Sometimes, SFW streamers can feel like it is an uphill struggle to stand out and be successful in a sea of NSFW content. It is somewhat true that “sex sells” and NSFW content has a large pre-built market. However, there is some more nuance to the picture than that. While SFW streamers cannot do anything about the “sex sells” element, there are some other features inherent to NSFW content creation that they can also use in their content. A key one of these is building a strong, defined identity.
NSFW creators, by design, will have a very clear identity. People know exactly what tone and type of content they can expect from them, and so it becomes easier to attract a consistent and appropriate audience. For SFW creators, though, SFW doesn’t come with the same inherently strong branding (Creators of kids’ content or education content excluded). If you are an SFW streamer of any kind, it is important to build a consistent identity; people who come to see you stream should be able to very easily, without digging, know exactly what you are ‘selling’. Maybe it’s a persona, maybe it’s a type of content, maybe it’s an activity. What matters is that people can identify from your content what they can expect from you, and that is consistent. People who constantly make things that appeal to different groups in a chaotic manner, as a small streamer, will struggle to grow.
Not sure what your identity is? There are lots of ways to approach this. You can consider who your current audience is, and why they came to you. Or you can consider the audience you would like to attract and what they would look for? Once you have done this, it is essential to then look at your content. Can someone tell what kind of streamer you are? Would a stranger know what to expect from your streams without clicking a link to a bio somewhere else? If you have information in a bio, does it actually match what your content is? If not, one or the other needs to change.
If you already know your identity and it’s firmly established, you need to think about what type of people this identity might appeal to. Where else can they be found online? What type of social presence or promotion might appeal to them, and make sure that the places you are visible are consistent with this. The key to growth isn’t just attracting people, it is attracting the RIGHT people.
I actually recommend that people review who their audience is, who they want their audience to be, and what their content is, and make sure all three align at least every six months. We grow over time, and so do online communities. It’s essential to adjust our course as we go, rather than acting reactively in a knee-jerk manner when we think things are going wrong.
Go do that identity audit now!