The gaming industry is increasingly in the public eye thanks to the rise of eSports and streaming channels online. This growing attention is a great thing for long-time gamers and those looking to capitalize on the trend.

It’s a double-edged sword as hundreds of new games arrive every year, there’s no shortage of content for people to get started with their own game videos and channels. The problem is trying to make sure you’re not lost in the crowd. To that end, diversifying and expanding the type of gaming content your channel offers is a vital element in ensuring your channel’s growth.

Why Diversify?

With consoles bringing built-in features for streaming and recording, starting a gaming channel is easier than ever. With every new game release, you can find thousands of videos online from gamers currently playing. Posting videos on the same games as everyone else isn’t going to help you earn more subscribers or revenue.

One of the primary reasons you need to diversify is also one of the simplest: games will go out of style. Regardless of how popular a title is at launch, the game industry is constantly evolving. New games are always on the horizon and online titles could be shut down at any given time.

To combat this staleness, it’s important to vary your content and not simply stick to the latest releases or whatever happens to be popular at the moment. That’s not to say you should ignore those more popular titles, but don’t build all your content on flavor-of-the-month games. When slow periods hit in the gaming market, you’ll be scrambling for content and viewers will turn elsewhere. Moreso, the general Let’s Play format has saturated the market, making it hard for streamers to stand out amongst the crowd.

While this type of gaming video is initially what made the genre popular on YouTube, Let’s Play has lost its uniqueness over the years. Say a person is subscribed to multiple gaming channels who all post Let’s Play videos for the latest release. If you post a video for the same game, that person isn’t going to subscribe to your channel for things they can already find in their subscription feed.

There’s an abundance of content on popular games like Skyrim and Minecraft, but you can still make successful videos on these if you look for a unique approach.

Let’s Plays are still good content for your current subscribers and makes you look current and up-to-date, but they’re no longer the key to growth they once were. If you’re not giving viewers variety, you’re limiting the potential of your channel. Not to mention, different content will open new doors and revenue streams.

Trying new things can also garner the attention of other game developers and manufacturers who might be willing to work with you on giveaways, sponsored content or exclusives, thus helping spread your channel’s influence.

Branching Out

Changing your channel’s content might initially seem off-putting to your current subscribers. As you shift the types of videos you create, it’s important to ensure you’re not alienating viewers you already have. The key to this isn’t so much reinventing the wheel as it is finding a niche you can fill knowledgeably and consistently.

Peruse the gaming videos available and see what’s missing. Are there any gaps in the coverage you find? What are some of the videos you, personally, want to watch? Answering these questions will provide fresh, new content ideas to your audience while staying within your area of experience.

As everyone else is doing videos on the latest releases, you could do videos about similar games — matching genre, gameplay, tone, etc. — presenting them as alternatives for those unable to pick up new releases or looking for something similar to play once they’ve finished. This allows you to craft content towards popular games and releases without limiting yourself.

Top lists, Gaming history or spotlight videos allow for more personal flourishes, helping you stand out even more.

Other videos could dive into various aspects of the industry, keeping the focus on games without being beholden to any specific title or genre. Top lists, gaming history or spotlight videos allow for more personal flourishes, helping you to stand out even more. Something along the lines of a talk show wherein you discuss the latest trends in gaming along with news recaps or quick reviews is also a great option.

The scripted nature of these videos makes it easier to plan things out on a broader timeline, giving you the chance to ensure a consistent schedule of new and engaging content independent of game releases. During slow periods throughout the year, these videos will keep your channel fresh.

If you want to stick with a Let’s Play format for your channel, you can still diversify by highlighting lesser-known gaming gems from the past or games from other parts of the world.

Personalize things further by focusing on games from your childhood, recounting your memories as you play or revisiting some of the titles you were never able to conquer growing up.

In this way, you’re keeping the format you’re comfortable with while still presenting it through a different lens for your viewers. While it’s still a basic play-through video, the personal perspective makes it feel unique and different for audiences.

While it’s easier to play the same popular games over and over, your channel with likely grow stagnant and growth will eventually become non-existent. Branch out and show the gaming world what you can do.

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