Twitch, the leading platform for streaming, is an exciting option for both a hobby and a potential career.
The primary concern that deters many streamers, both new and experienced, is how to gain followers on Twitch. Streaming to an empty channel can be quite dull, can’t it?
The answer is quite straightforward when you break it down, and we will focus on identifying the key issues related to gaining more followers on Twitch!
To have a career on Twitch (and earnings, as well), you will need to attract viewers to your channel. Are you wondering how to get Twitch followers? The simplest way is to be unique, skillful, chatty, and engaging.
What To Do To Have More Followers
Followers will come if you choose the right niche where you will play games you like. People will recognize that and watch your streams when they see you enjoy playing and have some skills they lack. Also, try to be unique by creating catchy titles and custom-made layers. Don’t forget to include your followers in streams by interacting with them. You need to be proactive and try implementing something new into your streams. Watch what other popular streamers do, but don’t copy their work. Instead, try to improve their tactic.
Best Tactics For Gaining Followers
To get and retain followers you need to:
- Have quality content,
- Have quality gear,
- Use YouTube to spread your gaming content,
- Promote yourself on social media,
- Interact with your viewers.
Once you have established yourself in a particular niche and started to understand the ropes, there is still a long way to go before you can consider yourself successful and begin attracting passive followers over time. Now it’s time to grow your Twitch channel.
First, ensure that the essential elements are in place. By this, I mean that you should have a clear idea of the direction your streaming experience will take.
1. You have your own gaming or content creation venture
The foundation for a streamer aiming for long-term success is finding the right niche—one that is both popular and enjoyable to create content for. As the golden rule states: “if the community isn’t dead and it remains popular, the game is viable.”
Playing the latest games seems very enjoyable and appealing, but being strategic about it will often work to your advantage. In this context, choosing already-established games for streaming is advisable. If you have recently started, there’s no need to worry—it’s easier to adjust your course when you are just beginning.
However, don’t interpret this as an indication that playing saturated games is the best approach (like Fortnite, for example). Beginning with a game that is consistently trending on the platform can become quite monotonous after a while.
Moreover, it can become quite stale when your entire feed revolves around just a small selection of games. A charismatic personality can only take you so far. It often pays to take a leap and choose a game that is as thrilling to play as it is to watch.
Before you begin considering how to quickly gain more followers on Twitch, ensure that the foundation of your streaming activities can support your goals.
2. You are expanding your presence through social media
This is an underrated yet essential aspect that new streamers often overlook or underestimate. Consider this question: how can I begin to gain Twitch followers if they are unaware of my existence?
What does this involve? Sharing your link across the internet, ensuring your name is recognized in relevant communities and forums, and having your current followers and viewers promote the results of your efforts. Collaborating with other streamers and supporting each other, whether by hosting for them or playing games together, is also a great strategy for increasing the reach of your channel.
The importance of getting noticed is so crucial that treating your channel’s marketing as essential as the quality of content production is a must (unless someone else is handling the heavy lifting for you).
When you establish a presence for your channel on one or more major social media platforms, navigating the competitive landscape will be much easier (provided that other factors are also in place, of course). This will be explained in greater detail later on.
3. You are committed to crafting engaging titles for your stream content
Imagine yourself gearing up to make some incredible plays in your favorite game, setting up the best streaming equipment while enjoying your favorite drinks on a truly fantastic day! You feel like you are at the peak of your game and that nothing can go wrong, right?
Now consider how your future audience will discover you if you are just starting out with few or no followers. Among hundreds of different streams with various names, what makes your stream stand out?
The choice is yours! Don’t hesitate to experiment and unleash your creativity—the sky is the limit when it comes to being original!
4. You are engaging with your viewers
Simply saying “Hi” is not enough!
Creating a culture and a genuine community relies heavily on your actions. People choose Twitch over YouTube primarily for the opportunity to interact with streamers and fellow viewers.
Before you can embark on any serious business related to becoming an affiliate or a partner, ensure that you are at ease speaking with strangers who may unexpectedly appear in your channel, and that you have a clear vision of the type of community you wish to cultivate.
You can incorporate a small hack into the formula by using a Twitch viewer bot.
5. You are dedicated to maintaining consistency
The largest players in the streaming industry remain consistent regardless of the outcomes!
Consistency is a quality that distinguishes hobbyist streamers, who stream occasionally just for fun, from those who aim to stay relevant and popular for as long as possible.
Chaotic streaming schedules do not qualify as consistent, so be prepared to create or re-create a program that you can follow and that
Beginning the journey of gaining followers is a two-way street—it largely depends on you, but also on the preferences of the community. There are a few important things to keep in mind that you should NOT do.
1. Imitating another channel
Arguably the most noticeable culprit among all others, copycat streamers attempt to mimic their favorite personalities on the platform. More often than not, a particular streamer serves as their primary inspiration to begin streaming out of admiration.
This is a poor way to begin your channel’s journey toward more ambitious goals, partly due to the compromise of authenticity and its impact on the audience. Consider this: people come to Twitch not only to watch engaging gameplay but also to interact with a diverse array of personalities that vary from channel to channel.
While tastes are entirely subjective, it is wiser to focus on what you do best: creating content you enjoy and being the best version of yourself while doing so.
2. Don’t stream solely “for the fun of it.”
Committing to streaming is incredibly enjoyable and can be a great way to generate substantial revenue. However, as you might already suspect, approaching it merely as a form of entertainment is not a wise strategy.
Progress in any activity you are streaming requires dedication and time, whether it’s executing skill-demanding plays in multiplayer games or navigating the nerve-racking single-player modes of challenging games like Dark Souls. It all revolves around how well you master your game as much as your charisma.
This category pertains to consistency (as you need to adhere to your plan and allocate time for your audience) and strategy (you cannot switch from one game to another at will, unless you are engaging in activities like reviews).
3. Don’t wait for opportunities
Instead, BE THE OPPORTUNITY that takes Twitch by storm and establishes a new game at the top of the list! Be ambitious and gradually carve out your place among the stars of Twitch!
Does the above sound overwhelming to you? If so, embrace it, as cultivating the right mindset for building a large following requires a significant amount of self-confidence, along with unwavering dedication and perseverance. The best do not wait for change; they ARE the change!
You may fail to achieve your goals thousands of times, but as long as you are making progress, you are always moving forward, one step at a time, toward that seemingly unattainable goal of becoming one of the biggest names on Twitch, whether in a specific genre or in general.
Once you master the fundamentals of effective channel management (while keeping the right goals in mind), you can delve into the core of the topic – how to quickly gain followers on Twitch!
1. Setting Up Your Profile
At times, presenting the right image of yourself to others through just a few glimpses of your profile can be far more challenging than many people realize.
If you have taken the time to examine the profile appearances of successful streamers, you likely noticed how many of them appear custom-designed, featuring plenty of detail and ornamental additions.
As more individuals express interest in launching their streaming careers professionally, the standards of quality continue to rise, encompassing everything from aesthetics to performance.
There are a few modifications that you should implement in your profile;
An effective overlay
If you are new, you can manage with the standard Twitch overlay for some time, but not indefinitely!
The good news is that you have an almost limitless array of options for both freemium and premium overlays to explore. Despite the wide range of choices, an overlay should be visually appealing and functional, as it reflects your gaming style.
There are four distinct types of overlays available for you:
You have three options for selecting the Overlay that suits you best:
Engaging and informative overlay
I won’t sugarcoat it. It’s rare to see people fill out their bios and profiles with ample information, and it’s even rarer to find a well-crafted Twitch bio that demonstrates good taste. When it comes to creating the perfect profile, everything must be flawless. The requirements aren’t even that difficult to meet!
The example above is excellent in many respects, as it addresses nearly everything a potential follower of a channel requires.
Essentially, you receive well-organized information presented in panels. Anyone who visits the channel will have all the crucial information readily available, which is quite practical. Given that most people are unlikely to search through the channel for more than two or three clicks, being pragmatic is the best approach.
2. Content Quality
Ensuring that your output meets the quality standards of your audience is crucial, while multi-platforming expands the reach of your content—much like how social media marketing promotes your name (brand) across various channels.
Hardware
Before we delve deeper, consider this: what is the biggest turn-off for any viewer when they enter a stream, regardless of the quality of the content or the charm of the streamer?
I can mention a couple:
You must ensure that you have the basics set up, which include:
Most of the essentials are already common knowledge for anyone who has chosen to start streaming. Ensure that your equipment is of solid quality and reliability, and you will be well-prepared!
3. Utilize YouTube to share your gaming content
In a market filled with thousands of competitors, you must go well beyond the efforts of an average competitor to stand a chance against the more dedicated streamers who put in extra effort to ensure their work is noticed.
For this purpose, YouTube is an invaluable tool for reaching thousands, if not millions, of people who would not otherwise discover your channel.
Uploading your videos is a straightforward process, but choosing the right keywords for them is a completely different challenge.
Before proceeding, it is beneficial to research the most popular keywords and the type of content (related to a specific game) you aim to share. This could include various methods for defeating a challenging boss, accessing secret areas, or simply showcasing impressive gameplay.
The sky is the limit, but only if it resonates with the point you are trying to make (in this case, attracting more viewers to your channel). For this purpose, using additional software can make a significant difference. This is where TubeBuddy comes in. It is a dedicated keyword research and management software with a variety of tools to enhance your YouTube channel.
4. Promote yourself on social media
When you think about how to quickly gain followers on Twitch, the best approach is marketing! What you should do is promote your Twitch stream on social media.
As previously mentioned, social media can play a crucial role in promoting your activities, and this significance can be expanded upon and implemented in various ways to benefit your channel.
First, determine the type of audience you want to reach (professional gamers, recreational gamers, gamers of a specific genre, etc.).
Thanks to the ease of sharing various types of content (often promotional) in a straightforward and non-intrusive manner, Instagram is ideal for announcing activities such as Just Chatting (which is experiencing a significant rise in popularity). You can even share those posts to Twitter, Tumblr, or Facebook, saving you considerable time and effort.
You can’t hit two birds with one stone, which is why utilizing different platforms is the most effective way to capture the attention of a diverse audience. Twitter is unmatched in helping you build your brand and engage with specific groups of people (gamers, streamers, and key figures within a field or game scene).
As you retweet engaging posts and gain popularity, your brand will become increasingly recognizable, eventually attracting the interest of potential sponsors!
Reddit is a treasure trove that too few people appreciate today, but don’t let that deter you from being an exception. Thousands of subreddits dedicated to various topics make it easy to identify the audience that may be interested in your content. Generally, you are more likely to attract a loyal following, as most individuals within a subreddit are more engaged with the relevant topic than users on Instagram or Twitter who may simply stumble upon your posts.
5. Engaging with Your Community
The most important factor to consider is, of course, the primary distinction between Twitch and YouTube: real-time interactions with the community!
Engaging with your audience
The most crucial aspect of any streamer’s kit is their charisma, as entertaining your audience is essential for any Twitch streamer aiming to gain followers as quickly as possible.
Although there are no shortcuts in this business (patience and persistence are the two best qualities after charisma when it comes to streaming), there are a few practices that yield positive results;
While you don’t need to compromise your authenticity, your channel will grow much faster if you consider the thoughts and opinions of your audience.
You may also utilize the services of chatbots and moderators.
To keep your chat flame-free and free of vulgarity, you can establish the boundaries of acceptable behavior and language without needing to directly engage in moderation.
Paid moderators provide an extra layer of protection in addition to chatbots. They can also assist in maintaining an active chat. By utilizing high-quality software and a dedicated team, combined with engaging content, you can expect outstanding results in gaining Twitch followers.
Most importantly, concentrate your efforts on creating a welcoming and enjoyable atmosphere for every streaming session, and everything else will fall into place.
6. Communicate and Network with Other Streamers
Consider this: many of your colleagues share similar goals and are in the same situation as you. Wouldn’t it benefit everyone if you collaborated? You can get more viewers together!
This is where the popular activity “follow for follow” Twitch originated, as streamers can enhance their channel’s popularity by collaborating with other streamers. Engaging in co-op games, hosting each other, and even forming squad streams are just a few of the activities you can participate in.
While it is true that some viewers may switch from one stream to another, let’s be honest—it’s a free market. You are much more likely to achieve greater gains than losses if you collaborate with the right individuals who are willing to share the success and rise to the top as a team.
7. Continuously improve and enjoy yourself!
Ultimately, everyone joins Twitch to enjoy themselves, so even if you lack extensive experience in streaming, you can have a fantastic time discovering the intricacies of this expanding industry.
As you learn, pay attention to how your actions are perceived and how well you progress when you adjust your style, especially if you see opportunities for improvement in your activities. Don’t hesitate to make mistakes and ask your followers how much they are enjoying themselves.
Lastly, have a great time!
If you want to discover more engaging Twitch streaming tips, take a look at the video below!
