You have everything set up and ready to start, you’ve plucked up the courage and decided to click that go live button and start streaming to the world, however, the world isn’t watching.
This is especially true for new streamers when first starting out, however, this also applies to experienced streamers who have been streaming for months or even years.
So you ask the question How do I get more viewers on my Twitch stream?
This is one of the most common questions that streamers ask and it’s not just smaller streamers either, Popular streamers with thousands of viewers are also always looking for ways to increase their viewer numbers, as there is always room for improvement.
In this article, I will detail 10 methods that you should start doing right now to help you get more viewers on Twitch, if you do just one of these methods then it could be very helpful, however, the more of these methods you do, the better results you are likely to get.
How streamers are discovered on Twitch?
Before going into details with the methods for getting more Twitch viewers, It’s important to understand how discoverability works on Twitch and why you are probably struggling to gain more viewers.
Don’t rely on Twitch alone to help you gain more viewers.
Twitch is terrible for discoverability, unlike YouTube (which filters search results based on relevance), Twitch filters search results based on viewer count. This means that streams with the highest viewer count are at the top of the results page and streams with the lowest viewer count are at the bottom of the page.
This is plain awful for new streamers trying to get exposure on Twitch as the viewer will need to scroll down past all of the popular streams before finding your stream at the bottom of the page.
This is not to say it’s impossible to gain viewers through Twitch as for example some people prefer streams with a lower view count and will actively look for them, however, the vast majority of people are not even going to scroll down far enough to even see your stream let alone click on it and will instead end up on one of the more popular streams.
This creates a challenging situation which is similar to the chicken and the egg conundrum. The stream will get more viewers by being at the top of the results page, however, the stream needs more viewers to be at the top of the results page to begin with.
It’s not all doom and gloom though as this also means that if you break through the initial lower viewer count period and start gaining a larger amount of viewers, things will generally start to get easier.
Just know that as long as you put in the hard work to make the best stream possible, you will be successful.
10 ways to get more viewers on your Twitch Stream?
1. Create Videos for YouTube.
This is one of the most important methods to help you get more viewers on Twitch, as mentioned previously, YouTube is an extremely good platform for discoverability which makes building an audience faster and easier.
The main aim is to create high-value YouTube videos which highlight the very best you have to offer as a streamer and over time converts viewers from YouTube to Twitch viewers.
What type of videos should you upload to YouTube?
When thinking of what YouTube videos to create, consider if there are subjects that are currently trending within your niche/game, for example. You could do a video involving a game update that everyone is talking about.
There are many different types of videos which you can create and generally, you should look to be as unique as possible in creating the videos, however, a few examples of good videos would be;
- Game Playthroughs – Game playthrough videos are extremely popular on YouTube as this has the possibility of becoming a series and are an excellent way to get returning viewers.
- Tips, Tricks or Tutorials – These types of videos are usually very shareable and often cover trending subjects within your niche/game.
- Reviews – These types of videos are a great way to voice your opinion of your niche/game. For example, you could do a video involving a new update in the game you stream and review how good/bad it is.
- Goals or Targets – These videos allow you to create a goal or target for your Twitch/YouTube channels, this can help create a buzz around your content as returning viewers check on your progress. For example, You could create a target of completing a particular game for the first time.
You can create other videos linked to Goals/Targets, such as; progress videos which update the viewer on your current progress.
What video types you should NOT upload to YouTube?
In my opinion, Stream Highlights or Best Clips are some of the worst-performing types of videos for building an audience on YouTube/Twitch.
Let’s be honest, The only reason someone would watch your highlight reel is if they had already watched you before and were interested in your highlights, if they didn’t know you they would probably be watching the highlights of a popular streamer like Shroud.
And there are literally thousands of other similar videos which you are competing with to get a view.
None of this is to say that you cant upload Game highlights for example and make it work, if you’re a popular streamer on Twitch your viewers could be very interested in watching a highlight reel.
Also, any streamers if this is the only type of video you will create then it’s absolutely still worth uploading these
Keep in mind that uploading anything to YouTube is better than uploading nothing, however, the more effort you put into creating high-quality videos, the better chance you have of them being successful.
2. Create and keep to a schedule.
Keeping a schedule is extremely important as it allows viewers to follow the stream much more easily and makes it easier for you to plan ahead with new content for the channel.
viewers have been known to ensure they are available to watch the live streams of their favorite streamers, however, this wouldn’t be possible if the streamer didn’t keep to a reliable schedule.
Twitch also likes to see consistency in your streams which is why it’s one of the affiliate and partner requirements.
The ultimate goal is to have a regular group of viewers who will tune into the live streams each and every time you hit go live.
3. Become a member of the community.
Every game/niche has communities full of passionate people, These communities could be on discord, forums, Reddit, Facebook groups, Twitter, etc.
When you find these communities you can begin talking to like-minded people, start building up your name within the community and even create friendships.
The goal is NOT to self advertise and instead use these communities to help enhance your name within the niche/game. Ensure you bring as much value to the community as possible.
4. Be Unique.
There are thousands of other streamers who are in competition with you to get viewers, if you are exactly like the rest of the streamers, why should the viewers come to you?
You need to find a way to stand out from the other streamers, I’m not talking about being unique and that’s easy, instead, you need to find ways to stand out so that viewers remember you.
Different ways you can stand out from other streamers are;
- Building a Brand or Theme.
- Use a creative Title for your stream.
- Create an interesting persona for streaming.
- Organise Giveaways (more on this later).
If you can find a way to stand out compared to other streamers then you already have an advantage over them and that should translate into more viewers sticking around once they find you.
5. Build a Brand.
Building a Brand is vital to help you stand out and make you more easily recognizable, it’s also a great way to improve your standards and gets you making sure everything you do is in the best interest of the brand rather than you personally.
Stay consistent with your branding across all your social media accounts, you wouldn’t believe how many viewers you’re losing because your Twitter handle is slightly different from your Twitch username.
Make sure you use the same username, logo, and color themes for all your social media accounts.
6. Post to Social Media platforms.
Social media is a vital tool for building a community around your stream/brand, although the live stream will be the main place you interact with your viewers, keeping a consistently updated social media account will give them another place to see your content when you’re offline.
As I mentioned earlier, YouTube should be your absolute main focus, however, other platforms like Discord, Twitter, and Facebook are excellent for interacting with your community, providing channel news, posting interesting clips, etc.
7. Use Catchy Titles.
One thing which many new streamers neglect to do is create good stream titles which will catch the attention of the viewer, creating creative and unique stream titles is just another excellent way to help you stand out from the rest of the streamers.
Creating a stream title that gives the viewers some quick information about the stream/streamer is good, but you also want to add a little twist.
Some examples of catchy stream titles;
- “Streamer DESTROYING viewers, nobody can beat me”.
- “Total noob playing for the first time, try not to laugh”.
- “Why does this keep happening to me???”
- “I have NEVER seen this happen before..”
These aren’t exactly the most amazing stream titles but hopefully, it’s given you some ideas for stream titles you could use to generate more interest in your stream.
8. Do “Special Events” streams.
Special Events streams are a great way to do something different than normal and can generate massive exposure to your channel.
Different types of “Special Events” streams include;
- Giveaways streams – These streams you giveaway stuff either IRL or more commonly within a game.
- Marathon Streams – These are streams which last a lot longer than your usual stream, typical example would be a 24-hour stream.
- Subathon – These streams focus on gaining more subscribers, often, the stream length increases with each new subscriber, which can create a snowball effect.
- Streamer Vs. Viewers – These streams are excellent to build a stronger community and focus on interacting with the viewers.
- Variety Stream – If you usually only stream a specific genre, variety streams can give you an excuse to try out something different.
9. Improve Stream quality.
This is a bit of a cheap tip, however, it’s definitely something which you need to think about.
Always look for ways to improve.
This can be said about anything, however, specifically for streaming, It’s time to take a good long hard look in the mirror and be your biggest critic.
What can you improve?
Everyone can improve at least one aspect of their stream, even the most popular streamers could do certain things better.
The goal here is not about being perfect or being someone that you’re not but instead recognizing where the quality of your stream might be lacking and doing something about it.
You might already know how you could improve the stream because viewers keep mentioning something in chat.
If you’re a new streamer, this doesn’t mean going out and spending your salary on brand new equipment because you think it will improve your stream, instead, focus on changes YOU can make without spending any money.
10. Network with other members of the Twitch community.
Networking is a very powerful technique that can help increase the exposure of your live streams. Networking in its simplest form is the act of making friends with other people who share similar interests. That’s it. Nothing more.
The idea of Networking is to actually build relationships with people because you like them as a streamer/gamer/person and not because you want something from them.
This should be a mutually beneficial relationship where all parties bring value, this means you MUST bring value to the relationship.
Being a freeloader or leech does not work and can get very old very quickly, so i’ll say it again, you MUST bring value to the relationship.
Give more than you take!
The first thought when Networking should always be to give into a relationship more value than you take away. Although this doesn’t mean that someone else gets to be a leech on you, they need to hold up their end too.
Who should you network with?
When looking for friends, you need to take into account the size of their channel and what games they play.
You should look for streamers who have similar sizes of audiences to yourself, obviously, it’s okay to make friends with smaller streamers, however, they won’t be able to bring as much exposure to your channel.
Networking with streamers within the same game is usually most effective, however, only networking with streamers from the same game can be limiting, therefore, finding streamers from other games within the same genre can also work well.
There is so much more I could talk about when it comes to Networking and I will be releasing a complete guide on Networking in the future when I get the chance to write it.
How long does it take to gain twitch viewers?
This is a difficult question to answer as it depends on a number of factors, including the quality of your content, how often you stream, and how active you are in promoting your channel. However, if you consistently produce high-quality content and are active in promoting your channel, you should start seeing an uptick in viewers over time. Just remember to be patient – it takes time to build a following on Twitch.
What are the golden hours of Twitch?
The “golden hours” of Twitch are typically considered to be weekdays from 4pm-9pm EST. This is when the majority of Twitch users are online and actively engaged with content. If you’re looking to maximize your viewer count, streaming during these times is a good strategy. However, keep in mind that you’ll need to produce high-quality content to keep people coming back.
How many Twitch followers is good?
There is no magic number of Twitch followers that guarantees success. However, having a large and engaged follower base is essential for any successful streamer. The more followers you have, the more people you have potential to reach with your content. Additionally, a engaged follower base is more likely to stick around and continue watching your content, even if you go through some dry spells.
How much do small Twitch streamers make?
This varies greatly depending on the size of the channel and the amount of active viewers. Generally speaking, small Twitch streamers make less than $100 per month. However, there are always exceptions to this rule. Some small streamers have been able to generate enough interest and followers to bring in significantly more money.
How much do bigger Twitch streamers make?
Again, this varies greatly depending on the size of the channel and the amount of active viewers. Generally speaking, bigger Twitch streamers make anywhere from a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars per month. The most successful streamers can even make upwards of six figures per month. Obviously, this is the exception rather than the rule. Most streamers make far less than this.
What makes a successful Twitch streamer?
This is a difficult question to answer, as success on Twitch can mean different things to different people. Some streamers focus on building a large following and becoming a celebrity within the Twitch community, while others focus on making a living through donations and subscriptions. Ultimately, however, the most successful Twitch streamers are those who are able to engage their viewers and build a strong community around their channel.
Conclusion
This article wasn’t written to cover all methods in great detail, but rather, give you inspiration for how you can take action and build a greater audience on Twitch.
Remember, nothing worth having comes easy, however, as long as you work hard and be smart, you will be successful.
