You’ve mastered each and every trick in your game of choice, but what about your brand? Is it still on level 1? Well, if you want to know how to start a gaming channel and are willing to learn a thing or two during the process, you’re right where you’re supposed to be!
What You’ll Find:
- How to Start a Gaming Channel
- How to Create a Logo That Stands Out
- How to Brand Your YouTube Channel
- How to Promote a Gaming Channel
- Join & Build Gaming Communities
- Time to Set Up the Best Esports Team
- Ready to Create Channel Merch?
We want to help you to build a brand while you’re at it and give your gaming channel a shining personality to go all the way to expert mode in less time.
Let’s start with the basics, keep on reading!
How to Start a Gaming Channel
Think of this guide as a toolkit you need to set up a gaming channel that looks professional and solid, even if you’re a newbie. Also, keep in mind that success is not immediate; top gamers, especially those who get millions of views and tons of followers, have worked hard to get there.
That being said, there are some things you need to learn and explore in order for your content to become popular. Take a look around Twitch and YouTube Gaming and take a few notes on what’s trending; ask yourself, Why is this game popular? Is it relevant? Is it different from others? Are viewers enjoying certain video content?
💡 If you’re debating where to start your channel, check out this Twitch vs YouTube comparison!
The Jump Off: Name Your Gaming Channel
We can all agree that it’s not the same if your channel is called something like SomeRandomGamer55 or AnotherVampireGaming, so let’s start with that.
- Make sure your name is unique and memorable; otherwise, it will probably fade from viewers’ minds.
- It should also be simple, and for this, you should pick a name that is easy to spell.
- Most importantly, you must check for availability; otherwise, you’ll need to redo all your art, and the efforts will be diluted. When you do this, also check for variations of that name, and if the channel that sounds like yours is also a gaming one, it’s time to choose another option from your list.
How to Create a Logo That Stands Out
The YouTube gaming universe is full of stars that already have millions of subscribers. Of course, you’re not competing with them right now, but wouldn’t it be nice to reach for that?
It’s time to have fun with Placeit’s logo maker and create a logo that represents your personality while you build an online identity. The good thing about this online tool is that you’re getting a professional-looking logo that you can customize and send right away to your channel and other social media platforms.
In addition to that, if you want to dive into the whole world of gaming logos, we have a whole post on this: The Best Gaming Logo Maker Out There.
🔥 Ensure your followers are always in the loop with our sleek Twitch templates!
It’s Alive! Try the Animated Logo Maker
Catch attention immediately with an animated logo that will stand out from the rest. The steps for doing this are really simple: choose a logo category, customize it, and download it!
Now, let’s go through the other key elements you should definitely start doing.
How to Brand Your YouTube Channel
Branding your channel means that it will start growing for more than just posting videos now and then and that you’re committed to making your community grow.
Customize Your Channel
Visual elements will bring consistency to your brand, and YouTube Creator Academy suggests four crucial elements to keep in mind when creating a new platform for your content.
- Icon
This is how viewers will identify you among their lists when you comment or in most playback modes. - Art
It’s basically a banner that sets the mood for your channel; it’s part of the message you’re sending to tell people what your channel is about.
Though you can use a photo you like and scale it to fit, the best practice is to create a banner from scratch that will include your name, logo, other social media, or contact information. Try using Placeit’s Twitch Banners and YouTube Banners. - Description
This is what viewers can find in the About tab, and you should be able to tell the world why you are creating your videos, your upload schedule, and how they can get in touch with you for sponsorship or business inquiries. - Trailer
Unsubscribed viewers should get a preview of what to expect from your channel. Benefit from this to encourage them to subscribe and talk about your most popular video or the kind of content that will be useful for them.
If you’re going live on Twitch, these elements are as important as they are on a YouTube channel. Check these 5 Quick Tips to Start Streaming On Twitch. It’s also a good idea to create channel art that supports a cause. For example, you can use Pride designs to prepare your channel for Pride month and show your support for the LGBTQ+ community.
⚡️ Create a cohesive and eye-catching channel design with Placeit’s Twitch sets!
Focus on Great Gaming Channels Art
The ignition phase of this launching is on, and creating the art for your channel is a major one. Advice could be endless, but we’ll try to keep this as short as possible.
Your channel art must be attractive and reflect your personality, sure, but it also needs to be simple and sharp, so viewers can trust your content and know you’re the real deal when it comes to gaming.
The Art of Good Thumbnails
Besides the most obvious visual elements, there are other things you’ll need to go through to make your gaming channel work perfectly, and thumbnails are one of those things. They’re often left behind when discussing visual identity but are, in fact, a tiny but powerful resource to attract potential subscribers’ attention.
- Avoid using the default preview, and instead, work on creating your own thumbnails. They must be high-resolution, clear images with really short text. Stay away from intricate fonts and include bold text with high contrast.
- Make sure you use your thumbnails as cliffhangers to share a glimpse of what your video is about.
- Good thumbnails will boost your channel’s activity; just make sure you are sharing clear content, and stay away from tricking people with vague, confusing content.
How to Promote a Gaming Channel
Bringing your top game is just one part of succeeding in the gaming arena. You should also pay attention to your marketing strategy. Even if you don’t get to it right away and choose to focus on the launching first, here are a few tips to consider down the line:
Set a budget. No matter if you’re looking to build a channel with a few bucks, set a budget for when you want to for an ad on social media.
Focus on SEO for gaming channels, which is an almost free resource that takes good thinking, learning about keywords, and knowing how to create engaging content.
Be confident about your channel! Don’t get discouraged if the numbers don’t start rising right now; it takes time and effort to get people to know you.
Contact other streamers and YouTubers and introduce yourself. There must be someone who can mention your new channel to their subscribers in exchange for a mention as well.
Again, don’t obsess over it, but once you get a decent amount of followers, you can consider influencer marketing. Take a look at our blog post with tips and suggestions to become a gaming influencer.
Join & Build Gaming Communities
Once you’ve created the visual asset you’ll need for posting on social media, get involved with other gamers who share your passion for gaming and streaming.
There are dozens of gaming communities around the world, and you’re free to choose the one you feel most comfortable with; here are some suggestions that can help you
- PC Gaming
One of the most popular gaming forums in the world. There are tons of topics to explore, so it can also be overwhelming and distracting if you don’t know exactly what you are looking for. Start with topics that explore games that have blown people’s minds, and perhaps you can get a few ideas for future videos.
- Patient Gamers
This is also a subreddit that starts debates on new games and reviews, and, most importantly, people here are respectful of each other while discussing.
As stated above, there are tons of forums that exchange views about the gaming industry, but besides being part of online communities, you should start building your own.
Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get thousands of followers right away; building your own community takes time and effort. Of course, you’ll have to be patient, but there are also marketing moves that can help you boost your channel’s popularity and relevance among fellow gamers.
If you’re streaming, one of the best practices is to have a consistent schedule so people who join you live, know exactly when to get online, come back to future streams and eventually become regulars.
Pro Tip: Use these popular gaming hashtags that put your gaming channel on the map.
Never Stop Learning!
Beyond being passionate about perfecting your gaming skills, you should also be passionate about knowledge for your channel’s sake. Keep yourself updated with the latest trends, tech, gadgets, and reviews of new games.
When it comes to creating new content for your channel, regularly check sites that talk about current trends in the gaming industry.
- Unigamesity
Find articles about gaming, gadgets, mobile, browser, and iOS games, and how-to guides that could help you level up your business strategy later on.
- PC Gamer
Here you will find breaking news from the gaming industry, reviews, hardware, a magazine, and a forum to discuss gaming trends to pop culture and movies.
- Eurogamer
You’ll find game news and reviews, release dates, and guides as well. This site includes PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox, and Switch games.
Time to Set Up the Best Esports Team
If you want to get to the top stronger and faster, a team will help you to do so.
Getting an esports team means you recognize other people’s skills to focus on the same goal; as a gamer, you should be ready to become part of or to create a community that’s well-organized and sets clear duties.
Once you’ve reached a certain number of followers and your social media community stands on solid ground, look for opportunities and funds. Start creating merch with your team’s logo and find supporters for your gaming brand.
Ready to Create Channel Merch?
Time for more good news! Besides being passionate about gaming, you want to eventually make some money out of it, you’re one step closer to doing it.
Many YouTubers and Twitch streamers have their own merch to sell to their subscribers, so maybe it’s one of the next steps you should consider taking.
However, though selling merch is a great step towards growing your community and building engagement, there’s nothing wrong with starting small with your friends and family. After all, Nana will always be the one who supported you from the very beginning, right?
Find other great ways to make money from your YouTube channel by reading our post How to Make Money on YouTube.
To Wrap It Up
Of course, all the things discussed above are important to get your gaming channel up and running in the best way possible, but the one thing you should be focusing on above all and never forget is to have fun while doing it! And we’re not just saying that; science has found there are benefits to playing video games.
We’re ready to hear from you; share your best gaming tips in the comments; we’d love to know how you’re doing while starting this new adventure.
Don’t miss these Twitch horror templates! They’re perfect for revamping your channel in time for Halloween.
Oh! One thing before you leave: make sure you bookmark this blog post in case you need to come back to look for useful content.
