Every day, there is over 720,00 hours (or 82 years worth) of content uploaded to YouTube every day. Twitch has tens of thousands of channels streaming at any given point during the day. The world is hungry for content, and there is no shortage of people willing to provide it. But this raises important questions for any aspiring content creator:
How can you stand out in such a saturated field?
Is it worth getting into?
What do you want out of it?
On Twitch, there are over 150,000 Affiliate streamers but only around 55,000 Twitch Partners. The amount is growing quickly, but so is the competition. For many, becoming the next Tfue or Myth is beyond even a pipe dream. What’s important isn’t necessarily being the biggest name on a platform, but rather it can be about finding where you fit among the landscape and carving out that niche for yourself in the best possible way.
Jennifer Dawn is a Twitch streamer and content creator for Oceanus Gaming. A longtime competitive Super Smash Bros. player under the tag “JAKAT,” she started streaming as a way to socialize while playing single-player RPGs such as the Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, and Persona series.
“I wanted friends to watch me play and chat with me, to get enthused about these games we both mutually liked, and streaming was the way to accomplish that” Dawn told ggn00b. This approach would be the foundation for how she now approaches all of her streams and YouTube videos.
“The content that I put out to everyone are videos which have special moments that I’d like to remember. They’re usually the funny moments, the growth of new friendships, and times when I was happy and enjoying the games that I played.”
The day-to-day life of being a content creator is about balance and organization. Dawn works a full-time job and streams during off-hours. In the early days, there were struggles with exhaustion, missed streams, and finding games that appeal to both her and the viewers. The key, Dawn says, is a proper, balanced schedule.
“What I think helped the most in improving upon that was planning everything out; making sure I was putting my stream schedule into my own personal calendar, making sure I slept at decent hours” Dawn explains. When asked about what she wants out of her streams and videos, she says, “I want an audience who enjoys my stream, videos, and other content. Content creation is something that brings people together based on a common interest. I think it’s great to make friends that way because you both bond over a specific thing.”
Dawn’s approach of building a tightly knit community based around games that she and viewers enjoy playing has led to steadily growing viewership. She also posts vlogs of tournaments that she frequents, giving people a unique perspective of what it’s like attending esports events.
Despite having to balance a full-time job and streaming, Dawn is moving up in the world, being a Twitch Affiliate and recently signing with Oceanus Gaming, a Montreal based esports organization, as a streamer and content creator. Their support has been immeasurable for Dawn, and has allowed her to continue pushing her content to new heights.
“They provide any kind of advice and support when you need it and being part of [Oceanus] feels like I am part of a close-knit family.”
Dawn has long term goals for a career in esports and gaming in general. The grind has its ups and downs, and many content creators can feel like their growth is stagnating. But Dawn recognizes this by looking back and seeing how far she’s come, and she reassures everyone out there, whether they’re streaming, making videos, or doing any creative work, that it’s all part of the process.
“I had times when I felt that I was “stuck” a lot. What I learned is that when you really stick to your schedule, no matter how hard it is to push the ‘go live’ button or turn that camera on and start talking, your hard work will pay off in the end.”
“Perseverance is key.”
You can find Jennifer Dawn on Twitch, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter.