Lauren Harper, Author at XSplit Blog

How to Build an Audience for your Stream

As more and more people engage with online media, the potential for viewership increases. However, with so many choices out there, you need to make your content special if you want people to watch it. The most important thing is to have passion for your subject and make the content you can imagine watching yourself. In this blog, we’ll give you some actionable tips to increase stream viewership and make your streams even better.

Know your brand

When you’re streaming, you can tag your content so that your channel will appear under certain categories. In doing so, you immediately enter a competition for views in those same categories. If you’re streaming games, for instance, the likelihood is that they’re the exact same ones hundreds of others are also putting out there. So, what is going to make your content stand out from the others? Your personal brand.

To build your brand, and with it, an audience for your stream, you need to consider what makes you and your channel stand out from the pack. Consider how you want your channel to be viewed by your audience. Do you want to choose a particular theme you can use throughout all of your streams? If so, consider emotes, graphics and overlays that represent that. Or perhaps you’re aiming to be a channel dedicated to a certain type of music, art or games – the same idea applies.

Whatever you decide, it’s also crucial to engage with the feedback from your audience to see what is and isn’t working for your brand. So, watch what the chat has to say and create that Discord community!

Make regular content

Audiences respond better to content that fits a release schedule, whatever that may be. Not everyone is going to be able to keep up with an overly-ambitious schedule because life simply gets in the way. So, create one that suits your lifestyle and commit to sticking to it as much as you possibly can.

You will also want to consider what happens to your content beyond your live streams and think about how to make it reach as many people as possible. Once you have completed a piece of content that can demonstrate what your channel is all about, stick it on YouTube (or whatever platform you prefer), and perhaps make it available as Video On Demand (VOD). This may also present an opportunity to showcase some non-live content, perhaps a review of a game you’ve just played. Just be careful not to ‘grind’, or churn out content when you’re not feeling it. Viewers will pick up on it and it won’t be fun for you!

Photo by Caspar Camille Rubin on Unsplash

Interact with your audience and your peers

Networking with other content creators will not only help you to learn but will also give you opportunities to create new and interesting content. Seek out streamers whose content you enjoy, engage with them and find people who make content similar to your own. Watch their channel, support their streams and over time, you’ll naturally develop friendships with some streamers and can then see if they’re open to collaboration. This may be as simple as playing a game together while you both stream. Do, however, keep this within people’s personal boundaries and treat others as you would wish to be treated both in-person and online!

Live streaming is also consistently more popular if the creator engages with their audience. Keep an eye on the live chat, try to keep up as much as you can. If you’re streaming something that requires concentration (like an art stream for example) or you’re not as confident, consider interactive overlays or other non-verbal forms of communicating with your channel to help build that audience.

Use social media to promote your brand as well as yourself

Social media is one of your core networking opportunities, so it pays to be active. Just as you need to create a schedule of your content, you also need to create a schedule for your posts. Time them so that you always announce when you’re planning to stream (and also give people enough notice) and again when you’re going live. Post videos of original material, as well as highlighting clips after your streams have ended, to show people what they can expect from your channel.

You should also use your social media platforms to find communities that you like. Interact with other people’s posts where it seems natural and appropriate. Join Discord communities for streamers who create content you enjoy, and get to know people in their channels. Just remember to follow the rules of each person’s Discord community and only promote yourself if there is an appropriate space to do so. Even if there is, be careful not to spam links to your channel!

When you’ve built an audience for your stream, make sure you create a Discord community for yourself and engage with your viewers. This creates a welcoming vibe and will likely encourage people to drop by your streams regularly.

There are a lot of things that you can do to boost views of your content. Take the principle of ‘make regular content’ and use it as a driving force, but don’t worry about perfection. Make the content you want to make. If you’re new to streaming, take a look at how our own XSplit Broadcaster works and the features you can find.

Remote Working: How to Be Better at Online Collaboration

Now, more than ever, people are having to work from home. For some, this is how it has always been, but for others, the merging of our personal spaces and professional lives can take some getting used to. Luckily, we’re here to tell you exactly how to make the most of remote working and collaborating online with your colleagues.

We’ll consider when and how to make time for work and fun, as well as how to set boundaries between the two, and suggest some of the best apps available for online collaboration. More importantly, we’ll also be sharing what we consider to be some of the key points of etiquette for working from home.

The best apps and tools for collaborating with colleagues

Of course, the best apps for us to use will come down to the type of work we’re doing. Testing out different apps and tools is the key to getting it right, so we’re suggesting some tools that can help you work smarter not harder.

Does your work mean creating and sharing lots of documents with other people? Then Google Docs is a great idea. Need to manage a team project and keep everyone on track and organized? We’d recommend Asana to set tasks and plan projects, as it can be used both online and on your phone.

If you’re working with multiple people on various projects, Discord or Slack are great options for creating individual channels where everyone can communicate easily, asking questions, and sharing updates.

Online collaboration tips to get the most out of WFH

Communication is key when working on any group project – even more so when you’re not in the same room. To get the most out of working from home, use chat channels like Slack. They’re a great method of keeping everyone up-to-date, sharing documents, and leaving a trail of messages that people can search back through.

Create an environment where everyone is encouraged to give constructive feedback, be open, and honest. We lose the benefit of non-verbal communication using chat channels, so it’s important everyone feels confident to share their opinions.

If you’re having online meetings, always end them by summarising the key points, making sure all tasks are assigned and everyone knows what they’re supposed to be getting on with. Following this, record signs of success – it’s always good to keep track of what’s working for your team so you can keep a project running smoothly.

WFH etiquette: what’s best practice?

Like anything, working from home comes with its own sets of best practices. The rules of WFH etiquette will depend on the method of remote working you’re using.

If it’s largely email-based, then checking your emails frequently and replying as promptly as you would in the office is key. However, just like in an office, we’re allowed to take breaks, so we shouldn’t expect people to be at our disposal immediately just because they’re at home.

If your work has opted to collaborate via messaging services like Slack, then it’s good to remember that tone changes significantly when we’re communicating through writing rather than chatting face to face. Because of that, rereading messages is an important step when you’re working from home. It’s best to keep it short and sweet and be as clear as possible in any communication sent. Unlike in the office, we can’t have those follow-up conversations for clarity after a miscommunication, so getting it right the first time is crucial.

This is also a good time to consider if the platform you’re using is the best one for your work. When Zoom became the go-to at the start of the pandemic, everyone suddenly had Zoom calls and meetings. Just like offline, sometimes you don’t need a full meeting to get to the heart of the matter, so sometimes collaboration via email or messaging can be more efficient than a video call.

All work and no play

One of the most common problems people have when working from home is finding the time to switch off. If you’re at the office and your ‘To Do’ list isn’t finished, you leave knowing you can pick up from where you left off the next day. Remote working makes switching off harder because it’s all the more tempting to think you could just get that entire list finished off tonight, couldn’t you?

Keeping a schedule isn’t just good for getting work done, but it’s also crucial for knowing when to stop, take a break, and relax. This can be anything from making food to walking the dog or setting aside time for exercise breaks – as long as it helps you establish some time for yourself.

This should also extend to setting boundaries with work colleagues in terms of communication. Switch off notifications and let colleagues know when you’re stepping away for a break, so you’re not disturbed and tempted to jump back into the thick of it too soon.

Getting down to work

It’s easy to let structure go out of the window if you’re new to working from home, but keeping a schedule is key for success. Yes, you could stay in your bed and get your laptop out to work but it’s important to distinguish our work and personal spaces.

The first thing to do is find a place that you can designate as your home “office.” As this is a temporary setup for a lot of people, most of us won’t have an actual home office or even big enough desk space that we can turn into a makeshift one.

Work-from-home veterans will tell you that that’s fine – whether you’re using a kitchen counter, a dining table, or a little foldaway table, all it takes is a peaceful spot you can focus in and you have your workspace.

Once you’ve established where this will be, make sure it’s kept tidy. It sounds simple, but if you keep having to move things around, it’ll make settling into work each day much harder. A tidy space will also mean you’re Zoom-ready at all times, though this can be made even easier using XSplit VCam to blur or even replace your background!

You’ll have an easier time adjusting to our new normal with the right set of tools. The XSplit team is always considering how we can use our live streaming technology to make remote working easier and more efficient, whether you’re using it to connect with your team or thinking about the best way to deliver a presentation remotely.

A Look At 2020’s Top Streaming Trends

The XSplit team knows how important streaming is and has built a reputation for being a reliable streaming and recording service. It’s safe to say that streaming content isn’t going anywhere soon, and we’ll continue to evolve with it. But to go forward, sometimes you have to look back, so we thought we’d take a look at some of the key streaming trends we’ve seen this year across everything from gaming to art.

Content trends we saw this year

Each year, the streaming trends change as content creators focus on improving their channels. This year has seen some creative applications of digital art, with anime avatars used by the Vtube community becoming increasingly popular on streaming channels – even well-known creators like Pokimane are giving it a try.

User-decided content is also now more common with creators who want to really engage with their audiences. This has even resulted in some channels offering rewards where creators will play games with members of their community or let audiences vote on what games they will play next. The developers of Baldur’s Gate 3 pushed that boundary even further by enabling streamers to let the audience decide their dialogue.

The big takeaway is that if you want to grow a bigger and better channel, you need to know what your audience wants.

What games came out on top?

2020 has been a strange year as it is, but who would’ve thought we’d be ending it playing a game where we’re calling our friends ‘sus’ because they took too long in electrical? Among Us has been just one of many games sitting at the top of the streaming trends this year.

Other highlights have included the vibrant and often ridiculous Fall Guys, which has seen top competitors battle it out in a bid for a unique skin.

Multiplayer shooters have remained a key genre in streaming this year, with the likes of Valorant and its iridescent take on CS:GO maps climbing the charts. Overwatch and Fortnite have also stuck around with no signs of going anywhere, even with the likes of Apex Legends and Call of Duty: Warzone saturating the field.

And, of course, streaming wouldn’t be streaming without seeing esports favorites like League of Legends, DOTA 2, and Hearthstone also regularly clocking in high viewer counts – League alone racked up more than 124 million viewer hours in November 2020.

Want to know what to stream?

It can be hard to decide what to stream when you first get started. It’s easy to get swept up in streaming trends and think it’s best to go for anything that’s dominating channels with high viewer numbers. But when it comes to content creation, it should always revolve around what you enjoy – whether you’re just starting out or developing your audience.

You might decide that’s the newest AAA game you’ve just got your hands on or an old classic you like to play again and again like Tomb Raider. Or perhaps you’ve decided you want to share your art and your content will be focused on offering tutorials and How-To guides.

The key to streaming is that, whatever you choose to put out there, it has to be something you’re generally interested in and will stick at. It doesn’t have to be big studio set-ups or personalities, the best way to build a community is to be consistent and share your enjoyment. So create a schedule and let people know where and when to find you. Most importantly, have fun!

Going Beyond the Games

People may think of games when they hear the word streaming, but it’s so much more than that.

Just a quick look on Twitch and you’ll see channels that are dedicated to art, cosplay and even cooking on the front page. There’s a wide variety of other content you can stream from tabletop games like D&D to arts and crafts.

This year has definitely seen a rise in non-gamers having their moment in the spotlight. While we’re all stuck at home, it’s tempting to learn new skills and there have been plenty of How-To videos coming to light – whether it’s showing us how to knit, sew, or even step-by-step guides on full-body painting if you’re looking to really bring that cosplay to life. Maybe you’re good with music? If so, there’s plenty of room to stream that too. After all, haven’t we all used lofi girl to stay focused at some point this year?

As the end of the year approaches, whether you’re thinking about starting a channel or have been streaming for a while, it’s a good time to consider streaming trends for 2021 to stay a step ahead.