In the last year, during the pandemic, most industries were experiencing tough times. Many companies went out of business as people were confined in their homes. But even then, there was one industry that was flourishing continuously. It was indeed the gaming industry.
As people were in their homes, one of the only ways to keep their minds fresh and maintain their social connections was to play games. As a result, the gaming industry secured a considerable profit. The number of gaming streamers increased by many folds.
While there are many platforms for streaming games, one of the top options is YouTube. As a result, even when things started to get somewhat back to normal in the New Year, the gaming industry was booming and many people yearned to pursue a gaming industry career.
One way to do this was by creating a YouTube gaming channel. But not all of those who aspired to be an online gaming star really knew about how to start a YouTube gaming channel. If you are one such individual, then below you will find answers to all your queries.
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How do you start a YouTube gaming channel the right way?
Creating content around games on YouTube can be highly rewarding, not to mention a lot of fun!
The problem is, building an audience and growing your following can be downright challenging. Contrary to what some believe, it’s not as simple as hitting record on your next Minecraft building session or cleaning the floor with everyone in Fortnite.
The good news is, with the right strategy, you can become a YouTube gaming sensation. Let’s take a look at a few ways you can make it happen.
Approach YouTube like you approach search engines
YouTube is a search engine. In fact, it’s second in size (as a search engine) only to Google.
So, first and foremost you need to be sure to optimize the way you display and explain your posts for search. For example, let’s say you create a video called “Bob plays Minecraft episode 12”. No one will search for the words “Bob plays Minecraft episode 12”.
Instead, they might search for something like, “Minecraft tutorial – Finding tools and weapons”.
So, rather than use the Bob example, think about what your target audience would be typing into YouTube search for related videos. Work keywords into your title and your description, and be sure to add related tags.
Here’s a great example of a Minecraft Tutorial with well-optimized copy. (Hint: This video shows up first in search results)
One way to go about creating the right titles and descriptions to position your videos at the top of search is to think about the questions people might be asking online. For example, “How do I find weapons in Minecraft” or “What are the best Fortnite training videos”.
When the people you’re trying to target are looking for an answer to their gaming-related questions, they simply type their question into YouTube to discover a video that will address that offers an answer.
Highlight niche topics
While you should be posting basic tutorials and game play overview videos, you should also find ways to stand out from the crowd. Lots of aspiring YouTube gamers are covering those same things, so you need to come up with something different.
For example, cover a glitch that you found in a game or an Easter egg that you uncovered. Maybe you found something no one else has discovered, or you found something that’s challenging to find and others like you are itching for advice to find it.
Whenever the game you’re playing has some DLC that drops, get it immediately, review it, and let individuals know whether they should spend their cash on it. Perhaps you got it, and it turns out it was absolutely awful. You can cover that as well, since you’ll be adding value for people by letting them know to avoid it.
Look around to discover new ideas for gaming content
If you’re struggling to come up with video ideas for your channel, you need to find a way to get create and develop new, engaging content.
One way to generate new video ideas for your gaming channel is to simply look around at what others are covering. Then look at the top videos and create something better. Or, figure out what’s missing, where the gaps are and go ahead and create content that fills in those gaps
Look at what individuals are watching more regularly and what videos are performing better. You can use this info to come up with new concepts. For example, this solo gameplay video for Call of Duty Modern Warfare has 100,000 views. But, it does not have commentary. Perhaps, you could create something better that’s a bit more engaging by adding some energetic commentary.
Coming up with content is a huge step toward success. Once you start coming up with ideas, start developing the concepts more and planning out a calendar for when you plan to record them, publish them and even promote them.
This carries me to the next point we need to cover, and that is zeroing in your channel on only one game.
Get laser-focused on one game
One important thing you would want to consider for your channel is to turn yourself into an authority on the game you’re playing. Let’s say, for example, you really like to play Call of Duty and you’ve become quite good. Focusing your energy and your recordings on Call of Duty will help YouTube view you as the Call of Duty authority.
The more recordings you make on one game, the more data YouTube has available to zero in on to help it push your content to the top for relevant searches..
Consider these two things:
- Zero in on one game and make it the main focus of your channel.
- You should also have other content on your channel, so you can capture viewers and subscribers outside of your niche, but having a strong focus on one game can help you appear in the right searches as well as help you create a loyal audience.
- As you become known as an expert in one game, then you can move to adding another.
- Continue to publish content about your first game to ensure you maintain your expert status, but create new content as well to to bring in new viewers.
Watch out for your competitors
One thing that can give you insight into the market and help you create content that connects with the right viewers is to take a stab at breaking down your opposition. Knowing what your competition is doing can really help inform the best strategy for you to help your own channel grow.
Spy on the YouTube channels of your competitors and take notes on how others are covering the games that you’re covering. You can gain some great insights into how their work is performing and then take some of what you find back to your own channel to make improvements.
Ensure the quality of your videos
While you may be tempted to record one long session, cut it into 20 short clips and then publish a bunch of hastily-thrown-together content, but I urge you not to do that. Take your time. Create content that’s high-quality and adds value for your subscribers.
People will see through poor-quality content. It’s not about quantity. It’s always better to put out one amazing video than it is to put out 10 terrible, useless videos.
Each new video that you post will be another chance for another person to find you, so ensure each video is helpful and well done. This will keep people watching, which will boost your stats. Solid stats leads to more views and more eyes on your channel.
Conclusion
Creating a gaming channel is much the same as launching a traditional business or running a blog. It takes energy, consistency, strategy and vision.
In this guide, we took a deep look at the significance of building your channel with 6 key strategies. Now that you understand these 6 strategies, you’ll also need to look at a number of other things to ensure your success.
From research to essential hardware, marketing and branding to promotion, building your following to increasing viewing time, you’ll need to stay laser-focused to be successful.
One of the important things to know before you get started is the time, energy, and effort required to build a channel. Don’t take launching a YouTube gaming channel lightly. If you do, you will not win.
So, make sure you’re doing something you’re truly passionate about, ponder your brand and position your content – Then roll up your sleeves and start recording gaming videos. Best of luck and cheerful gaming!
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Related posts:
- How to Start a YouTube Gaming Channel - May 10, 2021
