Growing your channel publicly

 Growing your channel publicly

Prospective streamers often delay starting their channels because they want everything to be perfect before their first stream. In previous entries, we have emphasized how important it is to begin streaming as soon as possible, even if you are not fully prepared, to avoid procrastination. Let’s review the following scenario, you have spent the last 6 months preparing your channel, and upon its launch, everything is flawless, leaving no room for improvement. While your stream may appear impressive, you have eliminated any opportunity for growth. While you may still gain a following, you will have deprived your viewers of the excitement of watching you evolve which is one of the most engaging aspects of following a streamer. Striving for perfection is an undesirable quality and will harm any potential growth and success. 

Focus on the journey

Consider a streamer you have followed for a long time, not the ones with massive followings, but rather those who haven’t reached partner status, or hadn’t when first you started watching them. If you have been a regular viewer for a year or two, interacting in chat, witnessing the thrilling moments of their gameplay, and checking in regularly, you will likely recall the different eras in the history of their channel. You may remember times when their graphics were less impressive, or they had a lower-quality camera, or when they were less personable with chat. As a viewer, there is a sense of pride in knowing that you have been with this streamer since their early days before their channel was entirely polished. You have been able to watch them improve in each streaming category gradually over time until they became the streamer they are today. 

You might perceive your lack of the best gear, fancy graphics, or camera confidence as a disadvantage, but it is actually a significant advantage. Every low-tech, unpolished aspect of your stream can pay off in the long run, provided you persevere. Imagine the impact of someone complimenting your progress since they started watching your channel a year ago. Your viewers will be able to compare and contrast their experiences on your channel from its various eras. Therefore, if you are waiting for everything to be perfect before starting your channel, reconsider that decision and start now. 

The power of a rollout

This mindset is not limited to new streamers, established streamers can also benefit from a more gradual approach to growing and improving their channels. For instance, if you want to add a variety of new OBS layouts, don’t wait until you have all 20 designs ready. Create the first one and roll it out immediately. Let your viewers notice the new feature and get excited about it.  Once it is settled in, you can start working on the next one and do the same. By doing this, you can keep your viewers engaged and excited about each new addition to your stream. If we compare it to a video game, you get new powers and abilities at a steady pace throughout the game. If everything was unlocked from the start and never changed, the game would get boring. Similarly, rolling out new features in small pieces instead of huge chunks keeps your stream interesting and engaging for your viewers. 

Final thoughts

Many people fear looking vulnerable in front of others and use the excuse of needing everything to be perfect before they start something new. However, in streaming, the longer people know you, the more excited they become as you improve. So don’t deny potential fans the chance to see you grow. If you are already streaming, forget about generating hype with one major update and instead roll out smaller updates, letting your channel improve in front of everyone’s eyes. Growing your channel in public means sharing the streaming experience with your whole audience which is not only a lot of fun but very rewarding.