Before I begin with most of these blogs, This is my personal view and opinions on these platforms and what they can do for you. Some may agree and a lot may disagree and that’s okay. If you disagree I would like to know though! How do we differ in opinions or are we all on the right page!

Twitter
I think twitter is by far the most complex, yet easiest platform to use. There is very rarely a streamer who does not have twitter due to being how widespread the people on there are. You are able to meet plenty of people while searching hashtags of games you play and checking out who comments on the game you play’s twitter page (Which they also should have a profile there too!). Mind you a lot of people don’t bother to use hashtags at all. They simply use far too many of them in their tweets and make them look cloudy. Search hashtags, don;t overly use them yourself in tweets! I think at the VERY least a streamer should have a twitter account. You can really learn a lot too by seeing different people there as well too. When I think about twitter I think of streaming. I also have recently been checking out local people from my province which has had a huge impact on how my twitter experience has been going. Even if you want to use it for streaming, it does have some benefits and great experiences for your mental health if you do follow and chat with people outside of the world of streaming.

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Instagram
This is a space that I know I SHOULD use more however being consistent is hard for me at times. Sometimes I post pics of my pets, clips from my channel as well as other things too! Instagram can have a totally different reach and bring new viewers who enjoy your content there also. Clips for example can be very good at reaching new audiences and potential gems hidden around. The thing I always tell myself is this, Drake found Ninja through Instagram when he posted clips of his Fortnite streams. Obviously there is a lot of value on this platform to keep or meet new people. That being said if all you do is post the same clips or nothing you will find growth to be hard. When I think about Instagram I think about streaming to some degree but a personal side of it, More into someones life or things that they like! From my understanding though, The impact of people from Instagram coming over to a twitch stream may not exactly be the best conversion and other platforms may be the better route if you are limited on time to put into social medias and growth.

Facebook
Facebook can be be even more complex. For someone like myself, When I think about Facebook I think about family and friends. If you have super supportive family or people who understand gaming on there I would for sure try that out. If you don’t it may be a bit trickier to gain any traction. A big reason I think for this is because when you create a Facebook page that you can live stream to, your viewers have their real name not a handle. Same reason why some folks aren’t a fan of Facebook Gaming. Unlike twitter or twitch or Instagram or you tube you have your legit name on there. To make the switch from Facebook to a streaming platform can be quite tricky. Though if you want to have an extra platform I would suggest maybe dabbling on this. I typically use this for my business of artwork and what not, however I do not focus a lot of my energy on it in terms of streaming or content. I do have these posted to my streaming page but my streaming and content here are separate from my creative business.

TikTok
Now this is a space that I have 0 knowledge so this is strictly  based on what I have seen on Twitter. TikTok seems to be the new “Vine”. Its a spot to post videos with songs or whatever. That being said I have seen it be successful among streamers however the TikTks that are shared have nothing to do with gaming normally. They are mini skits or cosplays and they are super dependent on comedy or something cute or fun. If it clicks with the current popular trends then it seems to help in reach but I’m not entirely sure the translation of people from TikTok coming over to Twitch/Mixer streams are. I will hopefully be taking a plunge early in the new year so I can try and pull in some type of influence here. I need to plan a schedule and hopefully try and get something happening;. In recent months I have seen some friends have a lot of success in growth and what not for TikTok and I would like to see if I can get some of this magic for me!

Youtube
This can be a great place to bring people to your content. A lot of folks seem to post really good games they have or even montages of great plays or funny moments. This is a spot that you need to either teach yourself or spend some time trying to get things happening in the sense that people want to see quality on YouTube. It doesn’t have to be mega big but this is where you can zone in on certain areas and put together a nice quality. People who want to see the plays in real time will perhaps come to your channels from there. I myself also need to get into YouTube. For me where I am hoping to do more creative and art streams I would like to make a quick video fast forwarded and with some music of how I create specific things. Again, Time consuming and it will not be a primary focus however I know the benefit that this can have on my streams or on my channel also too.

Regardless of which platform you choose to pick when it comes to trying to reach a broader audience, Its all about consistency. Start with one platform and expand from there. Maybe you know how to make videos and want to start with YouTube. Or maybe you want to start with twitter. Master that platform before going to a different one. Its a lot easier to start with one maybe 2 if you are familiar with it then trying to start with all of them. When you start adding too much that’s when you stagger different platforms and you go days or weeks without even posting (I am so guilty of this it is terrible!). I try personally to focus on twitter, Then I try to go to another spot like YouTube or TikTok and perhaps sometimes Facebook, though it is not my focus by any means. Discord I wouldn’t say is a huge focus for me because I use it so regularly however its also important in its own rights in networking too.

Also remember, without some type of other platform work, It will be EXTREMELY difficult to see any growth as you begin to stream, or continue to stream on Twitch. Unless you are a god tier player of one specific game being discovered on twitch/mixer is not easy. You RARELY see any popular/partnered streamer only on Twitch with no other social media. They are using other platforms to bring in viewers of different parts of the world or different backgrounds. Don’t limit yourself and let yourself be discovered. There are hundreds of thousands of people who are doing the same thing. Look at streaming exactly like a business, You need to sell yourself because if you don’t there is someone who is willing and waiting to take your place in the entertainment and gaming space.