How To Choose The Best Social Media Channels If You’re In Gaming
Video gamers are often stereotyped as being antisocial, awkward loners who spend all of their time in dank basements in front of a screen. While it is possible (and very likely) to get sucked into a video game and not interact with another human being for hours at a time, gamers have always been more social than people think. Back in the era of arcades, people had to leave their homes and go into public places to play the best video games with other like-minded gamers. Even when home consoles all but replaced arcades, most video games were at their most fun when they could be played with other people. These days, the most popular video games allow you to play with anyone in the world with a wireless connection. When gamers weren’t playing games, they were talking about them with each other, either in person or on social media and message boards.
Yes, gamers have always been a sociable group, and that is truer than ever now that gaming has mostly moved online. Social media is huge with the gaming community, even though the interactions are often different than what you would normally see on Facebook. There are certainly plenty of Facebook groups aimed at gamers of all kinds, but gamers also make use of many other social media channels. Let’s take a look at some of those channels and why so many gamers have flocked to them.
Reddit is far from a place dedicated to video games, but it is still a great place for gamers to meet and have discussions about their favorite hobby. The beauty of Reddit is that it is made up of user-driven subreddits that can cover any topic imaginable, including video games. There are subreddits dedicated to gaming in general, subreddits dedicated to specific games, and even subreddits dedicated to lesser-known games and ways to play. Basically, no matter what kinds of games you like to play, you are bound to find a subreddit dedicated to them.
Discord
Discord is a relatively new app that allows users to create servers that allow text and voice chat. Users can create as many chat channels as they wish, and they can be connected to multiple servers at once. It’s not like other social networks in the traditional sense, but it does allow gamers to connect with each other, and it has become large enough to be home to a dedicated community of gamers. Larger Discord servers might even include bots that allow features such as reputation systems, music and video embedding, and virtual currencies that can be traded among members.
Twitch
Twitch may be one of the most important social media channels available when it comes to gaming. The streaming service currently has over 15 million active viewers who use the site daily, and many gamers have been able to make a living streaming on Twitch. It is fun to go to Twitch and watch gamers work their way through various video games, and the service itself has created something of a gold rush mentality. After all, it seems so simple for gamers to set up a Twitch account and stream themselves engaging in their favorite hobby. When you add the fact that there are gamers making thousands of dollars a month with Twitch, it seems like a fun and easy way to make a lot of money.
Unfortunately, streaming on Twitch won’t make you an instant celebrity, even if it is fun to share your gaming experiences with your fellow gamers. You need to put in a lot of work if you want to make any amount of money on Twitch. First of all, you will need to promote your streams across various social channels. Twitter is actually great for this, mostly because you can post links to your latest streams and provide updates without having to worry too much about the maintenance that Instagram and Pinterest profiles often require. Next, you need to develop your brand. This means coming up with a good logo, a Twitch cover photo, and a name that stands out from the rest of the gamer crowd. You will also need to add social media buttons so that your content can be shared on different social media platforms. Finally, remember that you should try to be entertaining and funny. It may be fun to watch people play a video game well (or really badly, to be honest), but people will want to see something that keeps them entertained. A fun personality will do a lot more for you than any skill with a controller.
Whether you want to make money as a celebrity gamer or you just want to have fun and meet other gamers, Twitch is definitely a great place to be. It may not be as user-friendly to newcomers as Reddit or even social media sites like Facebook, but it’s ideal if you want to see gamers actually be gamers or if you want to show your gaming skills yourself.
Although some old-school gamers might disagree, social media and the Internet have made gaming more social than it has ever been before. No matter what kind of gamer you are, you are bound to be able to connect with someone who feels the same way that you do about video games, and you might even be able to make some extra money if you gain enough of a following on Twitch.
If you’re new to the gaming community and you just want to get your feet wet, you can start out by going to Reddit or even joining some Facebook groups for gamers in your area. As we said before, it isn’t ideal for modern gaming, but they are great places to start. If you want to interact with more hardcore gamers or you wish to monetize your gaming hobby, Twitch and Discord are definitely the way to go.
Most importantly, have fun. Video games are supposed to be a relaxing and fun hobby, and they’re at their best when you can share and discuss them with others. Take a look at the social media platforms and channels that appeal to you the most as a gamer, and enjoy meeting new gamers.
Heather Hart
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