I've been streaming my video game play on Twitch since January of this year. I also watch other people and interact in some channels. I'm a really big lurker though, but that's just me. One thing I haven't quite understood is some peoples views on how this all works. Any streamer no matter if it's a big time streamer who gets couple thousand viewers in their channel at one time to a new streamer who only gets 0 to 10 viewers in their channel. There is only one way that a channel grows and becomes something great. That is through hard work which is an investment into ourselves. What ever I do to my channel, when ever I stream, the logo's, the images, the panels that tell people more about me and my channel. All of that is an investment into myself.
No matter if your channel is small or large. What you put in to the channel will pay off in time. This isn't an instant get rich quick thing and nothing ever happens that quickly trust me. To grow as a channel you need to be willing to invest in yourself and invest into your channel which ultimately invests into your viewers. Everything is trial and error. Yes you'll make mistakes but the question is will you let that stop you from continuing or will you pick yourself back up and keep on going?
I once had a conversation with someone in another streamers channel. This person said that he stopped streaming because no one ever watched him. I asked why and his response was that he didn't like not having someone viewing him because no views means that his channel wasn't going anywhere. I was a bit shocked. I told him exactly what I'm going to say now.
Anyone on Twitch started off with 0 viewers. I'm not going to name any streamers since I don't have permission to do so but think of the top streamers you know. Also think of smaller streamers you might know. No matter who it is on twitch we all started off with 0 viewers. It is only through spending time talking to ourselves on our stream that eventually viewers start trickling in. We will flux up and down from 1 to 0 to 1 again maybe 2 to 3. This usually happens over a period of days not just one day or an hour of streaming but days of streaming that you will see your numbers go up and down. Twitch and followers and viewers are all volatile and if you rely on just the numbers then your not in it for the right reasons. The reason there are streamers who make it to partner and streamers who fail right out the gate is the reason why you are streaming. If your streaming for the viewer count or the follower count then your not streaming for the right reason. If your streaming for the game play, the community, to interact and share your experience with other people, and just overall love playing video games this is why you succeed and strive within the community.
I hope this reaches some fresh streamers or people wanting to start streaming. Don't let the 0 viewers discourage you from streaming. Everything takes time and investment. I wouldn't be where I'm at on twitch if I let that 0 get me down and the partners of twitch wouldn't be partners if they had too. Keep striving and your hard work becomes an investment that will pay off with time.
Thank you,
Riku
