How to use TikTok to grow your stream

Millions of users are on TikTok every day, and with targeted posts and the right approach, you too can use TikTok as an advertising platform for your stream. In this article, you'll learn how this works, what methods are available, and what you should keep in mind. Have fun!

1 TikTok as an advertising platform - is that even possible?

The content that can be seen on TikTok every day shows that there are no limits to creativity and fancy. Videos are uploaded and viewed here for pure entertainment purposes, for information purposes, or even for advertising purposes. So, it is quite possible and allowed to promote your content on other platforms like YouTube or Twitch on TikTok without any problems. Of course, it is not possible to set up a direct and seamless integration between TikTok and Twitch, but you can post your links, mention your channel name and put links to your channel in your bio.

You should note, however, that posting links in your profile bio is only possible once you have accumulated over 1,000 followers on TikTok or you are on TikTok with a business account. Business accounts are usually run by brands, stores or entrepreneurs who want to market their products or services on TikTok. 

2 Promote your stream on TikTok - quick tips and tricks 

But before we introduce you to the different methods and possibilities, we would first like to provide you with valuable and good tips that can help you promote your stream on TikTok. If you follow these tips, nothing will stand in the way of your success on TikTok.  

2.1 Create interesting and engaging content

Nothing is more boring for the viewer than rattling off various pieces of information. On TikTok, the competition in terms of creativity and ingenuity is huge, so it's important to make your short videos as engaging and interesting as possible. The best way to do this is to look at other streamers and get inspired by their methods of promoting the stream. The first few seconds of your video are especially crucial to the success of your post. Try to get the attention of your potential new viewers right at the beginning and then present the actual information. 

2.2 Wrap the ad 

Obvious advertising is not something people want to see on TikTok. Always be aware that the majority of users on TikTok want entertainment and don't want to be bombarded with ads. A good way to avoid falling into this trap is to cleverly hide ads. Try to think of your post as an unassuming gift: You arouse the viewer's curiosity with great wrapping paper and exciting packaging so that he stays tuned. Then, in a friendly and entertaining way, present the ad with the promise of being entertained on your channel. You can be a bit more specific, which brings us to the next point. 

2.3 Tell the viewer what you do

Especially the streamers who don't follow the trend and also present their viewers with extraordinary content should feel addressed here. If you count yourself among them, you should mention in your TikTok posts every now and then what you do and why it is worth tuning in.

This way, you'll immediately filter your potential future community members and target exactly those who are interested in the kind of content you produce. For example, if you focus on retro gaming, like to travel IRL and stream from the road, or prefer to respond to others' content along with your chat, feel free to mention that from time to time. This will highlight your unique selling point and set you apart from other streamers. 

2.4 Tease future projects

You have something very special and want the world to know about it? Then you can draw attention to your future project, which you will cover in the stream, with a good post on TikTok. This way your viewers will be more interested. Especially in the world of streaming, there are some occasions and specials that would allow such a posting.

For example, when there's the release of a new game you'll be playing, when you're hosting giveaways, or when you're holding special 24-hour streams. So no matter what you have planned for the future of your stream, if you think it's worth posting about and could add value to viewers, you should post it. 

2.5 Show highlight clips from past streams

When you watch a TikTok video, you want to be entertained in just a few seconds. Of course, you won't be able to appeal to everyone's tastes with your kind of entertainment, but when you streamed before, you'll certainly have come up with some nice highlights that you can use for your postings on TikTok. This approach has the great advantage that viewers can immediately get a picture of your livestream and imagine something about it. So whether they like the clip from your stream doesn't matter at first. All you want to show with the post is what your stream looks like on Twitch or YouTube and what people can expect from it.

To quickly and easily convert your Twitch highlights into the appropriate TikTok format, there are many different free tools. 

With Crossclip, StreamLadder, or Comboyou can edit your clips in different ways and save them directly afterwards and upload them to TikTok. 

2.6 Post at the right times

This point is actually self-explanatory, because the precise timing of a post is one of the basics of social media marketing. Nevertheless, we would like to point out once again that it is very important not to necessarily post your videos on TikTok at times when hardly anyone from your preferred time zone is active. You can, of course, prepare the videos accordingly and save them for a later time. While the best times to post effectively are hard to pin down, there are rough guidelines you should follow. 

• 10:00 - 12:00 in the morning
• 15:00 - 17:00 in the afternoon
• 19:00 - 2:00 evening/night
  

A helpful tool for determining individual posting times is hidden directly in the TikTok app. Once you have collected 1,000 followers, you can use the TikTok LIVE function to see how many of your followers are currently active. So it might be worth taking a closer look at when your community is most active. You can then remember these times or make a note of them to upload a new video just before the best time.

This way, you can plan posting times even more precisely and estimate how many of your viewers you can potentially reach with your posts. Of course, this research then only applies to your followers and not to all followers who are currently on TikTok. So this method is no guarantee that you will gain new followers. 

For detailed statistics on your individual posts and followers, you can use the corresponding function in the account menu as a creator or as a business user. If you want to change your account from a private account to a Creator account, you can find the function under Manage account -> Account management.

Once you have changed your account to a Creator account, "Creator Tools" will be unlocked in the menu. In this menu you will find, among other things, the item "Analysis", where you can see your channel analysis, the content you have posted, more info about your followers, and statistics about the live function. With the help of these numerous data, you can then plan your activities and videos on Twitch.

2.7 Mix advertising and entertainment properly

As an active TikTok creator, we recommend that you don't let your entire channel "degenerate" into a pure advertising platform. Therefore, not every post you make should contain advertising for your Twitch or YouTube channel. Mix up your content and regularly present your TikTok viewers with simple content that contains either no advertising at all or only very subliminally integrated advertising. This way, you'll always remain credible and won't give the impression that you're not exclusively interested in getting new subscribers and subs for your other channels. 

2.8 Make your TikTok channel visually similar to your streaming channel

As a streamer, you ideally build up a brand over time that you, of course, also decorate accordingly. For example, you may have already established your own logos, graphics, and designs on your Twitch or YouTube channel. You can easily use these design elements on TikTok as well to create a cohesive overall look that will keep your viewers engaged. Of course, you can find beautiful, unusual, and above all unique designs in the well-stockedOWN3D-Shop. 

3 Promote your stream with TikTok - here's how! 

To promote your stream on TikTok, all you need is a good idea for the video, a smartphone, and of course the TikTok app. You should also have a TikTok account, ideally with the same name as your Twitch or YouTube channel. Besides creating a video, there are other ways to promote your stream on TikTok. 

3.1 Point to your stream in the video

If you want to promote your stream in the video, you can do this in many different ways. You can discreetly mention it in passing, focus your post entirely on it, or use your own unique approach. As you can see from our tips and tricks above, it makes sense to show the ad in the best way and make the video as entertaining as possible. Try not to present the advertisement too obviously. This will look intrusive and unpleasant to many users! 

3.2 Link to the channel in your profile bio

You can easily place the link to your livestream channel in your profile bio. Make sure you don't just put the link there, but also add a description. In addition, it makes sense to mention what viewers can expect on your livestream and at what times you always go live. Please note that this feature is only available to business users or those who have already generated over 1,000 followers on TikTok. 

3.3 Promote stream in the video description

Every video you upload needs a profound video description. Give your video a headline that fits the content. In addition, you can refer to your streaming channel in the description, even if the video has nothing to do with your livestream. Of course, you can also experiment a bit with emotes. A good way to promote your stream in the video description is to mention the channel name on Twitch or YouTube. Since you can't include links directly in the video description, it's always worth mentioning the name of your channel or, if you already have 1,000 followers on TikTok, the link in your TikTok bio.

4 Conclusion 

Can TikTok now help you grow your stream and expand your community? Absolutely! With our helpful tips and tricks, you'll be able to evaluate your venture. TikTok advertising for your livestream is not only free, but it can be extremely effective in some circumstances. Many of the great creators are on TikTok to bring in new viewers. The barrier to entry is not high, and with the help of the intuitive and beginner-friendly TikTok app, you can create great videos in minutes. We hope we could help you with this guide and wish you a lot of fun on TikTok!