Starting your Twitch channel only needs you to follow simple steps. The real work is gaining Twitch Followers. At first, you will really have no one. There will be nights of streaming where you are alone. Instead of being discouraged, use this experience to level up your game. We wrote this awesome getting more Twitch Viewers too that’s worth the read!
The Twitch community is so saturated that creating content to gain Twitch followers really needs hard work and patience. In fact, Twitch is the largest online video game streaming platform. Knowing this fact should bring you two ideas. The first is that there is great competition on Twitch streaming. Second is, it has millions of audiences so there is always a possibility that people will follow you.
Undeniably, Twitch is the greatest place for streamers that want to look for their own audience and earn money. Content creators can earn in many ways such as, ad revenue, affiliate links, subscriptions, Bits, donations, and merchandising. Having enough viewers and followers also qualify you to become one of many affiliates on the Twitch Affiliate Program.
If you are looking for ways on how to get your Twitch Followers, then you have come to the right place. We will provide you tips on gaining Twitch Followers. Additionally, there are a lot more ways to make money gaming than streaming if you’re interested.
Table of Contents
Have a vision for your Twitch Channel
As a streamer, you should treat your Twitch channel as your business and Twitch followers as customers. In fact, this way you can take advantage of the opportunities Twitch has for you. To get started, you must have a vision for your Twitch channel and a strategy for achieving your goals. This will determine what activities you will have in order to achieve your goals. Make sure that everything you do is in line with achieving your vision for your channel.
Wanting to grow your Twitch presence, you must focus on gaining Twitch followers, subscriptions, and viewers. Moreover, you could use the SMART framework as a tool in setting your goals. This will help you create and ground goals that produce more tangible outcomes.
Here is how you can use the SMART framework.
Specific
Setting your goals should be precise. It should not have any vague meanings. This will help you have a clear target on what you want to achieve. For example, instead of saying “I want to gain followers”, set goals like “I want to have 100 followers by the end of the month”. Having a clear goal makes you work more to attain this goal.
Measurable
Goals should be able of being measured. Accordingly, this will help you as a broadcaster measure your progress towards your goal. In the same way, being able to measure your goal will help you gauge if your strategies are effective. You can use any metrics to measure your goals. As a streamer, you can use Twitch followers, subscriptions, or viewership in measuring your goals.
Attainable
Your Twitch channel goals should be realistic. So, don’t beat yourself up too much. Set goals that you know are possible to achieve. Do not set yourself up for failure by setting high and unrealistic goals. Be kind to yourself, and trust the process. Set milestones that you know are possible of achieving with the resources you have.
Relevant
Being a streamer, your vision is to have Twitch followers and increase your community presence. Then, your goals should be aligned with this in mind. The strategies you make should match what you want to achieve.
Time-bound
Your goals should have a specific timeline. Having a deadline pushes you to work more and actively engage in building your dreams. This also helps you to how efficient your strategies are in achieving your goals.
After you have set your goal, creates strategies that will help you gain Twitch followers and help you build your audience. In climbing up the ladder of being a Twitch streamer, here is one thing you need to keep in mind.
Be patient
Even the most famous streamers today started with zero followers. You are lucky if you have friends that currently follow you. Your success as a streamer does not happen overnight. It is an accumulation of long nights, hard work, and perseverance.
During those days where you feel like no one sees your efforts, do not lose confidence. Even if you have no Twitch follower, the right people will come to you in no time. Just continue to work on your dream. This is a great time to try things on your stream. You have the luxury of time to know what are your strengths and weaknesses as a streamer. This will equip you on being a better streamer for your Twitch followers.
Stream Consistently
Having a consistent schedule helps you to gain loyal followers on Twitch. It is the best way of letting your community know when they can see you again streaming. You provide them trust that you will be back streaming again by creating a schedule.
Setting a schedule also makes you a professional. If you stream frequently and consistently, they will know that you really take streaming seriously. Twitch followers that like your content will have an idea of when they can watch you again.
If you don’t consistently stream, your followers on Twitch might look for other Twitch streams.
Your schedule should include when you are streaming and what game you are playing. This will give your followers an idea of what they can expect on your next stream.
Add Value to your Stream
In attracting followers on Twitch, you need to give them something valuable. There are millions of Twitch streamers around the world, so you must give them something valuable and unique to have an edge over others.
You need to know what they are looking for on Twitch. Of course, each person has a unique reason why they watch streams on Twitch. But, here are some general categories of why people go on Twitch that you can try on your Twitch channel.
Equipment and Update Reviews
When a person wants to buy an application, equipment, or want an update on a game, the first thing he will do is to watch trailers and reviews. This will give the purchaser an idea of what he will have and what are the opinions of other users with the product. Having a channel that helps them make decisions in buying products could help you gain your followers on Twitch. 
Game Tips
Lots of Twitch users look for channels that help them improve their gameplay. They watch streamers and even eSports professionals to acquire new tactics and strategies for their game. Some Twitch users watch playthroughs to know how to survive the difficult part of a game. If you are an expert in the game, this could be your avenue to gain Twitch followers. Through this, you can share some game secrets and guide that everyone will like to know. 
Tournaments
Twitch users watch streams of tournaments. They are eager to know who are the best players for the game. They also support their chosen player by watching and cheering for them. You could gain followers on your stream if you join tournaments even on small game tournaments or multiplayer games. 
Entertainment
Some users watch on Twitch after a long tiring day. They go to channels that will offer streams that relax their minds or make them laugh. If you have an entertaining personality that people love, this could be your platform for gaining followers.
The above-mentioned categories will help you build your channel as well as your presence in the Twitch community. If you have can cover all the categories above, you are good to go.
In creating content, here are some things you need to make sure of:
Create unique content
There are millions of Twitch streamers. If you create content like anybody else, there is a great chance that people will not watch your stream. Level up your creativity and stream content that will make you stand out.
You can personalize your channel by highlighting your characteristics and be a person they can relate to. This is much easier than creating a fictitious person out of yourself. Be unique and be you.
In some cases, you can play games in a unique way. There are many game modes you can try that can gather attention to the Twitch community. This challenges you as a gamer and entertains your audience.
Another way is to play games that no one else is playing. Most streamers play the newest game titles. You can opt to play other games that no other streamer is playing. Some viewers look for streams that serve as a guide to explore other games.
Twitch may be known for online video game streaming. But, you can cross this line and stream other content on your channel. In choosing what to stream, you can choose from animation, fashion, drawing, adventures, daily life, travels, and other more. Actually, stream anything you want as long as you know you will excel in that category.
Share Tips
In streaming, you also need to make sure that your community is well taken care of. Look after your follower and consider them as your friends or family. By sharing your gaming knowledge and advice, your follower will feel that you care for them. you could also give some honest insightful comments that they can bring in their daily life.
Streaming is not only about playing games, gaining followers, and earning. Having a Twitch channel could also be an avenue for you to inspire people. Your influence as a streamer could have a great impact on your audience. The community you have in your Twitch channel is your responsibility. A follower believes in streamers and their abilities and knowledge, so make sure to have a good impact on them.
Improve your channel design
Having a visually appealing channel adds up to your success as a streamer. A neat layout will help users to know what you do and who you are. This can increase your audience and viewership. Your channel design tells much of your personality. So, make sure to choose wisely how you portray yourself on your channel site.
Start improving your Twitch site by adding panels. To add panels, log in to your Twitch account then go to your channel. Click the “Edit Panels” button and start adding panels to your channel. You could also include a table of contents so new users on your channel could easily know what do you have on your site.
Look for the Right Games
In playing games on your stream, make sure that it will help you in achieving your goals. Play games that you love and the community loves. Play games that no streamer ever played and that everyone wants to play. When starting, figure out which games are effective in helping you build your channel.
Here are some tips in looking for the right game:
Look for games that you are passionate to play
It is hard to play a game that you don’t truly enjoy. Your enthusiasm to play games reflects on your stream. Followers could easily detect if you really take delight in playing those games.
Your joy in playing games will help you to be more engaging to your followers. The audience wants to see your passion in your gaming stream.
Consider games where you are an expert
Being a pro in a video game can help you increase your followers. Subscribers want to see amazing game play and game strategies. You can share your experience as you were starting to play that game and how you became a pro. This can encourage your audience to watch you more in order for them to gather more knowledge in your gaming.
By showing your mastery, it creates interesting content that subscribers will love. Playing games you are a pro at will help you create more challenging stream content. You can have speed runs, playthroughs, and more unique content.
Look for games that only a few streamers play
Again, if you play games that most streamers play, your channel could get lost in the directory. Try other non-saturated games that you think can gather an audience.
There are a lot of other more well-known streamers that play those popular games. Competing with them gives you no advantage. Search for other game alternatives. For example, Call of Duty is one of the most-streamed games you could read articles and search another page on what is the best game alternative for Call of Duty.
Looking for less well-known games could also be your channel’s chance to be promoted. If you stream their app, producers of the app could use your stream highlights and post to promote your Twitch stream in their social media accounts.
Switch from time to time
Mixing up games to play and content to stream gives your channel a variety. This will keep your audience from being bored with the content you provide them.
Switching up will get them more engaged with your streams and could also get you more followers.
This will give you more freedom on what games you want to play and the content you want to create.
Interact with your Audience
One key in creating an impact on your Twitch audience is through interaction. Having the opportunity to interact with you in real-time through a chat box is one reason most people choose to watch stream than pre-recorded videos.
Every single person yearns for human interaction. They want to know you and chat with each other within the community. Interacting with them helps you get followers and make sure that they come back every time you stream.
Here are some tips on how you can interact with your followers:
Always look on the chat room
One way to properly interact with your people is to know what they are saying in the chat room. A follower or other streamers could ask you questions or could recommend how you can manipulate the gameplay. Make sure to take note of these messages and create responses to your viewers on your stream.
By interacting with them is one step to be closer to your followers. This exchange of thoughts with each other makes them feel belong on your channel. It ensures that they will be back every time you stream.
Keep talking and reacting
People also want to hear your insights on your games. This will help them know more about who you are. Even if no person is currently watching you, keep talking. If you upload that stream on your channel, people who missed it will be able to know what are your thoughts during that broadcast.
Talking on your stream makes it more engaging. It leaves an impression that you want to connect with them and that you recognize them.
Every time you see that there is a new viewer, welcome them to your stream. Make them feel visible, give thanks to them for their support.
This also trains you to be aware of their presence. So, in your next broadcast answer questions of your follower, respond to comments, and say goodbye to people when leaving the stream.
Make use of Channel points
You can enable points on your page. A follower can accumulate points by watching and interacting in your broadcast. You can encourage them to accumulate points by giving gifts or rewards to those who accumulate the highest points.
Ask your followers
In case there are no comments and questions in the chat room, you could start a conversation yourself. Start by telling your story and ask them about their own experience.
You could also ask them for recommendations on how you can improve your gaming and your channel. This will motivate them to engage more in your streams because they know that their voice and opinions are considered.
Moderator Bots
If you have large numbers of followers and viewership, you can use a moderator bot to help you interact with your follower.
Mod bots help answer common questions of viewers in the chat room. It can also take the song requests of viewers. You can set welcome and thank you messages in mod bots for visiting channels and new viewers or followers.
Another case mod bots could be of great help is when you are raid by spam messages. Mod bots can help you remove taboo language, prevent spam, and ban a follower who breaks the set rules on your channel.
Thanks to Mod bots, it takes a lot of worries out of your shoulder so you can focus more on interacting with your viewers.
Invest in High-quality Streaming Equipment
Part of interacting with your viewers is to see and hear them clearly. There are a number of ways to do this, but high-end streaming equipment helps you do this. Either you are using your Xbox One, PlayStation, or a PC you need high-quality streaming equipment to increase your views.
The first step is to invest in a good camera because viewers would want to see your reaction clearly. So, this will form a better connection with your viewers easily.
Next is to have a good quality microphone. Talking and interacting would be no good if viewers can’t hear you clearly. Viewers won’t be able to understand your insights and commentary if you don’t have a good microphone.
On top of these things is a stable internet connection. Not only you will be enraged with an unstable internet connection, but also your viewers. They would just look for another stream if all they see on your stream is continuous lagging.
Post on your Social Media Account
Social media platforms are one of the best and free ways to increase views on your channels. People could easily find you if you have many connections on your social media pages.
The more attention you get on your post, the higher probability of gaining new viewers on your channels. In the same way, cross-promoting your channel will help viewers and streamers from different platforms recognize your stream.
There are a number of ways on how you can find viewers on social media, here is how:
Create a post on Twitter regarding your stream title, things viewers can expect on your page, and your other social media accounts.
You could also ask your friends with a large Twitter following to retweet your post. This expands the reach of your post, thus increases the chance of gaining more people on your channel and viewers on your broadcast.
You can post your schedule, the player you’re with on your broadcast, and another affiliate website you want to promote on your Twitter account. Increase your views by creating engaging content on your Twitter posts. 
Discord Groups
Streamers and broadcasters join different Discord gaming groups to promote their channels. Thanks to Discord, there are thousands of servers you can join to promote your channel.
You can leave your email address on an article so a follower could connect with you if they want to help you boost your views. You could also look for a brand’s email address, you can use this email address to submit proposals for your channel and their product partnership. This will increase the number of your views and following.
Create well-thought Stream Titles
Viewers most time search stream titles they would want to watch. So, make sure to create a stream title that most people would likely search.
To ensure that your stream title will reflect on search results, read an article on what viewers and people on Twitch most likely search when watching streams.
You could also use another account and look if your stream title is in line with search results.
Wait for people to start following you
Increasing your followers can’t be found on the menu, it is earned. We wouldn’t be making this article if gaining followers can be found and manipulated in your Twitch menu. People will start following you if they believe in your dreams and your aspirations in life. Accordingly, the number of views will increase if you are really dedicated to your vision.
