Burning For Time

Some of the advice you'll most commonly hear across Twitch is the importance of a schedule to build your stream around. It caters to the principle of consistency, which makes a very fair argument: you can't grow your audience if you aren't providing them value in the right timeliness. With so many other casters on Twitch, you risk losing your viewers to other channels every time you miss a show.

While there is definitely substance to that notion, I'll boldly stand by the stance that having a consistent schedule is NOT the most crucial part of building your cast.

What's more effective is having consistent quality in your content.

Part of what makes me speak so strongly against schedules is seeing the struggle of casters who put their main focus on them. A bulk of their effort is made towards starting their stream at a specific time, keeping the cast going for so many hours and preparing themselves for that process 5-6 days a week. At a certain point this may help make streaming sustainable, but one of the biggest issues I see on Twitch is how many streamers get burnt out and lose their edge because instead of prioritizing the values that make their show so compelling, they're worrying about being on time or hitting their quota.

Being live for 40 hours a week does nothing if your cast doesn't make viewers engaged. And starting a cast at 6PM every night won't help if you're zapped out of energy after a long day.

What it all comes down to is what works best for you to put on a cast that you're happy with!

• Are you comfortable and in a great mindset while streaming from 4PM to Midnight everyday? Then go for it!

• Did you wake up early and have lots of time and energy for an extra cast? Give it a shot!

• Are you finding it tough to keep your show exciting all the time? Maybe cut it down by an hour and make up for that lost time with something special on the side!

There's no denying that how often you stream is a factor in growing your brand on Twitch. What's ultimately most important, however, is the experience you create when you ARE live. That's what sets you apart from the thousands of casters who most likely stream just as frequently as you do.

It's impossible to put on the most entertaining show every time you cast, especially if you're pursuing it full time for many hours a day. But if you're noticing your cast getting stale going through the weekly grind, it might be worth sacrificing your schedule in place of having more time to make new content and add more excitement into your brand.

So be aware of that balance of quality content and consistency when you're tackling the "big" streaming schedule. Think about where your cast can grow and make more of an impact. We'll always be limited on time, but there are infinite resources out there to make new sexy experiences that nobody's ever seen!