Figure Out Your Thing.
Before you start streaming, give some thought to the kind of content you want to create. There are lots of types of gaming streams, and having a consistent approach will show viewers that you’re serious — even if your brand is comedy. Will you be an instructor? A role player? Whatever it is, commit to it and do it well.

Gear Up.
Invest in some decent equipment before you get started, and test it out before you go live. Having a stream that looks or sounds choppy will lose you followers, fast. A boom arm or standing microphone is an important investment, because headset microphones are notoriously low-quality.

Do Your Homework.
If you need help setting up your channel, check out Twitch’s Creator Camp. Not only will it walk you through the nuts and bolts of getting started, it offers articles and videos with advice on building your brand and retaining viewers.

Recruit an Audience.
Invite absolutely everyone you know to your stream. Even if they’re not active, having even a dozen or so people in your channel will bump your stream up to a much higher position in its category so it will attract more viewers.

Make a Schedule and Stick to It.
It’s incredibly important to be consistent and treat streaming like a job. Fans need to know when they can tune in to catch you, so post a schedule and keep it. Missing even one stream could lose you followers who may never return.

Interact with Your Viewers.
Keep a close watch on the chat and answer questions. Even if you find yourself answering the same question over and over, always respond. People will come and go, and won’t know that they’re asking the same question another person has asked.

Respect Your Lurkers.
Some viewers want to watch your stream unnoticed and will feel uncomfortable if you call them out. As your following grows, you might consider throwing in a general greeting — like, “what’s up, my lurkers?” — that doesn’t need a reply. They’ll appreciate feeling seen without being put on the spot.

Link, Link, !Bot.
The most important thing you can do to convert your viewers into students is to put your Metafy link on your profile and info panels. And make sure to set up a bot command (like !metafy, !coaching, !coach) with a brief summary and your Metafy link. Then put that command in your stream title every time you stream.

Offer a Discount.
When you add your Twitch account as a linked account in your user settings, you can set up a Metafy discount for your Twitch followers.
​Please note that there is a single discount rate across the board, regardless of tier.

Talk About Teaching on Stream.
Many viewers don’t look at the chat, so be sure to bring up your instructional activities verbally. For example, when people ask for gameplay tips and you help them out, close by telling them that you can give more individualized advice and guidance through your Metafy.

Set Goals for Yourself.
And talk about them during your stream. Highlighting your own objectives and the steps you are taking to reach them will make your stream more educational and valuable. More importantly, it will prompt viewers to think about their own goals, and it will motivate them to come back and see how you’re doing.

Talk Metafy in Your Wrap-up.
Letting viewers know when you’ll be streaming next is a basic courtesy, and adding some detail about your teaching schedule is an extension of that courtesy.