Rookie errors! Give us common mistakes or things NOT to do as a content creator for $4!

Not investing in good equipment - nothing turns a viewer off quicker than bad capture or voiceover - be sure to put yourself as the viewer and understand if you'd watch the content you are putting out.

Also, and especially if you're going for search content, then make sure you give the information clearly and show all steps. If you can be a source of guide content then you will gain subs. They will come back to learn from you - example: Esoterrickk for Destiny 2, he has no voice over but gives solid guides on how to do things people come searching for, and his community love it.

Ignoring SEO

As a content creator, one crucial lesson I’ve learned is not to underestimate the power of SEO (Search Engine Optimization), especially in the early stages when your channel or brand isn't widely recognized yet. You basically have two ways to generate traffic: pay for it or optimize your content for search engines.

There's a wealth of guides and books on how to develop your semantic core, create interconnected content webs, and tailor your offerings to address specific issues or needs of your audience.

Chasing AAA-projects

Another piece of advice is to focus on less popular, low-frequency requests. For example, if you’re planning to release a review of 'Baldur's Gate 3,' chances are your video will be buried deep in search results. Instead, consider covering a niche indie game. If there’s limited content available on it, you’re more likely to get a few thousand views. Plus, indie developers often appreciate such coverage and may even feature your content on their social media, giving you an additional boost.

If you have the opportunity to attend events like WASD or Gamescom, steer clear of the long lines for AAA hands-on demos. Instead, head to the Indie Arena, collect as many business cards as possible, and build your contact list. This can lead to free game codes and opportunities to help smaller companies without large marketing budgets gain exposure. Supporting them can, in turn, significantly aid your own growth.

Don't ignore your community but be ready to moderate

This is a very hard one with lots of bots / art spammers targeting small creators, you don't know who is genuinely starting a conversation and who only wants to spam you with their art or various promotions. Check their profile first, what they post, is it even relevant to your content? You need to make the decision here and not waste your time on spammers. I spent way too much time responding to every single hi and running rounds of small talk by the time they finally blurted out they wanted to sell their art to me. You don't have to reply to every single DM, use your time wisely, do a bit of profile research and then reply to the ones who are genuine viewers and are truly part of your community.

And if someone comes to your stream just to promote themselves or posts comments on your videos which criticise you in a not constructive way, just delete the comment or ban them. Be ready to protect yourself early on before it gets out of hand. If you have to pause your stream, just let your viewers know, go to your dashbboard and find the mod tools. Big channels have moderators for this, you'll only have yourself. And your true viewers will appreciate seeing that you are looking out for them and work on providing a safe and good experience for them.

You can't just stream and expect to grow

This is one I learnt the hard way. You have to start being active on social media, post about what you do and create other content like short videos which will help you get discovered, because just from streaming no one will find you. Youtube is a bit better with discoverability since past streams show up on your channel, but you won't get discovered just by going live on Twitch. Your channel will be at the very bottom of the page of the game you are streaming. The higher viewer count someone has, the higher their channel will come up when someone searches for a game.

Network with other creators you follow, introduce yourself on their discord if you are a member, speak to their community, find friends and you'll find new viewers as well. Try it with creators your size, they will more likely be approachable and willing to help since you are in the same boat. You might even get a nice collab out of it one day :) I have discovered new creators by being thrown into their channel with a raid, so maybe your creator friends will trust you with their community and you get new people watching you after you get a raid.

Create your own feel - don't try to emulate. Just be you.

Don't overcomplicate - KISS - keep is sweet & simple.

Keep it FUN - don't try to be to serious.

Be respectful at all times.

As a Twitch content creator the biggest things I can advocate for is:

Don't self promo on other people's channels!

Don't backseat or foreshadow!

Whether you're joining a stream for the first time or not, coming into someone else's stream and, without being prompted or asked, telling everyone about how you are currently playing this on your channel, or "I've got to go now, I'm about to stream myself". You'd think this would be limited to newer creators but I still see old hats do it and it's not a good look.

Other people's streams aren't a platform for you to freely advertise, it's a place to enjoy someone's content, get to know the community and become a part of it.

Backseating/foreshadowing can be aimed more at viewers but again I see fellow content creators who are in streams as viewers offering every bit of unsolicited advice they can. If you want to see a game played the way you would play it - then go play it yourselves, don't ruin or try to influence someone else's experience of a game. Passion for a game is great, but channel it the right way.