I’ve been going back and forth on whether or not the topic was worth this much discussion when I’m still in the beginning of formulating my thoughts but I have some things and I wanted to start the process of compiling “solutions”. 

I saw the vision with the Twitch Boycott (the 12 hour boycott that had no concrete demands or plans) and I think there are ways to “hurt” twitch and still remain on the platform since, let’s be honest – is there really any plan to leave? I know folks aren’t rushing to go to FB gaming and YT Gaming (live streaming) has been smelling like McCree’s tumbleweed. 

Alternative Thoughts:

Rescinding your Twitch Affiliate Agreement. 

Why? Twitch owns your content and you and all it took was them giving you emotes. They also automatically take their 50% off the top so for every $5 you get $2.50.

THEN you have to wait until you cross thresholds to be “paid”.

Click Here – select the appropriate categories. Only because I know that will be the follow up question.

 

But Seekr, EMOTES?! How will I be fly without emotes? How will anyone know that my community is my community? 

Well, you could use Better Twitch TV/ BTTV a service that allows you to upload emotes via them as a third party and use them for free in your channel. Once an emote is added to your channel all viewers can use the emote code – just like with any other emote. 

BONUS: uploaded emotes can be shared with your sister communities. You and ya folks got inside jokes? Well now you can upload each other’s emotes and you can use your emotes in your friends stream too. 

Problem solved. You have emotes. Your friends can use your emotes in their stream. Who cares that it’s not available in every single stream? Why does that change anything? Ok. 

 

Ask  your Community to donate to you directly via cashapp, zelle, venmo, paypal etc instead of using Twitch’s bits system and sub system. Cut them out as the middle man. Coins need to be going to your pockets purr. 

If you are going to remain on the platform, it would behoove you to find ways to utilize the services of the platform (while knowing they don’t give a fuck about you) in the least invasive ways. I advise you to READ your affiliate and partnership agreements. Line by line. Internalize it.  There’s a lot in there. 

Being an affiliate or partner does not legitimize you, not truly. Buying into that is part of the issue with the platform. I understand that it puts the onus on you to do a bit more work but it’s work you should have a handle on. Keep track of your metrics – learn how to read it in ways that show your reach and the reach of your community. So, instead of sending views and follows and using the stamp of affiliate approval – court these brands by showing them your views, how many hours your content gets viewed on average and how likely someone is to click a link that you’ve given them. Show them how strong your community mobilization is alongside their superficial metrics.

All the numbers don’t matter in the way you think – make those connections for the brand and show them the ways in which they would benefit from having you on the team.

You should be doing this anyway, instead of waiting for brands to approach you all the time. Take initiative and align yourself with the folks you’d like to be and make sure they’re giving you more than a one time 25% off code for you to use and a 5% off code for your community to use – know the worth of your advertising reach and move accordingly.  

Bonus! Collaborate with streamers in your circle to up your “reach” and petition brands / companies together.

 

Leave these Karens Alone

No, we don’t have a black owned alternative and if we are unable to rectify the issues we have on our current platforms and we just move to a new one, I see a high possibility of us repeating a lot of our mistakes. Platform options are few and far in between; functional ones even more so. 

If you are willing to actually leave the platform – stream directly to your website. You should already have a website – even if it is a landing page where folks can search and find you by your internet aliases. 

Sponsorship/Collaboration on your platform can include ads – which opens up another revenue stream depending on your content type and demographic. 

I’d like to see us explore this more, I think it would afford us the control we want and we could use a third party platform to organize, compile resources and list each other for discover-ability BUT ultimately use our own personal sites as our “home”. 

Too long; didn’t read: We could just :USE: the platform and make it work for us until we have enough resources to organize and create personal content homes for ourselves that are localized on our own sites. Also, get your coins.