Tips for Becoming a YouTube Gamer

The gaming industry is booming. For those who love playing video games, it’s often a dream to quit their day job and take up the activity professionally. Some make it happen. There are plenty of people who made it as pro gamers, playing in front of millions of people live and on television.

Pro gaming isn’t the only way to turn your love of gaming into a profession. Others turned their passion into a paycheck by creating and growing a YouTube channel. Think PewDiePie, Markiplier, and JackScepticEye. If you’re considering taking up YouTube gaming, here are a few tips to help you along the way.

Find a Niche

Much like starting any other type of business, one of your first steps is finding your niche. With such a competitive platform, having a plan is essential.

Decide what type of content you want to produce. Do you want to provide tips and tricks for completing a game with walkthroughs? Would you rather provide a bit of entertainment with a let’s play?  Or, maybe you’d like to provide your unbiased reviews of new releases to help other video game enthusiasts decide whether or not they want to buy them? Finding what you love to do will help to set you along your path.

Gather the Right Tools

Making videos requires the right tools. You’ll need a lot more than your favorite console and games if you’re looking to make it on YouTube. You will need a camera. You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars. You can get by with a camera that records in at least 1080p, such as a webcam or tripod-mounted device. Showing your face can help to convey your emotions to your audience and help them to feel more connected with you.

Other equipment you’ll need to create YouTube content includes:

• A microphone for clear sound, ensuring your audience can hear everything that you have to say.
• Good lighting, which can mean the difference between a video that looks amateur and one that looks professional.
• Screen capture software, so your audience can see what you’re doing as you play the game (after all, that’s one of the main reasons they’re going to be watching your videos).
• Video editing software, so you can create videos that your audience will enjoy watching.

Produce Regular Content

To stay relevant, you need to produce regular content. As previously mentioned, the world of YouTube gaming is a competitive one. The platform uses an algorithm that favors content creators that receive more watch time. In other words, you become more popular the more that people watch your videos. When you’re first getting started, producing and uploading engaging content once a week. As you gain popularity, consider uploading content at least two to three times a week.

Promote Your Channel

In addition to producing regular content, you’ll need to promote it. One of the best ways to do this in today’s digital age is to create social media pages for your channel. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter can help you to reach countless potential viewers and encourage them to check you out. Post regularly and let your followers know what’s up. Share when you’ve released a new video and provide a link. Engage with your followers by responding to comments, answering questions, and encouraging conversations.

Bring in a Friend

Bringing a friend or co-host can significantly benefit your channel. Look at Game Grumps’ Arin Hansen and Dan Avidan. They play off of one another, which allows them to put out highly engaging (and humorous) content. Some of the most successful channels have two or more people.

When you have someone to bounce ideas off of and talk to, you can create more engaging content. You also give your audience a greater opportunity to feel like they’re a part of your friend group, too.

Play What You’re Passionate About

It’s hard to be an engaging YouTuber if you don’t like what you’re doing. Play the types of games you love. Whether you love first-person shooters, story-driven games, or the latest indie releases, play your favorites. When you’re excited about what you’re doing, your audience will feel it, too. They’re also much more likely to enjoy your content when you’re having a good time.

Establish Your Voice

With so many gamers already on YouTube, there’s a good chance that you’ll be sharing a niche with several other people. You need to stand out and make your channel your own. While you can look up to well-established, popular content creators, you want to be unique. When you’re yourself and let your personality shine through, you’re much more likely to earn loyalty.

Making it as a YouTube gamer isn’t something that you can take lightly. It takes dedication and hard work. There are several well-established gamers already on the platform with devoted followings. Sticking to it, however, putting in the effort, and having fun with it can help you start to develop a fan base and grow.