How SweeetTails uses viral TikToks to combat Twitch discoverability

You may know SweeetTails as the boisterous variety streamer on Twitch or from one of her hundreds of hilarious viral clips on TikTok, and Dexerto recently picked her brain regarding how she converts her virality into live viewers and relationships.

SweeetTails – don’t forget the third ‘e’ – is a lover of gaming, streaming, and content creation. And over the past four years, she’s been able to turn these passions into a full-time career thanks to the tools she has at hand.

Not tools as in her gaming skills, pastel controller, or high-quality setup. No, instead she uses multiple platforms to reach a broader community and funnel her fans back to her live content.

And it’s impossible to deny that it’s working. With 467k followers on Twitch, she averages 5.2k viewers a stream, and her 2.8 million followers on TikTok make sure each of her posts glides past 1 million views with some reaching beyond the 10 million view mark.

In an interview with Dexerto, SweeetTails spilled the tea on how she’s used her success on TikTok to grow her platform on Twitch.

How SweeetTails started creating content

At the beginning of her content creation days, SweeetTails started the same way many infant social media users do. Working to make her social pages like Myspace, Facebook, and Instagram look as cool and appealing as possible.

“I’ve always made content, but I sucked at it. And that’s the truth!” SweeetTails told Dexerto.

“I’ve always had this feeling to be a creator. Like, I had it in me. But I think it’s so important as a content creator to find something that you’re passionate about. And you have to have that, otherwise, the odds will likely be against you..”

“Four years ago was when I first heard about Twitch, even though I have been a gamer my whole life. My friend explained that it was a platform where you can stream video games live and people will watch you. I was like, ‘this is exactly what I was meant to do.’”

What inspired her to turn streaming and content creation into a full-time career is the love she has for gaming. Twitch and what it was doing for the gaming industry around 2018 really spoke to SweeetTails.

Following a “bad breakup” Tails moved back home with her parents and began streaming Call of Duty, however, she considered herself a variety streamer from the start.

“When I first started streaming, it was a slow start but I always had pretty good momentum. I remember starting at around 20 viewers and it just took off from there.”

She stated that she hasn’t “gone backward” in terms of growth and contributes partially to the success of COD. “I think I was really able to tap into the Call of Duty community, and that’s what really helped me to take off, however, I still felt like I wasn’t fulfilling myself entirely regarding content which is why I started to branch out and become a variety streamer.”

Why SweeetTails chose TikTok

We asked Tails what her first impressions of TikTok were and why she decided to use it as her main tool for growing her fanbase on other platforms.

“Initially I hated TikTok and didn’t jump on the bandwagon when it first came out – it took me a while to download it.”

“At the time, gaming wasn’t as big as it is now in the TikTok space, but there were a few content creators that were posting in the now “normalized” format that really inspired me to do the same.”

SweeetTails attributes fellow creator and friend Kruzadar with pioneering the popular TikTok gaming format where the player’s face is on the top of the screen and the gameplay is on the bottom.

“She is still, to this day, one of my biggest inspirations. TikTok is a pretty amazing tool that has come into all of our lives as content creators. And if you’re not utilizing it, you’re f**king dumb. I don’t know how else to say it.

“I would not be where I am today if I did not have TikTok. And I have no problem admitting that.”

When asked if ALL streamers should be using TikTok, her response was near instantaneous. “Yes! F**k yes! You have to take advantage of the tools that are in front of you. Don’t be lazy. You should be posting twice a day on TikTok to at least help you get started. Period.”

Learning platforms and changing her content

SweeetTails’ content on TikTok evolved from gaming-oriented sketch comedy to stream highlights. She started out on TikTok trying to adapt the platform’s trends to fit a gaming audience but found that these videos didn’t feel like they were 100% her. 

“I think it’s important to continuously research and study the platform that you’re on because the algorithms are constantly evolving and you have to also. When I started to upload highlights of my stream is when I started to really take off because it was authentically who I am.”

Her organic content started to pick up traction which queued her to change the content she produced for TikTok. Leaving skits behind, SweeetTails’ short-form content has become almost entirely made up of highlights from her Twitch streams.

When giving advice on how to make a good TikTok, Tails says 1. Don’t care what other people think, just post, and 2. Be authentic.

And she states that even though she rarely posts a TikTok that gets less than a million views, she is still learning about TikTok’s algorithm and how she can evolve her content to perform better.

How SweeetTails converts her TikTok followers to Twitch chatters

When it comes to growing on Twitch, SweeetTails echoed the concerns of many streamers before her: Twitch lacks discoverability. But thankfully, platforms like TikTok allow streamers to post content in hopes to convert those views into live viewers. 

SweeetTails stated that a lot of people know her just from her TikToks, and she is recognized in public more often for her TikTok videos rather than her actual streams. And she boils this conundrum down to discoverability.

“You’re talking millions and millions of views [on TikTok]. My job, as a content creator, is to get those people to come over to my Twitch and watch me live. I’ve seen such amazing growth from that. While also exposing people to Twitch because you’d be surprised by how many people don’t even know what Twitch is.”

She also theorized that Twitch will likely see the most growth over the next year now that Twitch partners are able to co-stream on TikTok as well. 

“Community-wise, it’s more important to get people to come over to my Twitch and chat with me there because I can really build relationships with those viewers and interact with them. Because of this more personalized experience, it is my hope they will come back and they usually do. This is far more rewarding than the quick feeling you get from TikTok and scrolling through those videos.”

Understanding your value as a streamer on Twitch

While Twitch is definitely the largest platform in terms of live streaming, that doesn’t mean it will always be on top. With more and more platforms throwing their hat in the ring – YouTube, Facebook, etc. – online live streaming is growing at an insane pace.

“As content creators, I think it’s very important that we all understand our value and make sure that we make the right decisions. At the end of the day, you have to do what’s best for you and your community. 

“Sometimes making big decisions can be scary. There are so many more options than there were four years ago. The streaming industry is completely different. You make the right decisions for yourself, and don’t be scared to do it.”

In light of Twitch’s recent revenue share changes, streamers have to consider their platform options now more than ever. While some streamers have built their communities on Twitch, a platform like YouTube with a 70/30 subscription split may look more enticing.

But for SweeetTails, making the switch to another platform may not be as rough a transition as it would be for a content creator who doesn’t utilize TikTok. She’s already shown it’s possible to funnel a significant amount of viewers from TikTok to Twitch, and could do the same for any other platform she chooses to call her home.