Personal branding on social media platforms has never been bigger. Mainstream platforms like TikTok have changed the lives of regular people, turning them into viral internet stars overnight. These internet sensations have gained massive followings and new branding opportunities, and the continuous use of social media presents a goldmine for more content creators to make their big breaks. Twitch is one of the platforms at the forefront of the content creation boom, as fans flock to Twitch channels to watch their favorite streamers. One of the biggest creators on Twitch, Pokimane, is taking advantage of the platform to build a personal brand.
Pokimane, whose real name is Imane Anys, is a household name on Twitch, where she is widely regarded as one of the most successful female streamers. Getting her start as a League of Legends streamer, Pokimane dropped out of college where she was studying for a Chemical Engineering degree to pursue streaming professionally. Like other streamers who are huge on the Twitch platform, Pokimane also runs accounts on TikTok and YouTube, taking full advantage of the content creation buzz in the market. Most streamers have a range of things they stream to their viewers, while some prefer a more specialized niche, and Pokimane dabbles in several areas like ASMR and vlogs to keep her audience entertained.
Pokimane's Fan Base is One of the Strongest on Twitch
Pokimane's profile stats on Twitch are impressive to say the least. Since her debut on the platform in 2013, she has garnered a following of 9,000,000 viewers, and she picked up the Best Streamer of the Year award at The Shorty Awards in 2017 for her effort and work ethic in building her brand on Twitch, where she is now among the top 10 most followed channels. Pokimane's channel grew by 12,000 followers in the last week alone, and she does not seem to have hit her peak on the platform just yet, meaning fans have plenty of gaming and non-gaming content to look forward to from her.
Pokimane regularly spends a chunk of time camping in the Just Chatting category of Twitch, connecting and engaging with fans on a personal level instead of maintaining a one-dimensional focus on content creation in her channel. Of late, Pokimane's main streaming content is first-person shooter new release, Overwatch 2, where she dazzles her audience with her deft marksmanship and gaming commentary. Her affable streaming style keeps her fans entertained and asking for more, making her the 20th most-watched English Overwatch 2 channel worldwide, according to TwitchMetrics.
Alongside Overwatch 2, Pokimane has also spent sizable minutes on Genshin Impact, Valorant, League of Legends, Fortnite, and Among Us. She is best known in the streaming community for her League of Legends and Fortnite streams, but recently, Pokimane hasn't played her favorite games much, and her streaming hours have taken a nosedive in the last three months. The reason is simple: in September, Pokimane announced she was taking a break from Twitch, explaining that she felt the platform no longer fit into her lifestyle the way it used to. While she may have returned, Pokimane doesn't generate nearly as much content these days, often only streaming for about 10 hours in the weeks she uses the platform.
While the announcement shocked her fans, Pokimane isn't alone in her self-imposed exile from the platform, as several big streamers have left Twitch for rivals such as YouTube Gaming or taken similar prolonged breaks in the past. If Pokimane eventually decides to return to Twitch full-time, she will meet her large following still eager to consume her gameplay in Fortnite, Overwatch, Valorant, and more.