games, card games, music or just being yourself, Twitch is a powerful platform to showcase your talents and connect with a global audience.
