AyinMaiden Productions | Streamer Blog

Streamer Blog

2018

My Journey

20 Feb 2018

Hi everyone!

I'd like to share my journey that got me to where I am today. I am by no means an established streamer but I always try to keep an open mind and think of ways to improve. This is my story.

2011

I started making vids of Blade & Soul (KR). I wanted to learn how to video edit so I could teach my students how to do it. I also wanted to help my guildies get things done in SWTOR. Since I had no time to stream because of work, I made YT how-to vids regularly. I now have 2k+ vids & 36k+ subs.

2012

I started writing guides on IGN and fanmade wikis of the games that I played and included my videos in the wikis The videos and guides helped me build a community base. I applied to become a YT partner soon after. I am now with Curse Network.

2015/2016

I became a Trion Creator & ArenaNet partner. These are content creator programs by game developers. They provided me with perks such as in-game item codes, early access to new patches & weekly hosting on Twitch. This helped so much with expanding my community base as I held regular giveaways and was able to provide insight to upcoming patches of the games.

2017

I decided to stream on Twitch with a proper schedule. I learned to get more involved in the streaming community. This was when I joined multiple streaming communities as well as the local streaming community. By this time, I've already applied for partnership twice and was rejected both times. But it's ok! I still have lots more to learn!

2018

Amazon Prime marketing group engaged me to promote Amazon and Twitch Prime regionally. They said they found me through one of the influencer websites that I joined. After a month, I applied for Twitch partnership & got it. Yay!

This is where I stand now and I am still learning ways to expand and improve my streams. Always, always learning! I apologize if this is too long but these are the milestones that I'm quite proud of. It is not without hard work, rejection and failures before I got what I wanted.

TLDR: Partnership did not come overnight. I had to do a lot of things to get here. I hope sharing my experiences will give u ideas on what u can do!

Building a Community

21 Feb 2018

Just sharing some things that has worked for me when it comes to building a community & getting noticed.

1. Decide on an identity/atmosphere for your community.

What do u want to focus on? What do u want your community to be known for? Positivity? Discipline? Good Fun?

I am a teacher and so for me, learning is important. Feeling safe while learning is important. Positivity is important.

I want people in my community to feel safe. Don't worry about people judging when trying out new things. I always tell them it's ok to be a noob because I'm a noob myself. When I stream, I don't mind showing that I don't know something and I'm not afraid to ask questions. The point is to learn together and share what we've learnt with others. Whatever you decide on, make this clear in your community. Have reliable mods who can enforce and maintain this atmosphere as well. This determines the kind of people your community will attract.

2. Build a community from the game that you play the most.

If you play Final Fantasy 14, join a guild. Play with them. Stream the activities that you do with them. Invite them to watch your stream. It's easier to build a community of people with common interests .

3. Have a YouTube channel for highlights/clips.

If something awesome or hilarious happened during your stream, highlight it. Then, export to your YouTube channel. Think of it as a portfolio or a showcase. This is one way to attract viewers to your community. Plus you never know what will go viral!

4. Check for Content Creator programs.

More games devs/publishers are starting these programs. Check if the game you play has one and apply for it. You can get game perks that will draw viewers. Some even host you on their Twitch channel to help promote your content!

5. Join influencer websites.

This was how I got found locally to help market Amazon & Twitch Prime for my region. Some known ones are GameSight, TapInfluence etc. Google is your friend! Check if there is one in your region as well!

6. Network. Network. Network.

- Watch other streamers.

Chat in other streams. Make friends. Sometimes they follow you back to your channel when they see that you stream too. Also, this can help you decide what kind of streamer you want (or don't want) to be.

- Raid/Host other streamers.

This helps to put your name out there. Once you raid/host, chat a little bit. They usually ask how your stream went & what game u played. It's a good chance to introduce yourself without being rude and advertising your content.

- Find out if there is a local streaming community.

Get to know them! Some areas have super supportive groups and are proud of where they are from. When you succeed, they succeed so they will help you!

- Join streaming communities.

This can be on Discord or in forums. Learn positive things from other streamers. Sometimes, there are game devs or even Twitch staff in these communities. Get to know them too! Supportive communities like this one helps you with getting yourself out there.

Don't get discouraged. These things takes time and effort. If you love what you do, it will show in your face, in your voice, in your streams and people will get drawn to u! Be genuine. Be gracious. Be positive. You can do it!

Low Viewership

22 Feb 2018

My Streamer Checklist

Low Viewership?

I know that sometimes we get discouraged from low viewership. Almost all streamers go through this. Unless you're already known elsewhere, I cannot emphasize enough on how much work you have to put into this to get anything out of it.

Sometimes you put in 300% and get 0-10% back. This is how it is when you're starting out. Nobody knows who you are. Yet. But if you keep putting in effort, have initiative & patience, the proportion will eventually invert. Then u will only need to put in 10% to get 300%!

The work does not stop when you turn off your stream, it keeps going. Make clips, make highlights, export to youtube, post on twitter or facebook, show them to friends, talk to people, make new friends, figure out a plan of action, google for platforms to publicize yourself, read up suggestions & ideas. There's LOTS to do!

If streaming is truly what you enjoy doing, keep going. I know we are small but I think I can safely say this; Know that you are in an awesome community that WILL support you. We are here for one another. Fear not this night!

Content Creator Programs

23 Feb 2018

Content Creator Programs

If you're looking for ways to get noticed, one option is to join a Content Creator program. Check if the games that you play have one. They usually have some nice perks like giveaways & early access or news that you can share with your viewers. Here are some games that have these programs:

1. ArenaNet (Guild Wars 2)

https://welcome.guildwars2.com/en/partner-program
I am also an ArenaNet partner. Guild Wars 2 is a free to play game. You can try it out here:

http://guildwars2.go2cloud.org/SH3W
or get the expansions here:

http://guildwars2.go2cloud.org/SH5A

2. Trion (ArcheAge, Rift, Trove, Atlas Reactor)

http://www.trionworlds.com/en/creators/

3. Kakao Games (Black Desert Online)

https://www.blackdesertonline.com/partners

4. Bluehole Studio Inc (PUBG)

https://www.playbattlegrounds.com/partners.pu

Currently closed but keep an eye on it, in case they re-open it!

5. CapCom (Lineage 2: Revolution)

https://community.netmarble.com/lin2ws/lin2ws/announcement/5360-apply-for-our-content-creator-program-today

6. Phoenix Labs (Dauntless)

https://playdauntless.com/partner-program

7. Nexon (Riders of Icarus)

http://forums.icarus.nexon.net/discussion/22760/riders-of-icarus-content-creator-program

8. Digital Extremes (Warframe)

https://www.warframe.com/community/partnercriteria

9. Intrepid Studios (Ashes of Creation)

https://ashesofcreation.com/r/Q7IWUUYA5D6GR4TT

The game is not out yet but you can still apply to become a content creator.

Dealing with Trolls & Deconstructive Criticisms

24 Feb 2018

Dealing with Trolls & Deconstructive Criticisms

Constructive criticism is always good because it's something that you can work on to improve yourself. But when it's like this...

Just makes it difficult to keep doing what we do. I know I'm not alone in this so I'd love to share some of the things that I tell myself to cope with trolls & deconstructive criticisms.

1. Don't respond.
They want attention. Don't give it. Or they'll keep coming back for it.

2. Don't take it personally.

Most of the time it's not you, it's them and their insecurities. They're just taking it out on you.

3. Develop a thick skin.

Being sensitive to these comments will just ruin my day everytime and whoever sent the messages wins. Can't let that happen.

4. Prioritize!

Sometimes deconstructive criticisms come from ppl we know or consider as friends. I try to figure out if they are trying to help me but can't put it in words properly or they're just being mean, selfish or jealous.

I ask myself, is this person high on my priority list (eg. family)? Does this person usually have my best interest at heart? Should I care about what this person thinks?

If most of the answer is yes, I would ask why the person said that. If they care about you, they would explain and probably apologize for hurting you.

If most of the answer is no, then lol bye! Don't need that drama in my life!

5. You can't please everyone.

There will always be some ppl who are not going to like what we do. We're not perfect. It's ok! It's on them to move along to something else. You just do what makes you happy!

I know it's easier said than done. I've been trying to make it a habit to not over-complicate things. Maybe it's because I'm getting older and kinda don't want to waste time on negative things. So now, I just try to think positive, focus on things that matter to me the most & surround myself with love & positivity. Hope this helps!

Applying for Partnership

26 Feb 2018

My Streamer Checklist

Applying for Partnership?

I applied for partnership 3x. Rejected 2x. On the 3rd application, I changed my perspective and thought of applying for partnership as applying for a job. I asked myself the following questions. I've included some suggestions of what you can say too.

What benefits do I bring to Twitch?

Twitch is still a business and they want to know what you have to offer. They also most likely only have a few minutes to go through your application & decide whether they should invest in you. If you got numbers, show them. List your merits & achievements that you think will make them take a better look at your application. Eg.

I pull an average monthly viewership of 75.
I've gained 3k followers in the last 3 months. My Twitch teams routinely raid/host me & contributes to my growth.
I have been networking with a lot of gaming developers, communities & merchants, such as ArenaNet, Twitch Kittens & Humble Bundle.
I'm an ArenaNet partner. They provide gaming goodies such as in-game codes & growth opportunities by hosting my streams weekly & promoting tweets.
I have 35k+ subs on YouTube & I'm bringing them all over to Twitch!
I continuously promote Twitch Prime to gamers on my stream.

How am I different from other streamers?

State your focus. Say what you and your community are promoting. Eg.

I actively interact with my community on stream. We share gaming experiences & even life stories.
I promote positivity in my community & it's just been amazing how supportive the community has been. (include a screenshot if u have one)
Since we are animal lovers, we also support the local shelter (shelter name) by raising monthly donations.

What have I done and plan to do on Twitch?

Show that you are not going to be complacent and stagnate once you get partnership. Show that you have direction and big plans for the future! Eg.

I've been making game guides & let's play vids on YouTube since 2012, so I already have a strong & positive community base on Discord.
Currently, I stream games like GW2, Overwatch & BDO. I also explore new & upcoming games.
I promote charity events in games whenever I can such as Extralife.
In 2017, I started streaming on a schedule. I plan to continue doing all of the above and more, to stream full time this year!

You only have 2000 characters to sell yourself. Be concise. If you're going to apply soon, I hope I've given you some ideas of what you can say in your application. This isn't a competition to me so I'm sharing everything I know with you guys! Best of luck!

Streamer Safety & Security

18 Aug 2018

Streamer Safety & Security

You don't have to be a big streamer to fall victim to online harrassment, identity theft, doxxing or stalking. Please make sure you do the following to keep yourself safe!

1. Do not use your full name, birthdate, address or any identifying information on social media.

Instead, use a brand name and a different birthdate.

Having your full name and birthdate is more than enough for someone to find out other personal details about you.

2. Create a new email that reflects your brand name.

Use your brand name in the name field, too.

3. If you wish to receive snail mail, use a P.O. Box.

You might want to consider using one in the next town.

4. Refrain from tagging your location on social media.

Be careful about what you post on social media i.e. pictures that show your location, vacation destination details.

5. Upgrade your Paypal account.

You can upgrade your personal Paypal account to a business PayPal account. It is FREE! This will hide your real name and show your brand name on digital receipts instead.

6. Do not direct share images from your phone.

Images taken on smartphones may contain EXIF data that reveal the exact date, time & location of the photo, as well as other details. Social network sites such as Facebook, Twitter or Instagram delete metadata from a photo the moment of uploading. However, please be wary of #4.

7. Watch what you say on stream

When you are livestreaming, be aware of what you might say that give clues as to your location or personal information. People can put bits of information together to find out details about you.

I hope this helps. Have fun & stay safe always!

My Streamer Checklist

1 Sep 2018

Just sharing some things that I keep in mind and try to keep on top of regularly. A little effort to make sure I'm doing all I can to put myself out there. Check these every couple of weeks.

Are my Twitch/Twitter banners & pics updated?
Are my Twitch panels updated? (About Me, schedule etc)
Do I have a pinned tweet that I want visitors to focus on?
Does my Twitter profile promote what I do?
Did I host/raid another streamer after my last stream?
Did I publish stream clips on my youtube channel?
Have I visited 3 new streamers this week?
Have I visited 3 streamers I already know?

My Streamer Checklist

Talking to Myself

4 Sep 2018

Talking to Myself

This is very important. A lot of times, viewers come in our channel and lurk for a bit. They do this to get a sense of who you are, how you are and/or to look at what you're doing. You will have a short period of time to help them decide if they want to stay, watch, follow, say something in chat or just leave.

1. Don't ever have nothing going on.

A lot of times, people who view streams and lurk are most likely multi-tasking. They are doing some work on the other screen or they might be doing housework and have you on TV. Either way, make sure there's some noise.

- If you're doing mindless grinding, make sure you talk so that they have something to listen to.

- If you're not talking, make sure you're at a suspenseful or interesting part of the game so that there is something to look at.

2. Think out loud!

Talk about:

something you have to do that day.
something funny or interesting that happened to you.
interesting news that you saw earlier.

Keep in mind: The type of conversation you have with yourself will attract the same kind of audience i.e. if you talk about politics a lot, you will attract people who like to talk and discuss politics. Also, remember to keep the ToS in mind!

Share your train of thought. Talk about what's happening in your game.

Read/narrate the text
Interpret the situation out loud
What do you think is going on?
What are you planning to do next?

3. Fishing for responses

Ask leading questions:

There's a new simulator game out. I'm thinking of trying that out. What do you guys think?
(If you're drinking coffee) I love this mocha frappe from Starbucks. You guys like those?

If they respond with something, build conversation on that.

4. Song requests

Songs help to fill up dead space. It's ok if noone requests as long as you have your own playlist loaded in. You can:

sing along
talk about the singer/band/music genre
talk about the meaning/origins of the song

5. Practice.

The more you do it, the easier it gets, the less awkward you feel. One good way to practice is to just talk to yourself while you drive, cook or do housework. Think of it as being a talk show DJ. Animate your voice. If you use a cam, make facial expressions and reactions.

6. Have fun!

The most important part is to enjoy yourself! If viewers see that you're having fun, they will most likely want to stick around and get some of that fun too!

Streamer Blog

Hi everyone!

I'd like to share my journey that got me to where I am today. I am by no means an established streamer but I always try to keep an open mind and think of ways to improve. This is my story.

2011

I started making vids of Blade & Soul (KR). I wanted to learn how to video edit so I could teach my students how to do it. I also wanted to help my guildies get things done in SWTOR. Since I had no time to stream because of work, I made YT how-to vids regularly. I now have 2k+ vids & 36k+ subs.

2012

I started writing guides on IGN and fanmade wikis of the games that I played and included my videos in the wikis The videos and guides helped me build a community base. I applied to become a YT partner soon after. I am now with Curse Network.

2015/2016

2017

​

2018

Amazon Prime marketing group engaged me to promote Amazon and Twitch Prime regionally. They said they found me through one of the influencer websites that I joined. After a month, I applied for Twitch partnership & got it. Yay!

This is where I stand now and I am still learning ways to expand and improve my streams. Always, always learning! I apologize if this is too long but these are the milestones that I'm quite proud of. It is not without hard work, rejection and failures before I got what I wanted.

​

TLDR: Partnership did not come overnight. I had to do a lot of things to get here. I hope sharing my experiences will give u ideas on what u can do!

Just sharing some things that has worked for me when it comes to building a community & getting noticed.

​

1. Decide on an identity/atmosphere for your community.

What do u want to focus on? What do u want your community to be known for? Positivity? Discipline? Good Fun?

I am a teacher and so for me, learning is important. Feeling safe while learning is important. Positivity is important.

​

2. Build a community from the game that you play the most.

If you play Final Fantasy 14, join a guild. Play with them. Stream the activities that you do with them. Invite them to watch your stream. It's easier to build a community of people with common interests .

​

3. Have a YouTube channel for highlights/clips.

If something awesome or hilarious happened during your stream, highlight it. Then, export to your YouTube channel. Think of it as a portfolio or a showcase. This is one way to attract viewers to your community. Plus you never know what will go viral!

4. Check for Content Creator programs.

More games devs/publishers are starting these programs. Check if the game you play has one and apply for it. You can get game perks that will draw viewers. Some even host you on their Twitch channel to help promote your content!

​

5. Join influencer websites.

This was how I got found locally to help market Amazon & Twitch Prime for my region. Some known ones are GameSight, TapInfluence etc. Google is your friend! Check if there is one in your region as well!

6. Network. Network. Network.

- Watch other streamers.

Chat in other streams. Make friends. Sometimes they follow you back to your channel when they see that you stream too. Also, this can help you decide what kind of streamer you want (or don't want) to be.

- Raid/Host other streamers.

This helps to put your name out there. Once you raid/host, chat a little bit. They usually ask how your stream went & what game u played. It's a good chance to introduce yourself without being rude and advertising your content.

​

- Find out if there is a local streaming community.

Get to know them! Some areas have super supportive groups and are proud of where they are from. When you succeed, they succeed so they will help you!

​

- Join streaming communities.

This can be on Discord or in forums. Learn positive things from other streamers. Sometimes, there are game devs or even Twitch staff in these communities. Get to know them too! Supportive communities like this one helps you with getting yourself out there.

Don't get discouraged. These things takes time and effort. If you love what you do, it will show in your face, in your voice, in your streams and people will get drawn to u! Be genuine. Be gracious. Be positive. You can do it!

​

I know that sometimes we get discouraged from low viewership. Almost all streamers go through this. Unless you're already known elsewhere, I cannot emphasize enough on how much work you have to put into this to get anything out of it.

Sometimes you put in 300% and get 0-10% back. This is how it is when you're starting out. Nobody knows who you are. Yet. But if you keep putting in effort, have initiative & patience, the proportion will eventually invert. Then u will only need to put in 10% to get 300%!

If streaming is truly what you enjoy doing, keep going. I know we are small but I think I can safely say this; Know that you are in an awesome community that WILL support you. We are here for one another. Fear not this night!

​

If you're looking for ways to get noticed, one option is to join a Content Creator program. Check if the games that you play have one. They usually have some nice perks like giveaways & early access or news that you can share with your viewers. Here are some games that have these programs:

​

1. ArenaNet (Guild Wars 2)

https://welcome.guildwars2.com/en/partner-program I am also an ArenaNet partner. Guild Wars 2 is a free to play game. You can try it out here:

http://guildwars2.go2cloud.org/SH3W or get the expansions here:

​

2. Trion (ArcheAge, Rift, Trove, Atlas Reactor)

​

3. Kakao Games (Black Desert Online)

4. Bluehole Studio Inc (PUBG)

Currently closed but keep an eye on it, in case they re-open it!

​

5. CapCom (Lineage 2: Revolution)

6. Phoenix Labs (Dauntless)

​

7. Nexon (Riders of Icarus)

8. Digital Extremes (Warframe)

​

9. Intrepid Studios (Ashes of Creation)

The game is not out yet but you can still apply to become a content creator.

Constructive criticism is always good because it's something that you can work on to improve yourself. But when it's like this...

Just makes it difficult to keep doing what we do. I know I'm not alone in this so I'd love to share some of the things that I tell myself to cope with trolls & deconstructive criticisms.

​

1. Don't respond. They want attention. Don't give it. Or they'll keep coming back for it.

2. Don't take it personally.

Most of the time it's not you, it's them and their insecurities. They're just taking it out on you.

​

3. Develop a thick skin.

Being sensitive to these comments will just ruin my day everytime and whoever sent the messages wins. Can't let that happen.

4. Prioritize!

Sometimes deconstructive criticisms come from ppl we know or consider as friends. I try to figure out if they are trying to help me but can't put it in words properly or they're just being mean, selfish or jealous.

I ask myself, is this person high on my priority list (eg. family)? Does this person usually have my best interest at heart? Should I care about what this person thinks?

https://welcome.guildwars2.com/en/partner-program
I am also an ArenaNet partner. Guild Wars 2 is a free to play game. You can try it out here:

http://guildwars2.go2cloud.org/SH3W
or get the expansions here:

1. Don't respond.
They want attention. Don't give it. Or they'll keep coming back for it.