Chat is More than That
The best thing about live streaming is the interaction between the streamer and their viewer.
Ever watch your favorite TV show from the comfort of your own couch? Maybe a game show or a talk show which involves a host of the program? If you do, you’ll probably see the host interacting with you by welcoming you to the show, introducing their guest(s) and outlining what to expect from the show for the day.
But while they are addressing you on TV, you can’t reply back to them, can you?
This is why I love live streaming. Not only am I putting on a show for everyone, I’m also interacting with my viewers in real-time. That makes me, the host of my own show, someone my viewers can chat with and have a good time together.
As a streamer, your chat is integral to your growth and it is through your chat that you can build your own community when you’re starting out. Obviously there’s so much more to building your community than simply having your viewers tune in to your streams (more on that in a future blog post), but as a start, this is the easiest way to build your audience and community.
See a new viewer in chat? Welcome them in! A returning viewer coming in to watch you again? Greet them and ask how they’ve been since the last stream they were in! A troll coming in to mess with your vibe? Well, I guess that’s another future topic to touch on.
Either way, the more you interact with your viewers in chat, the more likely they will come back to check you out in future streams. Keep greeting and interacting with your viewers and watch your community grow!