We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: you’ve got to start cross-posting your Twitch clips to TikTok and other social media (if you’re not doing it already). It can lead to more views, followers and possibly even sponsor deals! Here are some tips to get more content from your clips and more eyes on your streams and posts.
Structure your streams
Of course, it might be tempting to just start your stream and see what happens, but it can be more useful to plan your streams a little bit in advance. This isn't cheating, it's just setting yourself up for success. And we’re not recommending that you create a script or anything. In an ideal world, you’ll know roughly before you start streaming what the hook will be and how to keep your audience engaged, you’ll have an idea of the content and what value it will create for the viewer, whilst leaving room for inspiring funny, natural moments with your chatters.
Make every moment count
A good streaming session should automatically lead to some good, clippable moments. Think of yourself as a good talk show host or entertainer – think of games you want to play or topics you want to chat about in advance. Rather than just entirely leave it up to chance, keep the viewer in mind at all times. What could be entertaining to them? What type of situations might lead to entertaining moments? If you’re finding that in an hour or two of streaming, you can’t find any good clips – you’ll have to reflect on the content of your stream and start making some improvements.
Find out what makes you stand out and lean into it
One of the things GamerDad told us when asked what the best advice was that he’d ever gotten. Someone told him that he needed to lean into his ‘dad’-thing. He realized that he was different from other streamers in the sense that he was older than many other streamers and that actually made him unique and recognizable. Rather than trying to be like the other “kids”, he leaned into it by incorporating ‘dad’ advice into his streams.
Keep ‘em hooked from the beginning
TikTok is all about retention, so your TikTok needs to hook viewers to watch the video in its entirety, and better even: get people to rewatch. To make sure people linger on your video and don’t skip to the next one instantly, the opening frame needs to be intriguing and exciting enough to draw people in and establish a promise that will keep people watching until the very end. This promise could be, for example, a laugh at the end, learning something or the reveal of a secret.
A smart way of communicating your promise is by adding a simple line of text to your video. You can easily do this with StreamLadder Silver or Gold. Add something like:
- Wait for it…
- Perfect hack!
- Did you know… (insert fun fact here)
- New nightmare (/dream/goal/etc) unlocked
- Can’t believe this worked
How long should a TikTok be?
It’s a cliché at this point, but we’re serious: length doesn’t matter (at least not as much as people claim it does). Sure, you’re stuck to the minimum (3 seconds) and maximum length (90 seconds), but other than that, there are things to focus on that you should prioritize on before trying to hit the perfect TikTok length.
Your content should inform the length. Some types of videos are better short, and some videos are better if they’re a bit longer. As long as you have a great hook that keeps people watching until the end, the video can do incredibly well. Don’t cut out great stuff from your clip because you worry it might be too long. Play around with it, experiment and see how it performs. It might do better than expected.
When to post your TikTok? That's a whole other story.
How to edit and convert clips for TikTok
On the more practical side, you might wonder how you can actually turn your Twitch streams into content for TikTok quickly and easily – without having to download or learn any complicated video editing software. Luckily, that is where we shine.
Sometimes your users might already create clips for you during your stream. That’s great, because then you already have something you can turn into clips and post to social media. But your stream probably has even more good moments that you can turn into clips and post, so don’t just rely on your viewers to create clips – get your own hands dirty as well. Try to find 15 to 30 clips per stream to turn into clips. You can already add stream markers by hitting /marker into your chat during your stream for easy editing later.
Use StreamLadder to turn your horizontal clips into vertical content for social media. Add a line of text to communicate your hook and add stickers so people know what your name is and where they can find you. With StreamLadder Gold, you can start working on the next video when the first video is still rendering. Make sure to save a template for the quick and easy editing of multiple videos and to create a consistent look and feel throughout. After your videos have rendered, you can schedule your videos to TikTok with the Content Publisher – and plan them in advance to post throughout the week. Add a quick, funny line as a caption and add 3-5 hashtags in large and medium-size volume. Now post, and see what will happen.
For more advice, make sure to also check out our interview with GamerDad about staying relevant on Twitch and more.
Turn your Twitch clips into perfect TikTok content. Try StreamLadder for free.
