People who attempt to build an online internet personality sometimes don’t realize that by adding some planning and strategy one could build a far more powerful brand and channel. By building tools for streamers I have had the opportunity to watch many different streams and personalities. Like a coach who watches his or her team on the sideline, it’s sometimes hard to not dream about what it is like to be on the field. As I kept watching some of my favorite streamers use our Blerp Twitch apps I could not help but ponder on how I would personally tackle building a Twitch channel. I wanted to share with you a couple questions I personally would ask someone who was determined to find success in growing a brand through live streaming.

1. Are you trying to portray yourself or play a character?

If you are trying to use your own personality as the main character of your stream then it is more important to be authentic. If you are playing a character you should find and write down the qualities you want to emphasize. There are many different personalities that attract different people. A lot of people use humor to provide entertainment for their audience. Some people give great advice or use their high moral character as their main selling value point. Some people can even have a bland personality and just use the lessons and knowledge in the content to sell itself. If you aren’t a natural actor then figuring out how you can guide your principles and beliefs into becoming the person you want to be on and off stream may be the easiest path for you to be authentic on stream.

2. How do you want people to perceive you?

Once you have the qualities of the character you want to portray then you have to dedicate yourself to maintain that perception. Branding is not just how you want to be perceived but more about how viewers actually perceives you. It’s powerful to understand that you have choices in the habits and personalities you decide to show through your content. From what I have seen there aren’t single personalities that excel over others. It is more important that you stay dedicated to the character when performing on stream. It can be detrimental if you constantly change your persona because you feel scared of showing moral flaws. For example you can be a funny jerk and still build a dedicated audience as long as the right people are watching. It is hard to be a humorous jerk two days of the week and convince people you are a nice quiet person the other days of the week. It is that hidden consistent communication that happens between you and your audience that creates the feelings that mold your brand.

3. What is the reason why people watch your content?

Whenever I consume any content there is always a reason why I watch it. I will watch health channels because I want to discover new ways to improve my life. I watch a movie because I want to be entertained. I watch finance channels because I want to be more educated about the market. I listen to psychology podcasts because I want to learn why people think a certain way. You will have a higher chance of getting people to watch your content if you are sharing content surrounding a niche that you are an expert in. If the reason people watch your content is simply because it’s a new source of entertainment then you will need to add some uniqueness into your content to make it stand out.

4. Why am I streaming? Do I enjoy it?

An overlooked question that people forget to ask while executing a plan is asking whether or not they are actually enjoying the pursuit. Some people enjoy the idea of chasing a plan more than the actual journey of executing it. As you develop your plan for success you will need to define what success means to you. Are you streaming as a mental outlet or are you streaming because you want to one day be famous? Are you streaming because you want to learn and grow your skills or do you want to learn to be a better entertainer? Success is determined differently by different people. If you don’t have a purpose to back your decisions, It can be easy to end up in an environment that you don’t fully enjoy.