 Today on The Journey, we're talking about the value of livestreaming on Twitch for your small business. When you hear Twitch, you're probably just thinking about gaming and the random RGB lights in the background, but it's quickly becoming the go-to place for livestreaming from multiple types of content to multiple types of viewers all over the world. Livestreaming in general has grown in popularity over recent years from Instagram live to Facebook live, Twitter live, just live everywhere and brands are finding new and innovative ways to get their business online and really engage with that rapidly growing user base. So live content should definitely be on your radar as a small business to dabble with these technologies will be invaluable for you. That being said, if you're totally new to the platform or just don't quite get it, this quick guide to livestreaming for Twitch for your small business will really break down everything that you need to know to get you started. All right, Naly. Why? Why livestreaming? Yeah, well, livestreaming has really grown in popularity over recent years and with more people working from home than ever before, it's likely that livestreaming will become an even more popular tool to really bring people together. And if you've never watched a livestream before, the idea of complete strangers watching you live might seem kind of weird, but there's really no denying that there are millions of concurrent viewers on these platforms at any time. And really taking advantage of this audience size for your business is just a no-brainer. In just a few clicks, just a few, you can share your stories online and it gives a glimpse into your world, which you can do from a desktop, a game console, and even your mobile device. So really, let's start off with what is Twitch? Well, livestreaming is already a built-in tool on many social sites like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube. Livestreaming on Twitch functions pretty similarly. Twitch has been around for nearly a decade now with an impressive 35 million unique visitors a month. Admittedly, the main focus of Twitch is gaming, all things gaming, but provides a platform to really meet and engage a person or a business. The landscape of this video content is changing, so there's a lot more than just video content. I myself go on Twitch from now and then just to build out websites and just talk to people while I go through my process and teach them along the way. You can really use it for almost anything. All right, Naly, let's talk about how livestreaming on Twitch can help your small business. Yeah, there are so many different things we can talk about, but in terms of marketing, the site's demographics skew on the younger side. So if that's your audience, this might be a great fit. The staggering 73% of the platform's users are 34 or under, with 41% being between 16 and 24. Now, for brands targeting millennials or the Gen Zers, this platform is an absolute goldmine. And according to Twitch themselves, majority of viewers engage with streamers on a daily basis. Twitch users can support channels by subscribing to a channel, and doing so has its perks. You can get things like ad-free viewing experiences or even subscriber-only emotes. I know a lot of the big up-and-comer or just big name and Twitch streamers have their own little faces as they emotes or all sorts of little funny, random, cute, cool stuff. And you can essentially do the same as a cool perk for being a subscriber that only they get access to. But beyond subscriptions, users can support streams through straight-up monetary donations through things like apps like PayPal where they can do a donation, which in turn shows up on their stream. However, as a streamer, there's a certain threshold that you have to reach to become an affiliate or Twitch partner. And this includes actually streaming on a regular basis. You can't go MIA. Also, the actual follower count that you have, and then the number of views matter as well. And now if you're thinking, cool, Twitch sounds like it might be the right path for me, but what do I actually stream about? Well, let's talk about some of the awesome content ideas that you can use to start generating content right now. The good news for brands is that Twitch marketing is still kind of new. Some advertisers and businesses have channels and even a presence on the platform, like Wendy's. Like you would have never thought that Wendy's would be on Twitch streaming, but they're actually gaming and doing a bunch of other random stuff. But thankfully it's not too late to get started experimenting with live streaming and seeing how it works for your brand. And like any other social strategy, you need to think about how you're going to add value to your users with your unique content. Let's check out a couple of ideas. Start by sharing something you're passionate about. Give some tips and tricks, some insider information. Another great way to approach this, behind the scenes content. Oh my goodness, fans love that. That was something that I think I spent the most time viewing when it comes to my favorite restaurants in San Diego is when they would share behind the scenes content to some of my favorite menu items. Also, storytelling. Bring your product or your services to life through good storytelling. And I think that does go nicely hand in hand with behind the scenes. But yeah, what can you say about your products or services that could really put the customer in the shoes of using it? And the way that I'm using Twitch for live streaming is by just doing different little how tos and many classes. So as noted earlier, there is an audience for just about anything on Twitch and it's fair gaming if you want to teach what you're passionate about. And one of the reasons why I utilize Twitch is because of the built-in functionality has with live streaming. So after the streaming gets done, it's going to create the video for me. There's nothing else I need to do. And then I can do easy quick 30 second clips of the best type of content that I did on that live stream and then use it for other channels. But how to videos and classes are a great ad here. Totally agree. Also consider interviews and roundtables. What a great way to bring a conversation to life. And it doesn't take a ton of production to do. Another content idea is charity streams and fundraising. They're both huge on Twitch, making it yet another place for brands to really put their money towards a good cause. One example is Cash App. They actually donate all of their subscriptions and bits to the gamer's outreach foundation. So if there's a cause that you're really passionate about with your business or your nonprofit, this might be a valuable option for you. But in all else, this is all about building your brand. Use the platform to share your brand's personality and its stories. And this is the way to make life long connections with your audience. So what do you need to do to get started on Twitch despite popular belief? It doesn't have to be that complicated. It also doesn't have to be a money pit. I mean, sure, some streamers are setups are like extravagant over the top, the lighting, the chairs, $10,000 gaming chairs, the best video equipment, the backdrops, all sorts of stuff. But coupled with tools like Streamlabs, a decent microphone, OBS, it can really get your channel to be looking creative and start getting donations in no time flat. And figure out your branding. Make sure it is cohesive, both on site and social. Your branding, your logo, your colors, you get the gist. Don't forget about Twitch social media promotion. And if you want people to follow you beyond just Twitch, make sure to put your social media in your about section or even on the Twitch overlays themselves. Twitch automatically prompts you for your social but also allows you to promote them via custom buttons that really reflect your brand identity. Now let's take a little bit of a turn and start talking about how you can actually grow your audience on Twitch. To start, you'll want to put an effort into growing and retaining your audience. Networking plays an important part of this. So use all of your social networks to drive viewers to your Twitch profile. And this is a two-way street. You will want to take the time to actually engage and invite your audience to the live stream. And initially, hey, it's going to take a lot of work but with time and effort, it'll help you to grow your audience. Now comparing Twitch to traditional social media is like apples to oranges. And while live streaming is popular across many of these different social media platforms, Twitch brings a unique gaming angle to the scene. And ultimately, live streaming will work best when you engage fully with your audience. Share unique content with them and connect with them on a personal level. That's a wrap. You just learned the value of live streaming on Twitch for your small business. Be sure to like and comment below. And hey, subscribe to this channel and ring that bell so you get these episodes first. This is The Journey, and we'll see you next time.