The TikTok bandwagon continues to grow in recent months, hence it’s no surprise to see content creators and streamers hop on the hype.
Considered as one of the most popular social networks, TikTok surpassed 800 million monthly active users in 2020. The great reach makes it a great promotional tool for content creators from different platforms.
However, the platform isn’t only for established names and stars in the industry. Growing your TikTok profile can also be a great step towards your dream of joining the A-listers. If you’re wondering how this works exactly, read on to find out:
What is TikTok?
We’re quite confident most of us have heard of TikTok in one way or another.
TikTok is a platform where users may post, view, and share short videos on a wide variety of topics; of which includes video games and stream clips. It works the same way as the now-defunct Vine.
Users may freely share their clips and TikTok video links on social media networks like Twitter, Facebook, and more.
Considering a huge active user base of gamers on the platform, TikTok is a great avenue if you want to hone your streamer brand, drive more traffic to your channels, promote your exclusive merch, and attract new followers and subscribers.
Once you reach 1 thousand followers, you’re also entitled to a broadcast feature which is similar to that of going live on Instagram.
A great outlet for exposure
Consider TikTok as a good avenue outside of Twitch, or any of your preferred streaming platforms, to draw attention.
Nowadays, YouTube and Twitter can be considerably just as saturated as Twitch. Since TikTok is a fresh social media outlet, it can be easier for small streamers to grow their channels, as long as they continuously put out good content.
One good example is Twitch streamer Kevin “Sallyisadog” Dollhopf, who originally blew up with his Call of Duty sniper videos on TikTok. This newfound interest translated into increased traffic to his Twitch channel.
Shortly after, he was able to become one of the platform’s official partners. It wasn’t an easy feat to achieve though, considering he also had to adjust his editing techniques for his gaming content. In an interview with Dexerto, he says:
“Half of the challenge is fitting gaming content on a vertical screen.”
Notably, only a few creators were doing that. Sallyisadog also considers his TikTok content with a competitive mindset, much like “competing with the totality of the Internet for attention.”
In particular, having a one-second difference can mean a brutal fall in engagement as according to Kevin “any dead space, any dead time is a chance that someone can scroll away and go somewhere else.”
Content creators have the chance to blow up on TikTok with over a million views, which may result in a boost in followers on their gaming channels and new viewers tuning in to their streams.
However, it’s no guarantee that they will stick around for long. What you need to do is to establish a good first impression— so you can gain their loyalty and continued support. This is especially important as a newbie streamer.
Tips and Tricks for Creators
For content creators who are planning to use TiKTok to help establish their names and boost traffic, here are some tips to keep in mind:
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Show your in-game talents
Video game streamers can post their best in-game highlight reels and clips, as it may go viral especially in your specific gaming community. This is a great way for your skills to be recognized by others.
Who knows, it may also attract the interest and attention of professional eSports organizations who are scouting for new talents with a strong potential. So if you’ve ever thought about going pro, you might as well start sharing your best plays on TikTok!
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Share moments of your everyday life
For IRL vloggers and Just Chatting streamers, choose to share funny bits and clips that share a glimpse into your daily lives. Don’t push yourself too hard, just consider content you’re comfortable sharing!
Keep in mind that these types of creators often form a sort of intimate connection with their audience. By sharing some personal clips of your IRL life, your audience will most likely appreciate it.
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Use tags
Tags on TikTok remain to be a great way for your clips and channel to be discovered by more people. Hence, it’s important to consider adding the appropriate tags every time you post a new clip!
Skipping this process might hinder your chances at growing your channel further. For starters, you can consider adding trending tags that are related to your post, such as #fyp #foryoupage #callofduty #warzone #gaming #twitch #streamclips #battleroyale. Feel free to change these tags to your liking!
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Check trending hashtags
Using hashtags isn’t enough. You also need to track and keep a tab on trending hashtags, which can be viewed on the Discover tab.
These tags generally tend to update every day, hence it’s worth checking what’s trending before posting your new clip.
Try to stray away from completely unrelated trending tags though, since this may frustrate users. They might opt to report you for spam, which is something you don’t want to happen.
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Upload recent streams
To many video game streamers, uploading TikTok clips of their recent streams is a great way to attract their audience to check their live streams.
It also highlights some memorable moments to your existing audience on the platform, especially those who might have missed your streams. Think of it as a teaser of your game broadcasts!
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Post quick clips
Creators can also opt to upload quick channel or game updates in short video format. If you want to spice things up further, you may even hold various competitions.
Ask your followers to comment on your post, like or share, send a screenshot of their Twitch follow— anything you deem fit, really. It’s up to you to decide what way you want to maximize the exposure.
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Consider different content
Keep in mind that you are not limited to only one type of content, even if it’s the one that got you the most engagement on TikTok. At some point, there will come new trends on the platform— so you should keep an eye out on these emerging trends.
Your supporters and TikTok followers may also be interested in seeing other aspects of your life, especially if you just post pure gameplay clips. Consider sharing a short clip of a day in your life, as well!
Venture outside your comfort zone and share other content that’s not exactly gaming-related, as long as you’re comfortable sharing it to your audience. Ideally, you should experiment with different types of content to find what works for you.
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Be patient
Even if your TikTok profile doesn’t blow up in weeks or months, it’s not entirely a waste of time and effort. Remember, you’re building your creator identity in the long run. Just continue establishing your name out there!
TikTok’s algorithms are generally perceived to be randomized, but it’s still a good tool to try if you want to establish a career in the streaming industry.
Streamers who gained success on TikTok
Take it from Twitch streamer Sanka, who was able to use his TikTok account to his advantage— by encouraging his TikTok audience to check out and subscribe to his Twitch channel.
Nowadays, he uses TikTok as a secondary video platform to share his best gameplay clips and Twitch stream highlights. Doing so allows him to better connect with his audience.
Sanka explains as he spoke to StreamElements: “TikTok has integrated, simple editing that makes it easy to download a clip to my phone and post it to TikTok in a matter of minutes.”
In short, maintaining his TikTok account requires very minimal effort on his end.
Notably, TikTok can also be a great venue to gaming entrepreneurs.
Another Twitch streamer/content creator GutzyAiden also had successful unboxing of his own SE.Merch product line on TikTok.
“I basically stream every day on Twitch, and my claim to fame on TikTok was reviewing setups, so when StreamElements released a XXL mouse pad option I knew that could potentially go viral.” He believes this is “because right now everyone is stuck at home and trying to work on their setups, but can’t afford a lot of things because of the economy.”
GutzyAiden also encouraged his aspiring streamer peers to jump into the TikTok hype:
“Honestly, if you are a content creator and you aren’t on TikTok, you are failing since you’re missing a perfect opportunity to grow your brand.”
He says the key to success on the platform is to make oneself relatable, at the same time hilarious:
“You also need to be creative, so don’t just make a TikTok where you just blatantly shout out your Twitch channel because it’s not gonna work. You need to make funny relatable or informative videos because those are the types that people tend to share.”
A lot of content creators across different platforms have already jumped on the TikTok bandwagon— trying won’t hurt if you give it your best shot.
