Ummer Naviwala Aka Omareloff Share His Best Two Tips for Aspiring Streamers
Gaming and streaming is continuously becoming a credible way to make money, build a following, and love what you do. Many outside the streaming industry are aghast to learn just what streamers can make: one Twitch player cited making $20,000 a month as a ‘base salary
Gaming and streaming is continuously becoming a credible way to make money, build a following, and love what you do. Many outside the streaming industry are aghast to learn just what streamers can make: one Twitch player cited making $20,000 a month as a ‘base salary.’ The fact that anyone can start at any age with no prior ‘credentials’ and make more money per month than most college graduates in their first year in a corporate job is worth considering.
I sat down to talk with Ummer Naviwala aka "Omareloff", who now has over 220,000 followers on Facebook's streaming platform, to discuss his best tips for aspiring streamers. It can seem as though you’re standing at the base of a mountain, peering upwards, when you first begin. He shared his top two tips that he has learned over the years of his own streaming career, so that you can ascend even faster.
- Start on Facebook instead of Twitch.
“We all hear about Twitch constantly, which is actually where I started my streaming career. While it’s still the largest streaming platform out there, I switched to Facebook gaming two years ago, which was the best decision I made in my streaming career,” Naviwala reflected.
As for why, he continuously found that it was challenging to grow an audience on Twitch. “Many who tune in to watch on Twitch migrate to the bigger streamers, which means that beginner streamers need to rely on them for growth, in the form of shoutouts, raids, or hosting the beginner’s page while they’re offline… all of which have a very slim chance of happening unless you know the streamer personally,” he explained. This proves how central relationships are to growth - and Twitch doesn't foster the same community.
Alternatively, on Facebook, Naviwala says it’s a natural progression to grow. “Your friends and family are on there and can support you and share your stream. Ask them to share your page. And, I’ve found that Facebook has an algorithm that is constantly trying to connect similar people together. This makes it easier to build a community that will support you - which is also challenging to do on Twitch since people can play or view anonymously,” said Naviwala.
- Be consistent with good content.
Naviwala was adamant that consistency is key. Many wait to start streaming because they’re worried that their content isn’t good yet, but the only way to hone your content is to be consistent. “I’ve found that as long as you put up a stream routinely, your numbers will grow. Do your best to make that content as good as it can be now, with the emphasis on continually trying to improve to put out even better content,” he advised.
When asked how ‘consistent’ new streamers should be, he noted, “I view ‘consistency’ as committing and then following through. This can be even once or twice a week. It doesn’t have to be daily if you don’t have the time to do it daily at first. But, this consistency will help you build your audience faster, because people will expect you to be online at your weekly times, and therefore you’ll have more viewers.”
Beyond the amount of times you stream a week, consistency also refers to consistency within your content. “Sure, you’re always trying to make your content better, so it will change gradually. But, there are a few things you can keep consistent so viewers know what to expect when tuning in to view your stream. These are subtle differences such as, is your camera on every stream? Or, are you playing background music? I’ve found that the streamers that succeed are the ones who create an experience that never changes for the viewer,” he said.
Finally, he encourages to black out the number of viewers so that you can’t see while you’re streaming. Inevitably, that number will grow if you’re consistently making good content, but he says that he knows it can also affect you during the stream.
“If the number spikes up to a height it’s never been at before, you may get nervous or flustered, or overly excited. Or, if the number is hovering at a lower number, you may feel discouraged. Both affect your ability to deliver good content, so black out the number and focus on creating. Check the numbers afterwards.”
Most importantly, Naviwala stressed to just get started! You’ll learn through doing, build your audience, and see how much you enjoy it. The first step is to always begin.