A handful of years ago, Google announced the launch of a new video channel on YouTube, the Gaming Channel Network. This new video-game-focused enterprise is aimed at those of us who have a passion for playing and sharing our experiences. This new platform has given a voice to gamers around the world, and even you can become a contributor to this growing channel. Today we will break down the tips and tricks of the trade to show you how to start a gaming channel all of your own.
What Is a Gaming Channel?
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A gaming channel is a YouTube account geared towards gamers. This can come in many flavors and forms, but the core topic for a gaming channel should be sharing your experience of playing video games. Knowing how to start a gaming channel starts with identifying what makes you excited about the games you enjoy playing and sharing that excitement with viewers.
Why Start a Gaming Channel?
If you feel you have something to say about video games, then that's the first reason to start a gaming channel. Foremost, you should have something to share with your fellow gamers, and that can be anything from commentary to criticism, as long as you have something new to share with the gaming community. Knowing the technical parts of how to start a gaming channel is only a start because you need something personal to bring to the table.
If you go into the process with a strong feeling of purpose and voice, then you're more than halfway to knowing how to start a gaming channel. At the heart of the process is your passion for gaming, no matter the platform or game type. As long as you have something personal to say, there will be an audience that wants to hear it. There are other reasons to learn how to start a gaming channel, like making money or gaining a large audience of followers, but none of that will happen if you don't have something original to share.
How to Start a Gaming Channel: Five Tips & Tricks
We're going to break down the five most important tips and tricks you should know if you're learning how to start a gaming channel. They may seem obvious at first glance, but there's a lot of competition out there for viewers, so knowing the nuances can be the difference that makes or breaks your channel's success. These are our five tips to consider when learning how to start a gaming channel all of your own.
To play your favorite games, you'll need a way to play them—that much should be obvious. You'll need more than that to produce quality videos for your gaming channel. Getting your experience from the PS4, Xbox One, or computer and onto your channel will require a few more pieces of hardware.
Game Video & Audio Capturing
Microphones & Headsets
Media Editing Software
Tip 2
Know Your Voice
We're not going to lie; there's some stiff competition on YouTube, especially in the gaming industry. It's one of the universal entertainment modes, and it seems to touch every corner of the globe. An important part of success on YouTube is finding your voice and having something specific to say. The most successful channels online are helmed by strong personalities. The people keep coming back to these videos because they know what to expect from that channel. Forming your unique voice is paramount if you're trying to compete for more views.
The first step in finding that voice is deciding what it is you want to share with the world. There are several angles you can approach your videos from. The following examples can help guide you into your specific niche.
Game Commentary
Game Critiques and Reviews
Gaming News
Tip 3
Finding Your Audience
So, now that you've got a gaming channel with quality content, you may be wondering what to do next. You need people to watch and share your videos, so how do you accomplish that beyond producing content worth sharing? YouTube thrives on social media sharing, and your first line of fire is your Friends list. Social media has been heavily commercialized over the last decade, and while that's frustrating for the casual user, it's ideal for someone looking to promote their online content.
Promotion Through Social Media
Viewer Interaction and Participation
Collaboration
Tip 4
Be Consistent
The number-one failure point for most YouTube channels, gaming or otherwise, is inconsistent uploading. This doesn't mean you have to upload things every day, or even every week, just as long as you are consistent with when you make the videos available. The life and death of a gaming channel can be tracked with the active subscribers to the channel. More active subscribers mean more views, and the only way to keep them coming back is by the promise of more content.
Keep to a Schedule
Make Quality a Priority
Consistency Leads to Subscriptions
Tip 5
Have Tons of Fun
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This might be the simplest tip to absorb when learning how to start a gaming channel, but don't let that fool you; it's the most important part of maintaining an audience. All the technical aspects, combined with social networking and advertising tricks, mean absolutely nothing if you aren't having fun. That's not just for your own enjoyment (though that's important), it's also a key factor in a gaming channel's success.
People want to have fun when they watch your channel, and that's impossible for them to do if there's no sense of joy coming from your persona. Even when you're tearing down a game you hated in a scathing critique, you should still enjoy sharing that opinion. The easiest way to entertain your viewers is to entertain yourself in the process. That goes above and beyond just playing the game, and your audience will read it in your video if you show true passion and enjoyment in the whole process.
Now You Know How to Start a Gaming Channel
These tips are your secret weapon when starting your new network of videos, but they're just a starting point when learning how to start a gaming channel. As we said many times, you can master the technicals of launching a gaming channel, but the most important thing to remember is that you have a unique voice, and sharing that voice is the true key to success. The most successful YouTube channels are created by people that have a passion for their subject, and there are fewer segments of the population more passionate than the gaming community.
Harness that love of gaming for yourself, and once you've mastered how to start a gaming channel and express yourself through it, there's no limit to the level of success you can enjoy.
Featured Image: Image by ChristianaT from Pixabay
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