Hashtags and Twitch Creative

Hello Twitch and streamers of Twitch,

In the words of V from V for Vendetta, there is something that needs to be addressed or “by taking some time out of our daily lives to sit down and have a little chat.” Or could ask in the late Joan River’s words “Can we talk?”

Now, before starting would like to state this isn’t a rant. There is no blame assigned to any person or a set of them; just the pointing out what analytics, statistics and rolling numbers have already proven. The intention is not trying to piss anyone off but to bring up the truth of the matter and beg for a solution.

Back in February, Twitch created Communities. Here people could create and build communities where other like-minded people could join and help each other grow in twitch viewers. It was a great idea the sad part was that Twitch did away with hashtags for Creative.

When they did that, it threw the creative world into chaos and now three months later is crippling many of the creative streamers growing or even trying for partnership. Now, please hear this out before this gets dismissed out of hand. This is from analytic analysis from not only one or two statically based websites, but from Twitch’s own website for numbers, growth and stability. The purpose is to ask for hashtags to be reinstated, or the ability to have more than one (prefer 3 to 5) communities to be listed within a creative caster’s stream information while they stream.

With the hashtags gone, creative was thrown into a huge pool. Like anyone looking for a streaming in World of Warcraft or League of Legends; there are the top performers and below that it pretty much is just skimming from there. The sub categories are replaced by communities, which in and of its self is a good idea however the execution is rather misleading.  

Communities was to replace the hashtag, but when the community is “Happy Sundance Kids” it is hard to find someone water coloring or cross stitching. Communities were great to bond people together who couldn’t form a stream team, however the community can then set rules and obligations. So if the community so chooses and restrict a creative streamer from what their normal broadcast could have been, the streamer has to change their stream to fit the community just to be seen. The hashtag didn’t restrict a streamer from what they wanted to stream and wouldn’t pigeon hole the streamer into what they can and can’t do to be involved in a group.

The Hashtags allowed streamers to get under a sub category (the sub category was what we were streaming like a game) there a viewer could found like-minded streamers in all the same hashtag. If a viewer wanted to watch a streamer do underwater basket weaving; they would have to look under the hashtag #UnderwaterBasketWeaving which would have been under fiber arts. Can’t find an underwater basket weaving community if it hasn’t been formed; and the streamer is under another community due to lack of an underwater basket community. That streamer is losing on potential views, channel and community growth.

If a viewer wanted to watch Perlers, they could have gone under #perlers to find an artist or discover a new one artists. The hashtag was ESSENTIAL for channel growth and stabilization within creative. It helped to gain new followers and to help the channel to grow. After three months without it, even PARTNERED creative streamers have noticed a serious decline in numbers of viewers, subs and channel growth. It is not something that is quietly going around Twitch, it is something that is killing off streamers wanting to stream on twitch.

Yes, some people have gone to Beam, Hitbox and other streaming sites due to the declining numbers. Enter the affiliate program, don’t get the idea wrong it is nice to see that non-partnered broadcasters can get bits now. One would think that it would help with the numbers and the growth of the creative channels. Since the affiliate program has just started, the data is still being acquired if it will help.

The data after the hashtag was removed is there to be looked at and viewed. It is not something that is being hidden or even quietly whispered about around Twitch. The creative streamers know and have come to realize we’re not important to Twitch’s growth. We’re nothing more than just something that needs to be maintained minimally so that Twitch can go about its day and not think about it.

Yes, smaller streamers sadly do not bring in the money to Twitch like larger streamers such as th8bitDrummer, KayPike, LulaBoo, a_couple_streams, and ChaseSings. These streamers have a well-established communities and viewers and well done on them. However, the low on the totem pole paracording/cross stitch/graphic designer streamer and other like-minded streamers who don’t have that well established community and flow of new people are being buried underneath all the other casters above them. There are some streamers that don’t’ fit into a nice little community that is why they have to try and create their own to try and get recognized.

These smaller streamers do work their asses off, put in the hours while working full time jobs, handling family responsibilities and trying to create, evolve and grow their channels and communities. With the death of the hashtag, its making things so much more harder and they are starting to give up.

Another thing to consider is the multi-craft streamers that can go from crafts such as paracord, then go to cross stitch and go into graphic and illustrative design all in one stream. How can they fit into a community where they regulate what the streamer streams? There will be some will argue that the hashtags were at times being abused. Where one could hashtag being in seven or eight different creative sub categories while gaming. Sure, one can see that concern and those would have to be talked to. When a creative streamer that does more than one craft in ONE stream, shouldn’t those crafts be represented?

When one does crafts like paracord, cross stitch, draw on three different digital programs, design, creative cross stitch patterns and can sing in almost one stream. With the use of the hashtags, the streamer could be listed in several different genres of creative not just to gain followers but to help shape the cast.

For example: The streamer is paracording a bracelet and someone comes in and asks about drawing on ArtRage4. The streamer then can stop paracording, or complete it and then hop into ArtRage4 to show what they do there and work on a piece. While doing that, someone comes in to talk about using Win Stitch for cross stitch design. Sure, let that streamer pull that program up to help that viewer and oh wow the streamer got a follow.

See, having multiple hashtags would create and mold the cast into something the streamer didn’t even plan on. Creative streamers aren’t even able to list more than one community that we’re in. It’s understood that gaming streamers can’t multi-community either and that is a shame. This causes a bit of havoc in a multi-creative stream when the streamer would have to change their community all the time during their broadcast. The hashtag would have covered that already, and allowed the streamer to keep the broadcast going smooth and without too much interruptions. Sadly the communities have fractured Twitch creative community.

Again, would like to re-iterate this isn’t meant to be a rant. It is that with the potential and promise that Twitch creative has it’s hard to see things go backwards. Not to say that change isn’t good, and that there is a fight against change. Change for the sake of change, isn’t change at all; its regression. Many people have kept an open mind and heart about this. Many people have expressed themselves in ways that have hoped to progress the understanding of growing creative.

If creative was to grow not only does Twitch profit from it, so does Amazon. Where would a happy creative broadcaster tell their viewers to get crafting goods? If Twitch was to do to creative partnered casters what they do to their gaming casters; could offer Adobe package bundles to viewers. ArtRage4, or PaintToolSai. There are many things Twitch can do to “gain” a profit from creative casters. As MANY creative casters know that people love homemade Twitch swag. The potential is there to grab it, to seize what is there and what can grow from allowing creative streamers to flourish within the Twitch community and everyone benefits.

Now, will state that there is no animosity or angry at staff or those that help Twitch to run smoothly. That’s not the intent of this piece. If we could take a moment to thank the Twitch Creative staff. There are only a few that are known, however to Raven, Aegis and MonkeyOnStrike thank you! The hard work, long hours and your dedication to the creative community is well known, acknowledged and adored! You are our champions within Twitch.

To all of those partnered and non-partnered streamers that have championed the call to help Twitch creative become what it is today, and have continue to do so thank you! As a collective, there isn’t enough that we can say or do to make it worth the wild but you have our sincerest thank you’s and all the hearts we can muster.

Since joining Twitch creative in September of 2016 (switched over from gaming), the positive influence that it has on this blogger’s life is amazing. The want for the amazing and the wonderful to continue is strong. If there is anything that can be done within one’s power and stream; there will be a huge effort to do it. Please Twitch, as a humble streamer asks for the hashtags back; not only will it help Twitch but help the creative community to thrive and grow even more so again. This is a humble and gentle asking, because getting down on hands and knees to beg on the internet is rather hard. PLEASE, please, consider restoring hashtags.

Best Wishes,

Junie