Various Types of Streamers
Streamers grow their communities and their careers by streaming similar content every time they go live. For most streamers, that means they’re playing the same game, drawing in viewers that also enjoy that game. These viewers return every stream to watch this specific game being played, and also draw attention to more viewers by putting that streamer higher on the recommended broadcasts feature presented by the streaming platforms.
But what if a streamer decides not to play the same game every stream? What if they play a different game every time they go live? Variety streaming is very common, because variety gamers are very common. These gamers don’t enjoy playing the same game every day; they get bored and burnt out, and in general prefer changing things up often. There are many variety streamers that have sizeable followings and brand recognition.
There is strong evidence that variety streaming is not feasible for creators wanting to grow their brands and communities. This is because viewers that enjoy specific games won’t watch the streamer when they play something other than the viewers’ game of choice. Many small streamers are stuck trying to grow their communities while playing a variety of games when they’re live. How did the large creators gain their popularity by variety streaming? Unfortunately, many of these large streamers started as niche streamers, playing the same game on stream and growing their communities. They only started variety streaming after they grew their popularity.
There is a way to grow and succeed as a variety streamer.
Although variety streaming has significant challenges, there is a secret to growing your community and your brand as a variety creator. You can play different games every stream and see the same viewers every time.
Something has to be consistent every stream.
If you’re variety streaming, then your game is not consistent. You’re losing out on the viewers that enjoy one specific game, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still grow as a creator. As long as there is something prominent in your stream that is consistent, you can succeed as a variety streamer. You could play games in one specific genre, such as horror or strategy games. Competitive games can also be a specific niche for your streams. You can build your brand around a specific theme or aesthetic, such as as dark, cozy, or fantasy. If you have pets, or you collect things, those can be regular features on your streams that keep viewers coming back. As long as there is one thing that’s consistent every single stream, you have the opportunity to grow your community and your brand.
To further establish that consistency in your streams, you should make your brand assets reflect it as well. Whatever your chosen form of consistency is, your stream panels, emotes, overlays, alerts, and other assets should point it out. This develops your brand around your niche, which is the key to succeeding as a streamer. Your viewers will grow into community members eager to see your content.
